Category Archive
89 staffs to receive schoolwide bonusesSep 25, 2008
UFT members in 89 of 160 high-need elementary and middle schools that participated in the pilot schoolwide bonus program last year will be getting bonuses for meeting targets on the Progress Reports.
Teachers’ hard work helps raise Progress Report gradesSep 25, 2008
Improved test scores and a 94 percent parent approval rating of teachers helped Progress Reports climb among elementary and middle schools.
Union's 'TONE' campaign aims to make schools saferSep 25, 2008
The UFT kicked off its “School TONE” campaign in September in an effort to make schools safer for members, parents and students.
UFT mobilization makes difference in key, close primariesSep 25, 2008
With a boost from UFT members’ political action efforts, most UFT-backed candidates were big winners in the Sept. 9 primary.
Huge grievance victory for long-term subsSep 25, 2008
Scores of long-term substitute teachers will now be paid on the regular teacher payroll with benefits thanks to a grievance filed by the UFT on their behalf.
In NYC, more F schools than A schools in good standing with NCLBSep 25, 2008
Chapter leaders told: All jobs safe
Sep 25, 2008
Hundreds of chapter leaders turned out for a “nuts and bolts” citywide chapter leader meeting at UFT headquarters where they were briefed on the union’s major initiatives and asked questions about parking problems and other issues that had arisen in the first weeks of the school year.
Retirees: COPE helped usSep 25, 2008
Key to all of the UFT’s political work, from electing Barack Obama to lobbying the state Legislature and the City Council against harmful education cuts, is COPE, the Committee on Political Education.
Report on ATRs ignores many factsSep 25, 2008
Despite having 1,395 teachers from closed or downsized schools serving in an absent-teacher reserve, the DOE hired 5,400 new teachers this September and has yet to find classroom assignments for 229 of them.
UFT launches effort to solve overcrowding woesSep 25, 2008
Parent groups, elected officials and the UFT have launched a campaign to make sure the city’s new five-year capital plan for schools due in November will alleviate overcrowding and reduce class size.
New UFT ad a good listenSep 12, 2008
The UFT started running a back-to-school radio ad on Sept. 2 asking public officials and school communities to listen to teachers and provide the support and resources they need. “Because teachers know that higher test scores aren’t enough. To educate the whole child, we must start in the classroom,” the ad concludes.
UFT: K-2 testing pilot a ‘bad idea’Sep 12, 2008
The Department of Education’s plan to give standardized tests to children as young as kindergartners has sparked outrage among parents and teachers already concerned that Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein are too focused on standardized testing in measuring school progress.
Good First ImpressionSep 12, 2008
A perfect learning lab - Photo gallery
Sep 12, 2008
Members urged: Join COPE now!
Sep 12, 2008
While politics is a key arena where unions fight for their members, federal law prohibits unions from using members’ dues for any political or legislative activities not related to servicing members or collective bargaining. That means the cost of doing one vital type of union work has to be borne by voluntary donations, and from members only. That’s why you need UFT COPE. That’s why UFT COPE needs you, now.
Weingarten boosts Obama at DNCSep 12, 2008
Addressing the Democratic National Convention in Denver on Aug. 25, AFT/UFT President Randi Weingarten offered an education agenda she said could be secured with an Obama presidency. “Our No. 1 priority is, as it has always been, strengthening our public schools to better serve our students,” she said. “Let’s do what we do in our best schools in all of our schools."
Public schools spared mid-year state cuts; property tax cap avertedSep 12, 2008
When Gov. David Paterson made his summer doomsday announcement that the growing state deficit required midyear cuts in a state budget inked just three months earlier, it seemed that education spending was about to be hit. But schools were spared thanks in part to the efforts of the UFT and its allies in public education advocacy.
Hard work by all pays off in improved graduation rateSep 12, 2008
The city’s four-year graduation rate rose two points last year, making it the highest on-time graduation rate in at least two decades. Announcing the results with Mayor Bloomberg, UFT President Randi Weingarten said, “Today is a day to congratulate teachers, principals, students and parents for all their hard work in keeping the graduation rate going in the right direction.”
Union’s Green Dot ‘adventure’ beginsSep 12, 2008
Green Dot Public Schools, a successful and labor-friendly charter school operator, in partnership with the UFT, officially opened its high school in the South Bronx on Sept. 2. The partnership between the UFT and Green Dot marks the first time that a teachers union has opened a new school in collaboration with a charter school operator.
Good first impression: Hardly a glitch in ‘one of the smoothest’ school openingsSep 12, 2008
At schools across the city on Sept. 2, teachers reconnected with students and parents as the new school year got off to a mostly problem-free start. “Today’s opening of schools was one of the smoothest I can remember. If every day could go as smoothly as today, this will be a great year,” said UFT President Randi Weingarten.
Arbitrator upholds three-month time limit for placing letters in fileSep 12, 2008
An arbitrator ruled in July in the UFT’s favor that a member can file a grievance to remove a letter in his or her file when the letter is written more than three months after the incident it describes.
Union gets hazardous conditions repaired at Queens schoolSep 12, 2008
The dilapidated and decaying disaster that was PS 256 in the Rockaways has been scrubbed and made safe for students and staff, thanks to the UFT, but staffers worry that hidden problems might remain.
UFT, city reach parking agreementSep 12, 2008
The UFT and city reached an agreement that preserves all on-street and off-street school parking spots while aligning the number of placards with the number of spots.
Million dads step upSep 11, 2008
41,500 take advantage of 55/25 plan
Sep 10, 2008
UFT members have opted in! Some 41,500 members enrolled in the 55/25 early retirement plan by the Aug. 25 deadline.
UFT mobilizing for Silver, McMahon in fall primariesAug 07, 2008
The UFT has started its stepped-up member mobilization campaign on behalf of both Lower East Side Democratic Assemblyman and Speaker Sheldon Silver, and City Councilman and Staten Island-Brooklyn Democratic congressional hopeful Michael McMahon.
Teacher’s Choice is back!Aug 07, 2008
The UFT salvaged some 60 percent of Teacher’s Choice funds, which had been threatened with full elimination.
Union: DOE needs plan to solve school overcrowding in District 2Aug 07, 2008
This summer, the UFT has joined parents and others in fighting school overcrowding in Manhattan’s rapidly growing District 2.
Faulty city targeting of state Contract for Excellence funds blasted at hearings do-overAug 07, 2008
The new round of hearings, like the first round, heard speaker after speaker lambaste the city Department of Education for not aggressively lowering class size or using the funds in a manner that directly assists students.
Members sent to ‘rubber rooms’ will receive fairer, more timely treatmentAug 07, 2008
The UFT and DOE reached an agreement that will reduce the backlog of teachers sent to a “rubber room” for alleged misconduct.
Chapter leader sues ‘tyrant’ principalAug 07, 2008
The battle for justice at MS 393 in Bedford Stuyvesant shifted to a new front when a chapter leader — at the urging of the UFT — filed a lawsuit in State Supreme Court on July 3 against Marian Bowden, the school’s principal, and the Department of Education.
Obama ‘honored’ by union’s endorsementAug 07, 2008
The 3,500-plus delegates to the AFT convention — including 620 UFTers — voted overwhelmingly on July 13 to endorse the presidential candidacy of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
Weingarten elected AFT presidentAug 07, 2008
While taking on the additional responsibilities of leading the national union, Randi Weingarten will continue to serve as UFT president for the time being.
Delegates tackle excess of excessingJul 02, 2008
A crowded agenda at the year’s final Delegate Assembly featured a discussion on containing an epidemic of excessing in the city’s public schools.
UFT charter schools serve their students wellJun 26, 2008
Students at the two UFT charter schools greatly outperformed their home district on the ELA and math tests this year, quieting critics who claim that teacher union contracts are obstacles to educational improvement.
