UFT 2022 city legislative priorities

Download the UFT's 2022 city legislative priorities

FY23 executive budget

Our city is squandering a generational opportunity to strengthen our schools.

The UFT helped secure new funding that could change the face of public education—$7.6 billion in federal stimulus funding for our city, plus Albany's commitment to the Campaign for Fiscal Equity, which fully funds Foundation Aid. Yet, the administration's fiscal year 2023 budget inexplicably focuses on cuts to school budgets to the tune of $375 million.

Missing from the budget:

Lowering class sizes
Adding critical staff including social workers, counselors, and school psychologists
Advancing an agenda for career and technical education
Expanding professional development opportunities for educators to help our students recover academically and emotionally from interrupted learning during the pandemic.

Extremely disappointing is a $281 million proposed increase for charter schools while also proposing reductions for public schools.

Smaller class sizes

Small class sizes - 2022 city legislative priorities graphic

In 2021, we worked with our partners at the City Council on Intro. 2374-2021 to cap classroom capacity by amending the health section of the administrative code.

Smaller class sizes have huge benefits -- student academic performance increases and they promote healthier and safer learning environments for all. We hope we can work with this new City Council to move the proposal forward this legislative year.

Read Michael Mulgrew's testimony on the city's fiscal year 2023 executive budget and smaller class sizes
Learn more about the UFT's class size campaign in New York City public schools

Capital commitment plan

We are troubled by the proposed cuts to the New Capacity Program that will reduce the construction of new seats in public school by 11,562. We need to build more new seats as we strive to reduce class sizes.
We support the Carbon Free and Healthy School campaign's goals to retrofit all New York City public schools for solar power, creating 60,000 middle-class union jobs.
We support the Lunch for Learning coalition's request for an investment of $250 million in capital funds over five years to modernize and transform all middle school and high school cafeterias.

UFT Programs

United Community Schools

Operating the largest community school network in New York City, our teacher-inspired nonprofit is transforming public schools and the communities they serve through its proven model.

6:1 Community School Director’s return on investment
6,000+ families fed in 2020-21
10,500+ health clinic visits coordinated in 2020-21
20,000+ kids and families supported per year

What we're asking:

$5 million grant to sustain our current network of community schools

Positive Learning Collaborative

For nearly a decade, this expert team of clinicians and public school educators has been using social-emotional strategies, evidence-based training and healing practices to decrease discipline incidences and improve academic performance and school climate.

9,800 teachers attended “Healing Centered Classrooms” workshops
500+ in-person and remote support and coaching visits in 2020-21
50 schools participating in groundbreaking new Culturally and Historically Responsive Education program

What we're asking:

$3 million grant to sustain our existing programming in schools

Teacher Centers

The UFT Teacher Center has been a guiding light for NYC educators for 40 years. Last year, we provided 126,000 hours of professional development to 281,000 educators, principals and parents.

What we're asking:

$10 million grant to sustain current programming and expand to up to 15 new sites

Member Assistance Program (MAP)

Addressing the growing mental-health and wellness crisis, MAP provides free counseling, workshops, support groups and more for the union’s 200,000+ members and their families—services that enable many educators to remain in the field of public education. MAP went from serving 4,500 members in 2019 to over 32,000 as of 2021 through the various programs it offers.

What we're asking:

$1.78 million grant to support our program maintenance and expansion

VIDEO: UFT Member Assistance Program Overview
VIDEO: UFT Member Assistance Program Empowers Members

BRAVE Anti-bullying Hotline

24 hours a day, 7 days a week, students, families, and educators dealing with bullying can contact our hotline for immediate help resolving these detrimental situations.

What we're asking:

$300,000 to sustain our anti-bullying programming for students and educators

VIDEO: Queens middle school wins UFT's BRAVE Video Contest

Dial-a-Teacher homework helpline

Fielding more than 40,000 calls in 9 languages last year, our acclaimed homework helpline is expanding to help students citywide from all grades, across many disciplines and languages.

What we're asking:

$265,000 to further develop an online presence and procure digital curricula
VIDEO: Dial-a-Teacher profile

Citywide Programs

Teacher's Choice

This key initiative ensures teachers are reimbursed for supplies and materials they buy for their classrooms and students in need. We are grateful for the $20 million allocation in the FY 2023 preliminary budget.

What we're asking:

Baseline the program in the budget at $20 million

Broadway Bridges

Every New York City high school student should see a Broadway show before they graduate, and this program provides tickets to high school students so they can experience the city’s rich cultural opportunities.

What we're asking:

Support this initiative in the FY 2023 City Council budget

State legislative priorities

See the UFT's 2022 policy recommendations for New York State.

Learn more