News for Paraprofessionals
Targeted support for retired paraprofessionals
A monthslong UFT initiative to reach out to retired paraprofessionals, connect them with union services and support, and encourage them to get involved in the Retired Teachers Chapter culminated with a meet and greet at UFT headquarters on Sept. 19.
Success depends on community
That success depends on your community is something I only truly understood after my first year of teaching. When I was a para, I was committed to supporting my students and my teachers. When I first became a teacher, I forgot that I needed to ask for support as well as offer it.
Absences for paraprofessionals
If you are a paraprofessional, the DOE-UFT contract establishes rights and obligations in terms of when you can be absent from work. Learn about how you accumulate and can use sick days and about excused absences.
Bringing retired paras into the UFT fold
The UFT has initiated an outreach program to determine how the union can best support retired paraprofessionals. The Retired Teachers Chapter includes approximately 7,600 paraprofessionals.
Priscilla Castro elected Para Chapter chair
Priscilla Castro was elected on May 25 as chapter chair of the Paraprofessionals Chapter for the term ending June 30, 2024. Castro had been serving as interim chapter chair since Shelvy Young-Abrams retired in October 2022.
Para’s allergy alert
A student-friendly book and seminar on food allergies was created by Fatima Straughn, a paraprofessional at MS 45 in the Bronx, as a way to teach young children about the effects of food allergies.