Joining ‘hands’Jun 26, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten joined thousands of parents, students and community activists in a Hands Across New York City rally at City Hall to protest the school-budgets cuts ordered by Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein.
City students shine on 2008 ELA and math testsJun 26, 2008
The percentage of New York City students meeting math and English Language Arts standards took a huge leap forward this year.
Final city budget contains no classroom cutsJun 26, 2008
After a protracted fight, the city kept most of its funding promises to the schools.
Last chance to opt in to 55/25 early-retirement planJun 26, 2008
It's now or never! The deadline for enrolling in the 55/25 early-retirement plan is this Monday, Aug. 25. More than 31,000 UFT members have opted in to date.
Member survey: Chancellor, DOE must do betterJun 26, 2008
New York City educators have told Chancellor Joel Klein in stark terms that he needs improvement via confidential UFT surveys designed to hold the chancellor and the DOE accountable for their performance.
Coalition kept up pressureJun 26, 2008
More than 200 actions pressure officals to fully fund schools
AFT exec council: Obama’s the one for teachersJun 26, 2008
Citing his commitment to take on the key challenges facing AFT members and the nation as a whole, the 41-member AFT executive council voted unanimously on June 23 to approve a motion recommending that delegates to the 2008 AFT national convention endorse the candidacy of Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president of the United States.
Concerns over GHI-HIP mergerJun 26, 2008
The impending change in the HIP-GHI health organization from nonprofit to for- profit status prompted delegates to approve a resolution raising concerns that a for-profit structure would compromise GHI and HIP’s longstanding commitment to city employees by letting health care deteriorate.
Precedent-setting attendance and letter-in-file arbitration victory celebratedJun 26, 2008
A member’s challenge of his principal’s reprimand ended in a major arbitration victory for every UFT member.
Local candidates endorsedJun 26, 2008
Besides approving a resolution on the presidential race, the delegates debated an Executive Board-recommended slate of candidates.
Maternity workshops held for new generation of UFT membersJun 11, 2008
The UFT Queens borough office has given birth to a new idea: workshops "for mommies to be."
Another whistle-blower sent to rubber roomJun 05, 2008
When a teacher reported irregularities in the grading of Regents exams and the way Title I funds were spent at his school, he never expected to find himself banished to a Temporary Reassignment Center, a “rubber room.”
School secretaries feted as professionals, union fightersJun 05, 2008
Union boils over DOE’s inaction during heat wave
Jun 05, 2008
In nearly 100-degree heat, with a white sun beating down unmercifully, UFT President Randi Weingarten announced that the union has asked the state Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau to cite the DOE for violating state health laws by failing to protect students and staff in city schools during the early June heat wave.
Educators to evaluate Klein, DOEJun 05, 2008
Using the New York City Department of Education’s Learning Environment survey as a model, the UFT is asking its 100,000 public school educators to evaluate the performance of the chancellor and the Department of Education.
‘She’s my rock’Jun 05, 2008
An effective mentoring experience is crucial to student achievement, as one first-year teacher in District 2 discovered.
Chapter leader banished to rubber roomJun 05, 2008
A chapter leader who notified city and state education officials that his principal failed to provide state-mandated services to special education kids was removed to a Temporary Reassignment Center (TRC) — commonly called a “rubber room.”
‘We’re one city’Jun 05, 2008
The divide-and-conquer budget ploy attempted by the mayor and chancellor failed to drive a wedge between teachers, school principals, parents and community activists united in demanding full city funding for the public schools.
UFT: Build schools where they’re neededJun 05, 2008
Unlike the Department of Education operating expense budget, where the mayor cut some $450 million in promised funding, the School Construction Authority’s five-year capital spending plans were untouched.
Klein’s cuts ‘unconscionable’Jun 05, 2008
After Chancellor Joel Klein defended the city’s cut of $450 million for school funding, UFT President Randi Weingarten excoriated the chancellor and mayor for blaming the state — which fully funded the schools, just as the Keep the Promises Coalition demanded — for forcing cutbacks.
Contract for Excellence hearingJun 05, 2008
Keep the Promises Coalition town hall meeting
Jun 05, 2008
'We're one city' Photos
Jun 04, 2008
Education coalition presses on in drive to restore city funding for schools
May 23, 2008
125 happy applicants win spots in UFT-Green Dot charter
May 22, 2008
Dozens of anxious parents and children were on hand on May 12 for the admissions lottery for the Green Dot New York Charter HS to select 125 students out of nearly 500 applicants.
Cops’ arbitration decision provides pay increaseMay 22, 2008
A arbitration panel awarded New York City police officers a retroactive 9.7 percent pay increase over two years and, in exchange for significant concessions, raised starting pay — which had been slashed to $25,100 in a 2005 contract that crippled recruitment — to $35,881.
‘No way on earth’ contract will be reopenedMay 22, 2008
UFT delegates flatly told the city that they would not reopen the UFT contract if the Department of Education bids to find a way to fire excessed teachers.
5% increase in next paycheckMay 22, 2008
UFT-represented educators received a 5 percent raise on May 19. However, the Department of Education has informed the UFT that, due to a computer error, 3,866 eligible pedagogues and 47 paraprofessionals will not receive the five-year longevity increment in the May 31 check.
PIP gets rave reviewsMay 22, 2008
Two principals discuss what’s right about the union’s program to help struggling teachers — at a time when the DOE won’t increase its funding, despite sharply rising costs.
Weingarten: Let’s create permanent coalition as advocacy voice for kidsMay 22, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten announced a plan to explore the creation of a permanent coalition to protect the interests of the city’s 1.1 million schoolchildren and vowed to continue to expand the union’s work with parents and the community.
Klein urged to seek input on using CFE fundsMay 22, 2008
Parents, teachers, community leaders and UFT officials are calling on Chancellor Joel Klein to work together with them to create a strong citywide plan for spending the $360 million secured last year in the resolution of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity lawsuit and earmarked by the state for six specific purposes.
Campaign expands to TVMay 22, 2008
Kids don’t get a second chance. That urgent message, the bottom line of a major radio campaign, is also the powerful theme of a television ad campaign that blanketed the metropolitan area.
Staten Island protest draws 500May 22, 2008
Approximately 500 irate Staten Island parents, community members and teachers turned out to protest the mayor’s budget cuts to their schools and joined Queens City Councilman Tony Avella in chanting, “Klein must go! Klein must go.”
Education coalition presses on in drive to restore city funding for schoolsMay 22, 2008
May has been a hectic month for the Keep the Promises Coalition as it focuses on getting the city to do what Albany did in April when the Legislature restored proposed cuts in school funding.
School labeled ‘dangerous’ by state works to improve — but still waits for DOE’s helpMay 08, 2008
The staff and the principal at Staten Island’s PS 14 — which landed on the State Education Department’s “persistently dangerous schools” list last August — are working together to make it a safer school. But every day, in the words of guidance counselor Pat Torricelli, is like “triage” as they cope, with little support from the DOE, with a small group of troublemakers.
Radio ad: Call 1-800-961-6198 to protest cutsMay 08, 2008
One day after the mayor broke his funding promise to public school students in his executive budget, the Keep the Promises coalition saturated the air waves with radio ads and blitzed local newspapers with public service alerts about the damage that schoolchildren will suffer as a consequence.
Mayor doesn’t keep his word on education fundingMay 08, 2008
The headlines reporting the mayor’s stripped-down May 1 executive budget, including some $450 million in cuts to education, could have read: “Bloomberg to schools: You are not the priority anymore.”
Nearly 300G to reduce class size — and it increased!May 08, 2008
PS/IS 71 in District 8 used to be a high-functioning, well-regarded neighborhood school, according to Chapter Leader Carol Griffin. But that was before Principal Lance Cooper decided to shoe-horn a “prep academy” of 7th- and 8th-graders into the building.
