SBO online voting process has begun

If your school chapter plans to hold a school-based option (SBO) for the 2020-21 school year, you should inform your district representative immediately. You will receive the SBO voting list for vetting and your SBO ballot will be reviewed and approved prior to the vote being scheduled. The UFT will continue to use Election Buddy, an online voting platform, to conduct SBO voting. The UFT will set up your online election in Election Buddy once you return the vetted voting list with updated information and submit your approved ballot using the correct format. You will be asked to suggest dates for your chapter's SBO vote, and you will be notified of the date selected. Please inform your chapter's members of the date of the vote and let them know they will receive the ballot via email or text message. Voting is from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the chosen date. You will receive your SBO vote results after the voting has been completed. Chapter leaders will receive support with completing the SBO certification and ratification form. Read more about SBO options for the 2020-21 school year in the chapter leader section (you must be logged in to access it) of the UFT website.

Further guidance on remote work

The UFT negotiated joint guidance and an FAQ so every school would be on the same page about the precise meaning of the provisions in our Sept. 25 agreement on remote work and other topics. The original agreement and this guidance clearly state that a person who has no on-site responsibilities may work remotely. The guidance includes a list of duties — including lesson plans, grading and office hours — that can be completed remotely. A maximum of 20% of UFT-represented staff with remote-only responsibilities may be kept in the building on any given day. Certain responsibilities of on-site staff, such as lesson planning, grading and office hours, can be handled remotely. That 20% should be made up of staff who would prefer to perform their remote responsibilities from the school building. If not enough people want to work from the school building, the guidance says that in-person days for remote staff should be equally distributed. If your principal feels there is a need for someone to stay on site during these times, the principal can require that. But if that requirement persists, and you doubt that there is an actual need, you can file an operational issues complaint on that member's behalf.

Read the guidance

Voting early or by absentee ballot in the Nov. 3 election

To make sure New Yorkers stay safe during the upcoming general election while encouraging participation, all registered voters in New York State can vote by absentee ballot, vote early or vote in person on Nov. 3. New York City residents can request an absentee ballot online from the NYC Board of Elections. On the application, you should check "temporary illness or physical disability" as the reason you want an absentee ballot. The definition was expanded to include the threat of COVID-19. You must request a ballot no later than Oct. 27. The ballot itself must be postmarked by Nov. 3 and received by the Board of Elections by Nov. 10. The early voting period for the Nov. 3 election runs from Saturday, Oct. 24, 2020, to Sunday, Nov. 1, 2020. Use this tool to find your early voting and Election Day polling site in New York City. Residents in other parts of the state can use the Board of Elections' online portal to request an absentee ballot or find their location for early voting and Election Day voting.

Learn more

Report issues regarding mandated English as a New Language instruction

As part of its advocacy for English language learners and their educators, the UFT has a confidential complaint process to report issues of English language learners not receiving mandated services. The language and educational services requirements, stipulated under Commissioner's Regulations Part 154, remain in effect for children in both the blended learning and fully remote settings. If an educator in your chapter believes that any requirements under Part 154 are not being met or parents' rights are not being respected, the educator should file an ELL complaint and one of our UFT liaisons will contact the educator directly. Parents have the right to choose either a bilingual or freestanding ENL program, and students must receive the mandated minutes of ENL instruction as determined by their language proficiency levels. It is especially important at this time that English language learners receive the support they need and to which they are entitled. Also, ENL teachers have the same rights and responsibilities as other teachers including number of teaching periods, provision of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, class size and caseload. If ENL teachers in your building have not been programmed appropriately, you should speak to your district rep about filing an operational issues complaint on their behalf.

Report an issue

Streamlined Chapter Leader Update easier to navigate

We redesigned the Chapter Leader Update for the 2020-21 school year. Our new streamlined format allows you to easily access what you need to know for the two weeks ahead. If you prefer to open this newsletter while you are on the go, we've made sure it is easy to read on your mobile devices. We hope you like the improvements!