- Who We Are
- Where We Stand
- Our Rights
- Our Benefits
- Our Chapters
- Guidance Counselors
- Hearing Education Services
- Lab Specialists
- Occupational / Physical Therapists
- Paraprofessionals
- Retired Teachers
- School Nurses
- School Secretaries
- Social Workers & Psychologists
- Speech Improvement
- Teachers Assigned
- Other DOE Chapters
- Charter School Chapters
- Non-DOE Education Chapters
- UFT Providers
- Federation of Nurses
- United Cerebral Palsy
- Get Involved
- Teaching
- News
VP for Education
Catalina R. Fortino is vice president for education and the director of the UFT Teacher Center, where her broad experience in professional development, curriculum, assessments and program development helps advance the teaching profession. Catalina received her B.S. in Early Childhood Education and her master’s degree in Special Education and Bilingual Education from Queens College. She also studied Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College.
Catalina has distinguished herself among the educators who specialize in school reform for high-needs schools throughout New York City. Included in her work were: facilitating teams’ analysis of school data as preparation for creating school improvement plans; facilitating the implementation and modification of Comprehensive Education Plans with school leadership teams; providing technical assistance and professional development in organizational change, curriculum and teaching strategies to Schools Under Registration Review.
She is ideally suited for her most recent role, helping spearhead the union’s efforts to effectuate a framework for assessing teacher practice that is supportive and developmental for our members. Catalina also continues to oversee the professional development and support for the transformation and restart schools.
Catalina was an early childhood teacher, a teacher of bilingual early childhood special education and a bilingual educational evaluator before entering the field of professional development. She is an experienced program developer in the area of English language learning, having also many years of classroom teaching of — and education evaluation for — English Language Learners in general education and those with special-needs.
She is currently the chair of the New York State United Teachers (NYSUT) Bilingual Committee of Practitioners, a member of the AFT ELL Taskforce, the past co-chair of the New York State Professional Standards and Practices Board for Teaching and a past member of the New York State Committee of Title I Practitioners.
Prior to becoming the director of the Teacher Center in September 2011, Catalina served as the assistant director for two years.