Leader of UFT Charter Elementary School steps downMay 08, 2008
As the UFT Elementary Charter School rounds out its third year, the guiding hand and an architect of the unique experiment — the only union-run school in the country — has announced she will leave at the end of the school year.
UFT: Tweed created job barriers for ATRsMay 08, 2008
Having failed to achieve one of its principal objectives in the 2005 and 2006 contracts – namely firing excessed (displaced) teachers – the DOE has enlisted a non-profit organization with millions of dollars in DOE contracts to issue a report that recommends firing ATRs, who have rock-solid job security under the contract.
5% salary increase starts May 19May 08, 2008
UFT-represented educators will get a 5 percent raise on May 19, the same day the new five-year longevity for members who have completed five years of service in the New York City school system takes effect.
Report shows DOE refused to make headway on class size despite $153M of new fundsMay 08, 2008
Despite committing $152.7 million to reduce class size this year, the DOE actually allowed class sizes to grow in one-third of almost 400 targeted schools, a UFT-commissioned report has found, leading the city comptroller to promise a thorough review of DOE’s class-size spending.
Julia Richman: The award-winning school that Klein would destroyApr 24, 2008
Closing large high schools and redesigning them into smaller ones has been one of the education changes that predated Schools Chancellor Joel Klein but that he has nonetheless championed. That would not explain, however, his plan to bulldoze the Julia Richman Education Complex, one of the city’s best examples of the small school movement where the graduation rate exceeds those of both the city and the state.
GHI-HIP conversion to for-profit status raises concernsApr 24, 2008
The GHI-HIP merger into Emblem Health and its effect on health benefits was discussed during the question period at the Delegate Assembly.
Call to fight Klein’s ‘disinformation’ campaign on tenureApr 24, 2008
The Delegate Assembly unanimously passed a resolution excoriating Chancellor Joel Klein “for spending weeks putting out misinformation” about the facts in the tenure fight.
DA launches phase two of budget fight targeting City HallApr 24, 2008
Now that the state, despite new economic uncertainty, kept its promises to children, UFT President Randi Weingarten told delegates at the April DA to prepare for the fight against he mayor’s and the chancellor’s steep budget cuts.
State delegates endorse Weingarten’s bid for AFT presidentApr 24, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten’s candidacy for president of the AFT was endorsed overwhelmingly by NYSUT, the UFT’s statewide affiliate, during its annual Representative Assembly at the New York Hilton.
More time to teachApr 24, 2008
In District 32, teachers regained more control of their classrooms in January 2007 when they won the flexibility they needed to adapt the rigid workshop model to individual classroom needs. They made their gains using districtwide professional conciliation — Article 24.
UFT secretary blasts Klein on tenureApr 24, 2008
At a Panel for Educational Policy meeting, Chancellor Joel Klein also got an earful from UFT Secretary Michael Mendel about his misguided efforts to link tenure to test scores.
Psychologists to chancellor: Help us do our jobApr 24, 2008
More than 100 angry school psychologists at a Panel for Educational Policy meeting hammered away at Schools Chancellor Joel Klein about their overwhelming workloads and, because of DOE decisions, their growing inability to serve kids appropriately.
SED: Tweed fails to provide IEPs to appropriate staffApr 10, 2008
The State Education Department has upheld charges the UFT brought to it of widespread failure by the New York City school system to provide school staff with copies of the IEPs of children they are responsible for.
UFT VP: State regs should be revisedApr 10, 2008
UFT Vice President Carmen Alvarez deplored the failure of the proposed regulations to ensure that teachers of special education students be included in key meetings and receive copies of any agreements resulting from those meetings.
Huge grievance victory for school secretariesApr 10, 2008
In a stunning decision, an arbitrator ruled on March 21 that the Department of Education violated the UFT contract — and federal law — by giving school secretaries’ work to non-licensed personnel. He ordered the DOE to “cease and desist” from its practices. “This is a major victory for the chapter and the broader labor movement that was made possible by the dozens of school secretaries who were willing to come forward,” UFT President Randi Weingarten said. “The union made the arbitrator aware of more than 300 instances in which school aides, school business managers, parent coordinators and family paras were being given secretarial work to do.”
State budget agreement keeps ed funding promisesApr 10, 2008
Despite facing one of the largest budget deficits in recent memory, the state Legislature and Gov. David Paterson kept their promises to New York City schoolchildren by fully restoring all promised state education aid to city schools.
Thousands flock to UFT’s 55/25 info sessionsApr 10, 2008
More than 5,000 UFT members, excited about the new 55/25 retirement option, attended the first round of informational sessions that the union recently held in all boroughs.
Bronx marks Green Solidarity DayApr 10, 2008
In the Bronx, teachers and administrators celebrated “Bronx Green Solidarity Day” on April 1 by dressing in green
Union adopts ‘better safe than sorry’ approach on PCBs in schoolsApr 10, 2008
In the wake of concerns raised by a front-page Daily News story about PCBs in school-building exterior caulking, the UFT began taking a series of steps to mitigate the potential risk to students and staff.
UFT sues Tweed for age discriminationApr 10, 2008
The UFT filed a lawsuit alleging that hundreds of teachers serving in the Absent Teachers Reserve (ATR) are victims of the DOE's year-old school funding system that, despite the April 2007 "hold harmless" agreement, creates a financial disincentive for principals to hire senior teachers. According to DOE data cited in the lawsuit, 81 percent of teachers in the ATR pool are over 40 years of age, compared to 57 percent of the entire public school pedagogical staff.
Union wins battle on tenureApr 10, 2008
State legislators and the governor agreed with the city and state teacher unions and the New York State School Boards Association on budget language saying tenure decisions can be based on how a teacher uses test data to shape instruction — but not on how a teacher’s students perform on standardized tests.
UFT proposes new accountability systemMar 27, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten unveiled a new UFT-developed accountability report on March 13 that goes far beyond test scores in judging school effectiveness.
Be sure to fill out Learning Environment SurveyMar 27, 2008
The UFT is urging teachers to fill out the Department of Education’s second annual Learning Environment Survey to make sure educators’ voices are heard.
UFT fights to protect Holy Thursday religious observance rightsMar 27, 2008
On the same day as the massive City Hall budget rally, the UFT’s legal team and UFT Secretary Michael Mendel were in court fighting to protect members’ right to take Holy Thursday as a religious observance day.
Cuts blasted at Brooklyn community meetingMar 27, 2008
Teachers, principals, parents, elected officials, community leaders and UFT officers seeking to roll back the city’s budget cuts to public schools exchanged ideas and vented their anger at a town hall meeting in Brooklyn.
10,000 flood City Hall to demand restoring ed budget cutsMar 27, 2008
More than 10,000 teachers, principals, parents, students and elected officials braved a soaking rain on March 19 to rally outside City Hall to protest $800 million in budget cuts threatening New York City public schools.
Paterson sworn inMar 27, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten was one of the attendees at the standing-room-only swearing-in ceremony of Lt. Gov. David Paterson as the state’s 55th chief executive.
Give city schools the promised fundingMar 27, 2008
For the 1,300 teachers riding to Albany, the message to state lawmakers was simple: provide the full state operational and building aid that was promised last year to New York City schools in the resolution of the CFE lawsuit.
PEP votes to end social promotion for 8th-gradersMar 27, 2008
At a noisy, contentious meeting filled with angry protestors, the Panel for Educational Policy voted on March 17 to support the elimination of social promotion for 8th-graders.
NYPD, UFT meet on safety problems in schoolsMar 27, 2008
The UFT and officers from the school safety division of the New York Police Department held a series of meetings in February in an effort to foster more dialogue about ways to make schools safer.
Bronx school to close despite protestsMar 13, 2008
No sooner had PS 79 in the Bronx been cited for excellence by the state than it got the ax from the city.
