Jan. 21, 2026
A 'LIGHT'-HEARTED CELEBRATION: Teachers from PS 131 in Queens were among the attendees at the UFT Muslim Heritage Committee's Gathering of Lights on Jan. 17. Committee members, together with their family and friends, enjoyed henna painting, games, crafts and fellowship.
This Week's Focus
Jan. 23 day of action in solidarity with Minneapolis
Union members in Minneapolis–St. Paul recently issued a call to show nationwide solidarity on Jan. 23 after a brutal ICE operation led to the killing of Renee Nicole Good, a Minneapolis substitute teacher, and the targeting of students, educators and immigrant communities in and around local schools. In response, an emergency resolution to join a national Day of Action and a demonstration on Friday, Jan. 23, in solidarity with educators, students and immigrant communities in Minneapolis was approved with 90% of the vote at the Delegate Assembly. Now we need to demonstrate our unity — visibly and collectively.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
- Encourage your members to wear black to school this Friday, Jan. 23, to show solidarity. Before school, after school or during your lunch period, take pictures with colleagues and post them on social media. Keep your posts positive, respectful and focused on standing with our fellow educators. Tag the UFT and send your best photos with caption information to uftphotos [at] gmail [dot] com (uftphotos[at]gmail[dot]com).
- After school, march with fellow union members at the Stand with Minneapolis March at 4 p.m. The UFT meeting point is at Barnes & Noble, 33 E. 17th St., NY, NY 10003. You can register now.
- Find more actions you can take on the campaign page on the UFT website.
Registration is open for the March 8 rally to fix Tier 6
Our "6" days campaign is on fire, and we're just heating up. It's time to start preparing for our Tier 6 rally in Albany with NYSUT on March 8! The rally will be full of performances, activism and union solidarity. We're giving chapter leaders and Tier 6 activists early access to this registration so that you can build your Tier 6 Turnout Teams. Start identifying members in your workplace who are ready to join with unions across the state and pack MVP Arena. We're aiming to get teams of at least six people from every school or worksite. We need to send a clear message to legislators that we are demanding change now. We're working to lower the Tier 6 retirement age from 63 to 55. Think about it: One day on the road with our union could help save you from eight years of alarm clocks!
ACTION YOU CAN TAKE: Talk with your colleagues about building a Tier 6 Turnout Team for March 8. Each member of your team needs to register individually.
Celebrate paraprofessionals at this year's awards luncheon
Paraprofessionals and their colleagues are invited to the union's premier annual event for its largest chapter. This year's Paraprofessionals Awards Luncheon will feature breakfast, CTLE workshops, a festival with games and prizes, a bag of wellness freebies and a luncheon. UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Paraprofessionals Chapter Chairperson Priscilla Castro will present awards to paraprofessionals who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and commitment to their work. We'll also provide updates on the ongoing campaign to pass the RESPECT check legislation to address ongoing pay inequity for paraprofessionals. The luncheon event will run from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Saturday, March 7, at the New York Hilton Midtown.
Chapter Leader Checklist
To Do #1
Help us improve the UFT Salary Checkup tool
The UFT Member Hub now features an easy-to-use Salary Checkup tool that guides you through the elements that determine your salary. We are working to refine the tool, and to do so, we need your help. Please try the UFT Salary Checkup on the UFT Member Hub, then fill out a short survey with your feedback. By taking just a few minutes to share your thoughts, you'll be helping shape the future of this valuable member resource.
To Do #2
Check out new resources on chapter and consultation meetings
Monthly chapter meetings and consultation committee meetings are critical parts of your role as chapter leader. Your chapter meetings are an important way to get union information to your members and a great way to learn about what issues are important to them. The school consultation committee empowers and gives voice to all UFT-represented members of the school chapter and provides a forum to discuss and resolve issues at the school. The Chapter Leader section on the UFT website was recently updated with new guidance on effective chapter meetings and consultation committees. Please review this information and make sure your consultation committee meeting summaries are up to date in the Chapter Leader Hub.
To Do #3
Make the Comprehensive Education plan work for your school
The Comprehensive Education Plan (CEP) is an important tool for closing the learning gap between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers and improving student outcomes. The CEP provides an opportunity to drive improvements in instruction, transition planning and many other important areas for students with disabilities. As required members of the school leadership team (SLT), chapter leaders participate in the creation of their school's CEP.
While the CEP is publicly accessible on the school's official DOE website under the reports tab, the display is lengthy and tedious to use. Instead, the UFT recommends the DOE's iPlan portal, which streamlines how to view, read and understand the CEP. iPlan allows users to easily navigate among sections and priorities. It also ensures that progress monitoring is conducted, and that documents such as the SLT, PTA/PA and Title 1 meeting agendas are uploaded in a timely manner.
The SLT chairperson, PTA/PA president and Title 1 chairperson are entitled to use the iPlan portal. You can find a link to the iPlan portal and other valuable resources on the school leadership team page on the DOE website .
Here are things to look for:
- Each SLT meeting should include a review of the public view of your school's scores in conjunction with the CEP goals to ensure the focus and needs of the school are being addressed.
