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Length of School Day

Unless modified through a School Based Option (SBO) pursuant to Article 8B of the Teachers' CBA, UFT-represented employees have a 6 hour, 20 minute workday with 155 minutes of extended time configured in different ways depending on the school.

School Day

Elementary and Middle Schools: The school day will start no earlier than 8 a.m. and may end no later than 3:45 p.m.

High schools: In single-session K-12, 6-12 and high schools, the day will start no earlier than 8 a.m. and end no later than 4:20 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays and 3:45 p.m. on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

New Pilot Workday

A new three-year pilot workday for teachers and paraprofessionals will be launched for the 2023-24, 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years. Like the current pilot workday, both the DOE and the UFT must agree to extend it each year after that or the configuration of time reverts back to 37.5 minutes after school for small-group instruction and tutoring Mondays through Thursday.

The Default Workday

Reduced PD time; more time for parent engagement work, which can now be done remotely. 

For single-session schools
The 155 minutes of extended time will be allocated this way in the default workday:

  1. 60 minutes of professional development on Mondays
  2. 40 minutes for Other Professional Work
  3. 55 minutes for parent engagement that can be done remotely

For multi-session high schools and other schools with a 6 hour, 50 minute workday:

Professional activity periods reduced to four per week, with the current fifth professional activity period converted to self-directed Other Professional Work.

40 minutes of remote parent-engagement time twice per term in October, January, February and April. In these months, there will be one 40-minute faculty conference OR one 40-minute grade conference.

After-school faculty and grade conferences:

  • In November, December, March, and May, there will be both one 40-minute faculty conference and one 40-minute grade conference for teachers.
  • These conferences will take place before or after the school day.

Using school-based options (SBOs)

The staff of individual schools has the flexibility to modify the configuration of the school day using the SBO process based on the needs and philosophy of each school community. 

Learn more about pre-approved SBO options in the 2023 contract »

Read what the 2023 contract says about time and the workday »