Weingarten to Council: Checks and balances matter mostMar 13, 2008
“When it comes to overseeing how the schools run,” UFT President Randi Weingarten told City Council Education Committee members at a March 3 oversight hearing on mayoral control and school governance, "there are not the required checks and balances or transparency.”
Governance: The countdown is onMar 13, 2008
The UFT School Governance Task Force on Feb. 28 wrapped up a series of forums held to get input from the public in evaluating the city’s governance of New York City’s public schools.
Delegates approve student-removal process resolutionMar 13, 2008
UFT delegates passed a resolution pledging the union to “use any grievance or legal means necessary to mandate” that the DOE establish and enforce a student removal process in every school.
Grievance win entitles members to take off Holy ThursdayMar 13, 2008
Holy Thursday is March 20 this year. If members wish to take a religious observance day, they should request an OP-201 form from their school secretary and fill it out.
Progress on paperworkMar 13, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten told the March 5 Delegate Assembly that there has been progress in tackling excessive paperwork.
Striking food-service workers applaudedMar 13, 2008
UFT President Randi Weingarten invited to the Delegate Assembly about 100 UNITE HERE food-service workers and their union leader who had been rallying just down the street on Broadway that afternoon as part of a continuing battle against Aramark Corporation.
Tired of excessive testing?Mar 13, 2008
To bolster its fight against excessive testing, the UFT is again conducting a survey of teachers to find out how much time is spent on test prep and assessment-related paperwork.
UFT on Progress Report revisions: It’s not enoughMar 13, 2008
The DOE has tempered its harsh A-through-F grading system by adding additional grades and additional ways that schools can earn credits. Two major criticisms, however, are not addressed.
School psychologists, social workers ‘overwhelmed, disrespected’Mar 13, 2008
School psychologists and social workers have long dealt with increased workload and paperwork that would clog any smooth-running operation, but this year they claim the burden has become overwhelming.
Providers begin negotiating first UFT contractMar 13, 2008
Negotiations opened to secure a first contract for the city’s 28,000 newly UFT-organized home child care providers.
More reason to rally on March 19Mar 13, 2008
Giving new urgency to the March 19 rally against state and city budget cuts to city schools, City Budget Director Mark Page on March 4 ordered all city agencies to make an additional 3 percent cut to their budgets. That would mean that the Department of Education could face another $200 million cut in September on top of the $324 million cut that was already slated.
Honored for fighting back when necessaryMar 13, 2008
Work together when we can, fight when we must, was clearly the theme throughout the Delegate Assembly on March 5.
New TV ad plants ‘seeds of knowledge’Feb 28, 2008
A new television campaign sponsored by the UFT takes the broader view of what it takes to fully educate a child.
What you can do when kids don’t get their special servicesFeb 28, 2008
A revised Special Education Complaint Form designed to track trends of problems in the city’s public schools is posted on the UFT Web site, www.uft.org.
Speak out on 8th-grade promotion policyFeb 28, 2008
The Department of Education is holding “Town Hall meetings,” where members of the community can weigh in on the DOE’s proposed, more stringent 8th-grade promotion policy.
Program would target troubled middle schoolsFeb 28, 2008
A new program offering help for the city’s most struggling middle schools was a prominent recommendation by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
55/25!Feb 28, 2008
A 55/25 retirement option long sought by the UFT took effect on Feb. 27 when Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed the legislation needed for it to become law. The landmark pension bill enables eligible UFT-represented educators to retire with unreduced benefits five years sooner than they could before.
Meet your legislators in Albany on Lobby DayFeb 28, 2008
March 11 is the UFT’s annual Lobby Day trip to Albany. If you are interested in attending this all-day event that starts with an early departure by bus from each borough, speak to your chapter leader.
Rally to make state, city ‘Keep the Promises’Feb 28, 2008
March 19. That’s when the UFT joins its fired-up allies in the education community in hosting a rally opposing current and future cuts in education funding.
Parents want smaller classes, not high-stakes testingFeb 28, 2008
Dissatisfied with both the questions posed in the DOE’s Learning Environment Survey of parents last spring and the way in which the mayor characterized the parent responses, Class Size Matters set out to conduct its own “independent parent survey.” The results were significantly different.
UFT: High School ratings were biasedFeb 14, 2008
UFT officials have charged that the Department of Education’s School Progress Reports reflect a bias against students with learning disabilities because high schools with large numbers of special education students were much more likely to receive a poor grade.
Union’s SLT conference provides training, hopeFeb 14, 2008
The school leadership team at IS 72 in Manhattan is a model for what can be accomplished through SLTs, according to parent Charlene Benymon.
From rubber room back to classroomFeb 14, 2008
There was a happy and dignified ending for Deborah White — a one-time, self-described “rubber room denizen” for two years before her case was heard.
Union to take action on perceived increases of ‘letters in file’Feb 14, 2008
Concerned over reports that the increasing pressure on principals to ratchet up test scores and win higher Progress Report grades is leading to an increase in U-ratings and letters in the file, the UFT Delegate Assembly on Feb. 6 voted overwhelmingly to investigate and take action if there has been a real increase.
Some principals seek union’s help in dealing with cutsFeb 14, 2008
The impact of $100 million in citywide midyear budget cuts was felt throughout the city and some principals reached out to UFT chapter leaders and district representatives for help.
‘Keep the Promises’ coalition forms to reverse city, state ed funding cutsFeb 14, 2008
A diverse coalition of education advocacy groups, community organizations, clergy, labor unions and dozens of elected officials has launched a major campaign to fight state and city budget proposals that could cost New York City public schools $700 million.
Weingarten to state pols: Keep the promisesFeb 14, 2008
Promises were made to the children of New York City’s public schools and those promises must be kept, UFT President Randi Weingarten told legislators in Albany.
UFT push helps Hillary win NY, NJFeb 14, 2008
UFT members demonstrated they are a political force to be reckoned with in the union’s all-out get-out-the-vote drive for Sen. Hillary Clinton leading up to her Feb. 5 Primary Day victories in New York and New Jersey.
55/25 legislation passes in SenateFeb 13, 2008
The 55/25 retirement option long sought by the UFT cleared another important hurdle on Feb. 13 when the State Senate passed the legislation needed for it to take effect. Two days earlier, the State Assembly passed its version of the bill. Now the legislation needs Governor Spitzer’s signature to become law. The governor, who is expected to sign the bill, has 10 days to act from the date that it is sent to him.
Join us in class-size fax blitzJan 31, 2008
The UFT is urging state lawmakers to support changes in the Contracts for Excellence legislation to require class size reductions in every schoolroom.
Mayor calls for education budget cutsJan 31, 2008
Mayor Michael Bloomberg called for a 4.3 percent cut in spending in virtually every city agency, including his biggest cut ever to the Department of Education.
Mayor praises CTE in State of City addressJan 31, 2008
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's State of the City address came replete with plans for supporting and improving the city’s Career and Technical Education programs.
Spitzer’s proposed budget cuts city school aid increaseJan 31, 2008
Gov. Eliot Spitzer presented the Legislature a proposed state budget on Jan. 22 that bows to the deteriorating financial outlook sweeping national, state and local governments.
Don’t forget Clinton and these delegates on Primary DayJan 31, 2008
The presidential primary in New York State on Feb. 5 is fast approaching, and union activities for AFT/UFT-endorsed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton are in full swing.
Hillary callingJan 31, 2008
What do you do when, in the midst of a heated Delegate Assembly discussion of city efforts to deny teachers parking permits, you receive a telephone call from U.S. Senator and union-backed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton?
Majority call for halt to paperwork overloadJan 31, 2008
Three resolutions passed overwhelmingly at a fired-up Jan. 16 Delegate Assembly.
Cheers for members battling abusive principalsJan 31, 2008
The union’s “principals in need of improvement” campaign, aimed at bad principals either shaping up or shipping out, is having a positive effect.
