Every three years, UFT functional chapter members have the opportunity to elect their chapter’s leadership. You can nominate yourself or a colleague for chapter leadership positions now.

Functional chapters are so named because what unites these student-support professionals is their function. Their common bond is the job performed rather than a worksite or a school. The chapters were formed to allow these UFT members with common issues and concerns to have a voice. Meet their chapter leaders.

“There’s nothing that compares to in-person learning,” Kaplan says, “but I'm putting the same amount of energy and love into every session I create, whether in-person or remote.” In a challenging year, Kaplan points to rewards: speaking to parents more frequently, seeing skills carried over from school to home, and deepened relationships with colleagues.

The following guidance was sent to all DOE-employed speech teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists from UFT President Michael Mulgrew on Sunday, Sept. 13, 2020.

UFT Vice President for Special Education MaryJo Ginese writes about how special education teachers and related service providers are figuring out how best to serve their students with disabilities amid the challenges presented by the pandemic.

Questions and answers from the Speech Chapter Meeting on Aug. 4, 2020.

The following guidance was sent to all DOE-employed speech teachers, occupational therapists and physical therapists from Vice President for Special Education MaryJo Ginese on Monday, June 22.

In mid-March, all teachers were faced with the challenge of continuing to serve and support their students from a distance due to COVID-19. As a second-year speech teacher, I have struggled to figure out, with little training and guidance, how to translate a full schedule of face-to-face therapy into a full schedule of tele-therapy.

In mid-March, all teachers were faced with the challenge of continuing to serve and support their students from a distance due to COVID-19. As a second-year speech teacher, I have struggled to figure out, with little training and guidance, how to translate a full schedule of face-to-face therapy into a full schedule of tele-therapy.

The UFT has been advocating on your behalf with the city Department of Education, the State Education Department and the state Department of Health to establish new protocols that recognize your professional expertise and need for discretion so you can tailor your services to each student’s particular needs and circumstances.We hope the guidance below that we hammered out with the DOE will address many of your concerns and questions.