- The SLT should also review the Galaxy Table of Organization Report titled "Public/SLT View" and the Galaxy Budget Allocations to ensure your school is adequately staffed and the budget supports the CEP goals. This view provides a more detailed account of the ins and outs of the budget.
Having all of these pieces in place is necessary for a strong, cohesive and growing school with a positive culture and community.
If you have any problems accessing iPlan or other information you need to work on your school's CEP, reach out to your UFT district representative or to your borough's UFT special education liaison for assistance.
To Do #4
Review the new staff development committee (SDC)/instructional leadership team (ILT) guidance
In this week's Principal's Digest, clarifying guidance was shared that clearly states that the SDC committee serves as an ILT, meaning there is only one committee. There cannot be two separate committees.
You can review the DOE guidance that your principal received. Please share it with your consultation committee and chapter. If your school has two separate committees, meet with your principal to resolve this as a violation of operational standards.
Speak with your UFT district representative if you have any questions.
To Do #5
Flyers to share with your members
Here are flyers you can print and distribute in member mailboxes or post on your school's UFT bulletin board:
Hub Highlights
Access a digital copy of the UFT Chapter Leader Handbook
The Chapter Leader Hub contains a digital version of the Chapter Leader Handbook. The table of contents links directly to the guidance, regulations, information and processes you rely on as a chapter leader to represent your members. Remember: You can access the hub using your UFT website username and password.
Work in progress
The UFT is tackling the following issues with the DOE and other city, state and federal-level entities as appropriate:
- Fixing uniform allowance issues for nurses and therapists.
- Working to get a date for class size funding updates.
- Finalizing the 2026-27 calendar, the workday agreement and the extension of remote work provisions.
You Should Know
Professional learning & instruction
Register for the UFT Middle Schools Conference
The UFT Middle Schools Division will host a free conference for middle school educators on Saturday, Feb. 7, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters. Workshops will include "Classroom Removals and SAVE Rooms," "All Things Salary," "Morale Matters" and "Special Education Violations 101." UFT Assistant Treasurer and TRS trustee Tom Brown will lead a conversation about Tier 6 reform; and breakfast and lunch will be served. Don't miss this fun-filled day of honest conversation, problem-solving and collaboration.
Medical & wellness
Check out information about the new health and prescription plans
This is your reminder that there have been some recent changes in health care, and we have the answers you need for any questions your members may have. As of Jan. 1, the NYCE PPO plan replaced the GHI CBP plan for in-service members and pre-Medicare retirees. Meanwhile, the way in-service members receive 90-day supplies of mail order prescriptions for Affordable Care Act or New York state-mandated drugs has changed. These prescriptions are now filled by Amazon Pharmacy. There has been some misinformation circulating about these updates, but members can get clear and timely information from the UFT website's NYCE PPO section and mandated prescription page.
Political action
UFT supports child care expansion
The UFT took part in an announcement by Gov. Kathy Hochul with Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Jan. 8 to expand child care to 2-year-olds in New York City (2-Care), add 3-K and pre-K seats where needed and invest $1.2 billion more in child care vouchers statewide. The voucher investment will help parents cover costs and ensure that home-based family child care providers receive the long-overdue financial support they need. This expansion will necessitate more early childhood teachers, and it will involve UFT members who are part of the Child Care Providers Chapter.
Everything else
Register for the UFT African Heritage Committee's dinner dance
The UFT African Heritage Committee will host its 23rd annual dinner dance on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. at Antun's in Queens Village. This special evening brings the community together to celebrate and honor committee awardees while enjoying an atmosphere of culture, connection and appreciation. Tickets are $135.
Black History Month film series starts on Jan. 29
The UFT's annual Black History Month film series will run from Thursday, Jan. 29, to Thursday, Feb. 26, this school year. The theme is "Echoes of Resilience: Stories of Heritage and Struggle." From the preserved traditions of the Gullah Geechee people to the frontlines of health care activism and personal battles for identity and survival, these films celebrate the enduring power of our community. Each screening will be followed by a guided discussion. The details are:
- "Circle Unbroken: A Gullah Journey From Africa to America" on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m., meeting online
- "The Takeover: How We Occupied a Hospital and Changed Public Health Care" on Thursday, Feb. 5, at 4 p.m., meeting online
- "Can You Stand the Rain" on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 4 p.m., meeting online
- "Rob Peace" on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 4 p.m., meeting at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway
Recent Guidance and Agreements
- Payroll Administration Memorandum: Tax Changes Effective Jan. 1, 2026 (January 2026)
- Payroll Administration Memorandum: Commuter Benefits Programs Update (December 2025)
- Payroll Administration Memorandum: 2025 Social Security and Medicare Rates (November 2025)
- Labor Guidance: Paperwork Standards and Operational Issues (September 2025)
- Chancellor’s Regulation A-413: Cellphones and Other Electronic Devices in Schools(July 2025)
Key Events & Deadlines
Contact the UFT
- DOE members, call 212‑331‑6311.
- DOE functional chapter members, call 212‑331‑6312.
- A health benefit question? Call the Welfare Fund at 212‑539‑0500.