UFT objects to DOE teacher measurement pilotJan 31, 2008
The UFT and the Department of Education are headed for battle over a new teacher measurement experiment that could be a precursor to DOE attempts to tie teacher evaluations to student test scores.
Local pol rains on ‘excellence rewards’ paradeJan 17, 2008
The growing agita about the school system’s relentless focus on high-stakes testing was on display at the Department of Education’s news conference in PS 46 in Bayside on Jan. 3 to announce “excellence rewards” for 134 schools.
Charter throws up roadblockJan 17, 2008
The Board of Trustees of the Merrick Academy Charter School in Queens has hired Jackson Lewis, one of the nation’s heavyweight union-busting law firms, after educators and employees of the school voted overwhelmingly in October to unionize and join the UFT.
Union wins letter-in-file suitsJan 17, 2008
Three State Supreme Court judges have ruled that the New York City Department of Education cannot place purely disciplinary letters in educators’ files without providing them the due process required by Article 3020a of the state Education Law.
DOE violates state special ed law, union saysJan 17, 2008
The UFT has called upon New York State officials to investigate the Department of Education’s “widespread failure” to comply with a state law designed to help students with disabilities.
Leading the way to disasterJan 17, 2008
The staff at PS 114 in Brooklyn finds itself in a battle with a "Principal in Need of Improvement."
No more DOE stalling on harassment grievancesJan 17, 2008
In a significant win for the union, a recent arbitration decision has put a stop to the delaying tactics of the Department of Education over Special Complaints.
Klein apologizesJan 17, 2008
Staff Director Jeff Zahler — who retired Jan. 1 — thanked the more than 1,000 members who participated in the Nov. 26 candlelight vigil at Department of Education headquarters.
DOE faulted for failing to comply with federal safety standardsJan 17, 2008
Eight resolutions ranging from health and safety concerns to the Department of Education’s efforts to fire tenured teachers were debated at the Dec. 12 Delegate Assembly.
UFT helps DOE create new ‘warts-and-all’ class-size reportJan 17, 2008
What schools and districts have the largest classes? Just how big are early-grades classes in your district? How many classes are still over contract limits in October? Such questions often could not be answered.
UFT: Help schools state failedJan 17, 2008
The State Education Department has designated 60 New York City elementary and middle schools as failing under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, prompting UFT President Randi Weingarten to call on state and city officials to send more resources to the affected schools and devise more accurate accountability systems.
Wagner HS teachers vindicated after release of cheating scandal reportJan 17, 2008
Teachers at Susan Wagner HS feel vindicated after the release of a report by the Department of Education’s Office of Special Investigations on a Regents cheating scandal that rocked the school in June 2006.
State strips principal of Regents exam responsibilityJan 17, 2008
The State Education Department has instructed city education officials that the principal of Susan Wagner HS in Staten Island will not be allowed to have any involvement in the administration of Regents exams which will be given starting Jan. 22.
Fresh start for SOJO as principal resignsJan 17, 2008
A great sigh of relief was breathed by parents, teachers and community leaders in Bushwick late last month when Acorn HS for Social Justice (SOJO) Principal Joseph Parker resigned.
LeRoy Barr named UFT director of staffJan 17, 2008
LeRoy Barr, former Manhattan special representative, was named UFT director of staff effective Jan. 1, replacing Jeff Zahler who retired.
Safety lesson learnedJan 17, 2008
Fast action by the UFT has resulted in a revamped safety plan for Information Technical HS in Queens after a gas leak in December sent students and staff scurrying into the streets with no clear evacuation plan.
Mayor’s parking permit edict riles educatorsJan 17, 2008
Educators and the UFT were up in arms when Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that the city would eliminate 20 percent of the parking permits issued to city employees.
UFT: Educators’ housing project must be union-madeDec 06, 2007
After a bumpy few days, the UFT is working with construction trade unions to ensure that an affordable work force housing development for educators gets built by union workers.
A tangled webDec 06, 2007
The principal of Susan Wagner HS is at the center of the Regents investigation — as well as many other things.
Wagner HS cheating scandal report delayedDec 06, 2007
Six months after Schools Chancellor Joel Klein promised that a report on a cheating scandal at Susan Wagner HS in Staten Island would be released, it is still being kept under wraps, much to the consternation of teachers who reported the cheating.
Teacher resignations hit record highDec 06, 2007
Resignations among certified New York City teachers and other pedagogues for reasons other than retirement or problems with licensure hit a record high of 4,303 last school year.
City’s revised Contract for Excellence only ‘a good first step’Dec 06, 2007
The DOE issued a revised five-year plan to lower class size to 20 students on average in grades K-3 and 23 students on average in the higher grades by 2012, but the UFT and other public school advocates said the plan does not go far enough.
Time to make low class size a realityDec 06, 2007
A detailed plan for helping low-performing schools in the city by substantially lowering class sizes was unveiled Nov. 27 by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity.
Union: School closings ‘a major upheaval’Dec 06, 2007
The UFT called the city’s decision to close 14 schools earning Ds and Fs on the new Department of Education Progress Reports “a major upheaval for all involved” and said the city needed to see “every effort is made to ensure that everyone affected is treated with care, dignity and respect.”
NAEP shows weak results for cityDec 06, 2007
Long-awaited national test scores for 11 large urban school districts, including New York City, were by and large disappointing for New York.
Nothing holds a candle to mentoring, professional developmentDec 06, 2007
Sal Emanuele, who is happy in his work as guidance counselor at Jamaica HS, came to the candlelight vigil because he has “spoken with too many teachers who have between 12 and 22 years experience and have never before gotten a U-rating and all of a sudden they’ve gotten U’s.
Shining a light on respectDec 06, 2007
Holding white candles, more than 1,000 teachers and other UFT-represented educators and friends gathered outside the Department of Education’s Tweed headquarters on the evening of Nov. 26 for a solemn vigil to protest the establishment of a unit headed by a prosecutor to help principals go after tenured teachers for incompetence.
Union: DOE to blame for District 79 chaosDec 06, 2007
After District 79 Superintendent Cami Anderson testified to the City Council Education Committee that the district’s reorganization was smooth sailing, UFT Vice President Michael Mulgrew set the record straight.
Union:‘Older’ ATRs face hiring discriminationDec 06, 2007
The UFT is exploring a lawsuit charging that the DOE’s new school budgeting formula has hurt older teachers seeking positions through the “open market” transfer plan, UFT President Randi Weingarten said.
Queens charter school chooses UFTNov 15, 2007
Teachers at the Merrick Academy — Queens Public Charter School have overwhelmingly demanded representation by the UFT and the union is moving swiftly to make that a reality.
‘We’ve come a long way’Nov 15, 2007
“We’re a union of many people and many hearts,” UFT President Randi Weingarten said to the 1,300 educators gathered for Teacher Union Day at the Waldorf Astoria on Nov. 4.
New UFT VP for academic high schoolsNov 15, 2007
Leo Casey, widely recognized for his extensive advocacy and writing on education, civics, unionism, politics and related issues, was elected vice president for academic high schools by the Executive Board.
Proposals given to DOENov 15, 2007
Justice delayed is justice denied. That basic principle of American law is a cornerstone of the proposals the UFT submitted to the Department of Education to end the warehousing of members in temporary reassignment centers and bring about a fair and fast resolution of their cases.
Union working to improve conditions, communicationNov 15, 2007
Life in a Temporary Reassignment Center cannot replicate the joys of the classroom, but neither can it be allowed to be a dungeon.
Rubber rooms of despairNov 15, 2007
The Department of Education’s rooms of despair are not where New York City educators planned to spend their careers.
DOE progress reports have many confused and concernedNov 15, 2007
Using a complex, new assessment system that assigns the most weight to students’ year-to-year progress on standardized tests, the Department of Education on Nov. 5 gave every school except those in District 75 a grade from A to F.
These winners practiced teamworkNov 15, 2007
For the first time, the union presented its UFT School Partnership Award at the 2007 Teacher Union Day, which honors both chapter leader and principal at schools exemplifying the spirit of collaboration.
Honor rollNov 15, 2007
Here's a list of some of the winners honored on Teacher Union Day.
Green Dot gets green lightNov 01, 2007
Green Dot, one of the only unionized charter school operators in the country, whose schools in Los Angeles graduate 98 percent of the seniors, 78 percent of them going on to four-year universities, is set to open its doors in the South Bronx.
UNION YES!Nov 01, 2007
The city’s 28,000 home child care providers have voted overwhelmingly to become part of the UFT in the largest successful organizing drive in the last half century.
Governance task force lays groundworkNov 01, 2007
With mayoral control of the school system due to sunset in June 2009, near the end of Michael Bloomberg’s term as mayor, the UFT task force on school governance held its third meeting on Oct. 23 at union headquarters.
Schoolwide bonus program FAQOct 31, 2007
On Oct. 17, the UFT and the city completed negotiations on the implementation of two provisions of the 2005 contract: pension improvements and a new, voluntary schoolwide bonus pilot program.
UFT reaches out to schools after boy’s deathOct 30, 2007
Responding to faculty concerns after a 7th-grade student died as a result of a drug-resistant staph infection, a team of UFT officials met with educators at IS 211 in Canarsie on Oct. 26 to assure them that the union was acting to make sure the school is safe. The UFT also put together a Q&A so members have the facts on this infection.
DOE sets up employee helplineOct 22, 2007
The Department of Education has launched a multi-million-dollar information call center called HR Connect to better serve its 135,000 employees when they have critical questions related to their jobs.
Union’s efforts to fix NCLB intensifyOct 22, 2007
The UFT — in conjunction with its national union, the AFT — is “ratcheting up” its efforts to make better, not worse, the No Child Left Behind law.
UFT’s ‘Open School Week’ guides headed for schoolsOct 18, 2007
To encourage more parents to visit schools, the UFT has revised and reissued its “Welcome to Open School Week” guide in English and Spanish.
Large HS class sizes swell due to funding disparities, IBO report saysOct 18, 2007
A study of the DOE's new school funding formula shows that differences in class size are related to disparities in school allocations, and that large high schools receive a smaller portion of overall funding while small high schools get more per student and maintain smaller classes.
Coverages now pensionableOct 18, 2007
The UFT’s 2002 court victory making per-session work pensionable became a little sweeter this October when the city and the Teachers’ Retirement System agreed that coverages should be pensionable.
Delegates debate, then endorse accordOct 18, 2007
Delegates on Oct. 17 voted overwhelmingly to endorse the union’s decision to enter into the implementation agreement. But first, they engaged in a spirited discussion of the voluntary schoolwide bonus pilot program.
Some changes in Quality ReviewsOct 18, 2007
The Department of Education will again conduct Quality Reviews of all New York City public schools throughout this school year — with a few new wrinkles.
UFT, city agree on 55/25 retirement option, voluntary schoolwide bonus pilot programOct 18, 2007
The UFT, the city and the Department of Education on Oct. 17 agreed on mechanisms to implement two outstanding provisions of the 2005 collective-bargaining agreement: an option to allow educators to retire at age 55 with 25 years of service, and a program offering school-wide bonuses in 200 high-needs schools.
TRS to fund affordable housing starts for city educatorsOct 18, 2007
A new housing investment initiative by the Teachers' Retirement System, working with City Comptroller Bill Thompson and the city's Housing Development Corporation, aims to help attract and retain educators.
Workshops provide tools to boost achievementOct 18, 2007
Parents who attended the UFT Parent Conference workshop “What’s on My Kid’s Test?” went home with a copy of the entire 2007-08 calendar for city and statewide assessment.
All in the familyOct 18, 2007
Nearly 3,000 people took part in the UFT's annual Citywide Parent Conference — a fellowship of family and educators — where they gained new insights into ways they can help their children succeed in school.
Weingarten advises principals: Partner with teachersOct 18, 2007
Running a school isn’t a zero-sum game, UFT President Randi Weingarten told aspiring school heads and recently appointed principals who attended two separate Department of Education training sessions.
Say no to mandated individual performance pay for teachersOct 04, 2007
We need to send a second wave of faxes on No Child Left Behind to Washington, D.C.
Battle over NCLB heats upOct 04, 2007
Previous high marks from labor notwithstanding, Rep. George Miller’s actions in running the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind law through the House is highly problematic.
Chapter leaders key to teacher power at school levelOct 04, 2007
“In my judgment, you do the most important job in the union,” UFT President Randi Weingarten said as she stared out at a sea of more than 1,000 chapter leaders’ faces at the Brooklyn Marriot Hotel on Sept. 25.
IBO report: Early-grade class size above recommended numberOct 04, 2007
A new analysis by the city’s Independent Budget Office found that 61 percent of public school kindergarten to 3rd-grade classrooms in New York City in the 2006-07 school year exceeded the state-recommended standard for early grades.
Number of oversized classes drops, but 4,300 still exceed limitOct 04, 2007
The number of overcrowded classrooms in the New York City public schools dropped from 6,243 last year to 4,303 this year.
Comptroller: Tweed fails to report all safety incidentsOct 04, 2007
City Comptroller William Thompson accused the Department of Education of failing to make sure that all violent and disruptive incidents in the school system are reported to the state.
The lost children of District 79: Poorly planned reorganization still causing chaosOct 04, 2007
Three weeks into the new school year and last spring’s abrupt Department of Education reorganization of District 79 is still causing chaos and confusion for students and staff alike.
They beg to differ: NAEP, state tests give contrary picturesOct 04, 2007
The good news in newly released math and reading scores from the 2007 NAEP is that across the country, many students are improving in reading and math. But the story does not end there.
Safety, poor leadership among concernsOct 04, 2007
Chapter leaders had plenty to report at the Sept. 15 citywide meeting at the Brooklyn Marriott. Here are some examples:
Union aims to clear out ‘rubber rooms’Sep 24, 2007
UFT President Randi Weingarten told the union’s Executive Board on Sept. 17 that she is initiating “a full-scale effort” to clear out the Department of Education rubber rooms — or Temporary Reassignment Centers, as they are called by the chancellor.
More members use new right to transferSep 20, 2007
More teachers than ever before are settling into classrooms in schools of their choice this new school year as a result of the open market transfer plan.
Unions in push to repair NCLB lawSep 20, 2007
With Congress taking up reauthorization of NCLB, UFT officials are increasingly concerned that some of the changes being contemplated are inadequate or wrongheaded and they are urging union members to get involved in the debate by lobbying their national representatives.
Union to DOE: ATRs should fill vacanciesSep 20, 2007
Decrying the waste of money, talent and experience, UFT President Randi Weingarten called on the DOE to fill vacancies or lower class size with teachers who were excessed from closing schools and are now serving as Absent Teacher Reserves.
UFT radio ads get message acrossSep 20, 2007
A UFT radio campaign heralding the importance of principal-teacher partnership aired throughout the New York metropolitan area from Sept. 4-17.
Asbestos problem fixed after UFT actionSep 20, 2007
Fast action by a UFT squad of safety and health experts, UFT staffers and a chapter leader led to remedial action to abate an asbestos problem at Westinghouse HS just days before the start of the school year for students.
Partnership stressed as schools openSep 20, 2007
For a year that promises significant changes to the school system, the first day of school this year went relatively smoothly.
PBS concert is music to our earsSep 20, 2007
If you care about public education, tune in to PBS's Channel 13 this Thursday, Oct. 4, at 8 p.m. for an inspiring one-hour concert honoring America’s teachers.
Ready to make a positive impactSep 06, 2007
From the bright-eyed college graduate to the professional with 20 years in the workforce, the city’s newest teachers are ambitious, inspired and gung-ho about starting to mold young minds to embrace unlimited possibilities.
‘Call your union rep’Sep 06, 2007
In the calm before the storm of facing their first classrooms in less than two weeks, some 2,100 newly hired New York City schoolteachers were praised, encouraged and catered to at a daylong orientation session.
UFT helps solve summer challengesSep 06, 2007
At every site in the city where its members staffed summer programs, union representatives appeared frequently to ensure contractual compliance and to troubleshoot a variety of problems.
New law helps parents of special needs kidsSep 06, 2007
The governor signed legislation placing the burden of proof in special education hearings back onto school systems in New York State in the wake of a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that placed the burden on parents.
Comptroller hits sloppy monitoringSep 06, 2007
The city comptroller charged that the DOE “has provided woefully inadequate oversight of its delivery of service” to mainstreamed special education students.
New agreement will expand nursing services to more kidsSep 06, 2007
The UFT, District Council 37, the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene and the Department of Education have agreed to ground-breaking changes in the assignment process for school nurses that will enable more schools to have a nurse on site.
Phone call campaignSep 06, 2007
The word is out and the news is good. Already more than 700 child care providers have volunteered to work to get out the vote.
Enthusiastic rally jump-starts providers’ voting processSep 06, 2007
If you could harness the raw energy, vitality, enthusiasm. motivation and lung power of the more than 500 family child care providers who filled the Alhambra Ballroom in Harlem on Aug. 28 for a Get Out the Vote campaign rally, the power would provide electricity to the whole city for years.
Stolen laptop may contain some UFT retirees’ personal infoSep 06, 2007
A laptop computer that may contain personal and financial information of UFT and other New York City retirees was stolen from a consultant working for the city’s Financial Information Services Agency (FISA) in August.
Union criticizes state report on dangerous schoolsSep 06, 2007
UFT President Randi Weingarten criticized the State Education Department on Aug. 22, saying its list of persistently dangerous schools “is both misleading and incomplete.”
UFT hails city’s new middle school initiativeSep 06, 2007
UFT President Randi Weingarten joined City Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Aug. 13 as he endorsed several of the recommendations put forward by the Council to improve academic performance and provide more resources to the city’s middle schools.
DOE efforts to increase therapists’ workloads defeatedSep 06, 2007
The Department of Education cannot require occupational therapists and physical therapists in District 75 to work a ninth direct treatment session, an independent arbitrator ruled over the summer.
Judge: Paras not required to attend faculty meetingsSep 06, 2007
Paraprofessionals cannot be required to attend after-school faculty conferences, an independent arbitrator has ruled.
UFT’s fight for smaller classes continuesSep 06, 2007
The UFT’s fight for smaller classes continued unabated over the summer, this time focused on the city’s plan for spending $248 million in new state education aid.
New school year brings...Opportunities and ChallengesSep 06, 2007
Principals who don’t yet understand will have to learn pretty quickly that they need you as partners if they want their schools to work.
The fight for District 79Sep 06, 2007
A vigorous effort by the UFT prevented some 750 educators from being thrown to the wolves this summer when the Department of Education announced at the end of May a top-to-bottom restructuring of District 79.
City to pay poor families for students’ test scoresAug 09, 2007
City Hall announced on June 18 that it is launching a new program this fall that will pay low-income families for, among other things, attending parent-teacher conferences, getting a library card and graduating high school.
Math test results impressiveAug 09, 2007
The news was all good on math scores this year, with 65.1 percent of New York City students in grades 3-8 meeting standards, up 8.1 percentage points from 2006.
UFT to partner with Green Dot in new Bronx charter schoolAug 09, 2007
In what will be the first collaboration of its kind in the nation, the UFT and Green Dot Public Schools announced on June 28 a partnership to bring Green Dot, a prominent nonprofit charter school operator from California that openly embraces unionism, to New York City.
State certifies home-based child-care providers’ right to vote to join a unionAug 09, 2007
Thousands of New York City home-based child-care providers are one giant step closer to joining the UFT family!
City’s spending plan slights class-size reductionAug 09, 2007
Following an outcry from educators and parents at public hearings, the Department of Education on July 16 made modest improvements to its plan for spending $248 million in new state aid, but critics, including the UFT, said that it did not go far enough.
‘I won’t give up’Aug 09, 2007
When he was sent away to the Tibetan Children’s Village boarding school at 6 years old, the principal gave him a piece of paper that said Roll No. 5622, Home 21.
‘Remarkable’Aug 09, 2007
The auditorium at UFT headquarters in lower Manhattan was the scene of unbridled jubilation on June 5 when the union awarded $1 million in college scholarships to 176 worthy high school graduates.
City budget funds UFT prioritiesAug 09, 2007
Strong lobbying by UFT members and a responsive City Council resulted in a city operating budget with ample funding for the schools as the Council on June 15 ratified its $59 billion fiscal year 2008 budget.
Questions loom as mayor, Council hash out record budgetJun 07, 2007
The city’s budget deadline is June 30 and, as the New York Teacher went to press, talks between the City Council and the mayor are ongoing on what looks to be a record-breaking $60 billion city budget.
Whistle-blower bill becomes lawJun 07, 2007
Educators who report harm against children, including risk to their “educational welfare,” will be protected from retaliation under a bill that became law on June 5.
Denied a transfer unfairly? Tell unionMay 24, 2007
The union has reserved its right to pursue a grievance against the inclusion of teacher salaries in the Open Market Transfer Plan if there is evidence that senior teachers are being unjustly denied transfers.
Proposal to set rally deadline defeatedMay 24, 2007
The delegates defeated a motion by Manhattan high school chapter leaders to put on next month’s agenda a resolution to set an actual date in late June for a rally to fight for changes in the reorganization.
Weingarten: Principal required to collaborate on budget prioritiesMay 24, 2007
UFT President Randi Weingarten reminded the Delegate Assembly that principals must meet with the chapter leader and the UFT chapter committee to discuss, explain and seek input on the school budget.
Delegates hear from support providersMay 24, 2007
UFT delegates on May 9 got to hear firsthand from a representative from each of the support organizations that are offering their services to city schools starting next September.
Deputy mayor outlines plan for city’s futureMay 24, 2007
UFT delegates were briefed on the mayor’s Plan for the Future.
Special deliveryMay 24, 2007
Moving full-speed ahead in their organizing drive, the UFT and ACORN on May 17 delivered cards signed by more than 12,000 home-based child-care providers saying they want the UFT to represent them.
Celebration timeMay 24, 2007
A few hours after the governor signed the executive order giving home-based child-care providers the right to join a union, the UFT welcomed several hundred providers to union headquarters for a party to recognize the value of their work that became a victory celebration.
Home-based child-care providers win right to unionizeMay 24, 2007
The UFT reached a milestone in its campaign to organize the city’s home-based child-care providers when Gov. Eliot Spitzer signed an executive order granting the right to unionize to the 52,000 home-based child-care providers in New York State.
Congressional leaders Schumer, Rangel popular ‘Soapbox’ speakersMay 10, 2007
This year’s Operation Soapbox had a different format, but the end result was the same: it was a learning experience and a time to be encouraged.
‘Feeling and looking brand new’May 10, 2007
In what for many is a highlight of the Spring Education Conference, the Hilton’s huge exhibition area once again took on the feel of a carnival.
This year, it took a ‘village’ to win Dewey AwardMay 10, 2007
The presentation of this year’s UFT John Dewey Award was a virtual mini-rally with 14 winners on the dais. And that was fitting, since 13 of them were groups that are part of a coalition to put the public back in public education.
DOE seeks teachers’ opinions in grading schoolsMay 10, 2007
The Department of Education is conducting a citywide survey of teachers’ views on school performance and environment.
Task force: Emphasis on high-stakes testing has had serious negative effectsApr 26, 2007
The Delegate Assembly on April 11 approved a much-anticipated report by the UFT Task Force on High Stakes Testing.
Survey says: Paperwork cuts into teachingApr 26, 2007
Teachers spend nearly five hours and 15 minutes of class time — the equivalent of a day-and-a-quarter of instruction — each week on mandated assessment-related paperwork, according to the preliminary results of a new UFT teacher survey.
Whistle-blower bill passesApr 26, 2007
By a vote of 43-to-1, the City Council passed the UFT-supported “Whistle-blower Bill,” which is meant to encourage reporting of acts against students as well as to protect what it calls “educational whistle-blowers” from harassment and retaliation by school supervisors.
DA votes to postpone City Hall rallyApr 26, 2007
In light of the gains made in the previous week’s agreement with the mayor and the chancellor, UFT delegates voted by a 95 percent margin at a special Delegate Assembly on April 24 to postpone the rally planned for May 9.
Fact sheetApr 26, 2007
Here are the key components of the agreement reached between New York City, the Department of Education and member organizations of the Coalition to Put the Public Back in Public Education.
Coalition reaches agreement with city on planned reorganizationApr 26, 2007
The mayor and the chancellor reached an agreement with the UFT and its coalition partners on April 19 that addressed some of the group’s core concerns about the reorganization.
Beware of pitches from private vendorsApr 12, 2007
The union has received reports that private firms are coming into schools to sell financial products to UFT members, especially members who are considering their retirement options.
Record state budget will lower class sizesApr 12, 2007
The record $120.9 billion state budget includes substantially more money for New York City schools, requires the city to lower class sizes and breaks up the old, inequitable education funding formula.
DA approves major rally, petition driveApr 12, 2007
The UFT delegate body voted unanimously on March 28 to join with the union’s coalition partners for a major citywide demonstration near City Hall on May 9 to “Put the Public Back in Public Education.”
No split assignments for professional periodApr 12, 2007
Principals do not have the right to give teachers split assignments for their professional period, an independent arbitrator has ruled.
How to take advantage of our affordable housing programApr 01, 2007
The UFT's affordable housing program offers opportunities in the city to UFT members, whether they are looking to rent an apartment or buy a house, co-op or condo.
Weingarten re-electedMar 29, 2007
Randi Weingarten has been overwhelmingly re-elected as UFT president with more than 87 percent of the votes cast.
Staten Island — Buttons for breakfastMar 29, 2007
Staten Island Borough Representative Emil Pietromonaco had a fail-safe method for getting members charged up on Button Day.
Manhattan — A good platformMar 29, 2007
State Sen. Eric Schneiderman joined in to support teachers at IS 143.
Queens — Cold times, hot wordsMar 29, 2007
Despite the frigid temperatures, sleet and ice across the Brooklyn-Queens border, at PS 120 in Flushing, the educators’ fervor remained warm.
Brooklyn — DOE: The HMO of education?Mar 29, 2007
At a Button Day chapter luncheon at PS 8 in Brooklyn Heights, teachers had a lot to say about why the Department of Education should listen to educators.
The Bronx — neither sleet nor slush nor ice …Mar 29, 2007
Teachers, paras, parents and students marched and raised their voices to protest systemwide restructuring plans outside PS 31, just off the Grand Concourse on East 156th Street.
Button up!Mar 29, 2007
UFT members by the thousands gave visible vent to their frustrations at being ignored by school system administrators on March 16.
DOE to honor summer retention rightsMar 29, 2007
This summer, the UFT will not have to grieve individuals’ retention rights.
Get ready to rallyMar 29, 2007
Another rally to “Put the Public Back in Public Education” is being planned for early May, this time outdoors in the City Hall vicinity.
DOE to institute tenure-alert systemMar 29, 2007
Chancellor Joel Klein announced a new computer-alert system that will notify principals when a teacher’s probationary period is drawing to a close and prompt them to indicate whether the teacher is on track to achieve tenure.
‘Conceptual’ state budget agreement good newsMar 29, 2007
agreement” on a $122 billion budget. While final budget details were still being negotiated between the governor and the state Legislature as the New York Teacher went to press, it appears the state legislators kept their word about the resources.
Whistle-blower axed — againMar 15, 2007
Seven months after a state hearing officer said that it no “longer makes sense” to keep a 37-year veteran teacher out of the classroom, whistle-blower David Pakter is serving a second stint in a Teacher Reassignment Center.
1,500 lobbyists bring class size message to AlbanyMar 15, 2007
“This is our last, best chance to get class sizes down,” UFT President Randi Weingarten told a fired-up, foot-stomping crowd of teachers, parents and students who traveled to Albany on March 13.
Stop, look and listen!Mar 01, 2007
It was a sight not seen in years in New York City: parents, educators, students and elected officials gathered en masse to defend public education.
Strike averted as UFT nurses settle at Lutheran MedicalMar 01, 2007
What looked like a bargaining standoff that would lead inexorably to a March 1 walkout by UFT nurses was averted when management at Brooklyn’s Lutheran Medical Center dropped its key, weeks-long giveback demand.
Weingarten urges state lawmakers to dedicate funding to reduce class sizeMar 01, 2007
UFT President Randi Weingarten on Feb. 27 urged a joint Senate and Assembly committee reviewing Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed education budget to “close the CFE chapter” by both enacting the governor’s basic proposals and with an amendment dedicating a significant chunk of the extra state education money to lowering class sizes in New York City.
On the hot seatFeb 15, 2007
Schools Chancellor Joel Klein has tried to promote good will among parents and teachers by holding a series of “roundtables” across the city, but instead has faced much criticism.
Resolution opposing military recruiters in schools passesFeb 15, 2007
High school students Gigi Martino and Lamia Harper felt so strongly about military recruiters having no business in the schools that they had to tell the Delegate Assembly.
Lafayette principal now wants outFeb 15, 2007
Less than a month after UFT delegates voted unanimously to condemn the abusive principal at Lafayette HS, she announced to her staff that she wants to be reassigned, the school’s chapter leader told the Delegate Assembly.
Big turnout expected for Feb. 28 rallyFeb 15, 2007
“It’s time to put the public back in public education.” So says a new coalition of classroom educators, parents, elected officials and students who are coming together under the banner of the Working Families Party to oppose Chancellor Joel Klein’s proposed reorganization.
Staff fighting to save TildenFeb 15, 2007
When the Department of Education announced in mid-December that Tilden HS in Brooklyn would be phased out, the school’s educators and students vowed not to go quietly.
Message is right on the buttonFeb 15, 2007
t’s not just kids who should listen to teachers. “The people who need to be most educated are the adults who are running the school system,” UFT Vice President Michelle Bodden said to an assembly of educators who couldn’t agree more.
Expanded public awareness campaign approvedFeb 15, 2007
UFT delegates went on the offensive against the Department of Education’s proposed reorganization, voting to support a variety of actions intended to hold Chancellor Joel Klein’s feet to the fire.
20,000 faxes!Feb 15, 2007
The fax campaign demanding Albany legislators make lower class size their No. 1 budget priority is on a roll.
A promise keptFeb 15, 2007
After years of famine, city schools may finally be heading toward a period of real nourishment.
Ruling should halt DOE violation of grievance timelineFeb 13, 2007
The UFT won an arbitration decision on Feb. 7 that union officials believe will eliminate a huge backlog of grievances in the chancellor’s office while stopping the Department of Education from dragging its feet in the future.
Union:Test scores and tenure shouldn't be linkedFeb 01, 2007
The UFT put Chancellor Joel Klein on notice on Jan. 18 that it unequivocably opposed the use of student test scores as the basis for tenure decisions.
New financing plan will penalize stable schools, say UFT, budget experts