Hannah Brown
New York Teacher Reporter
Parent conferences
More than 500 parents, caregivers and community members poured into UFT borough offices this fall for the UFT's annual parent conferences in each borough.
Thanksgiving luncheon and winter coat drive
Some 150 students living in temporary housing received coats and other winter gear at the UFT's annual Thanksgiving luncheon and coat drive, organized by the UFT Middle Schools Division.
Defending immigrant students
About 300 UFT members from schools across the city attended one of the union's immigration workshops in October and November. The sessions walked members through the steps to establish school-based committees to support and defend immigrant families.
Schools feel chill of ICE raids
The Trump administration's mass deportation agenda has triggered anxiety and absenteeism in New York City public schools. Yet despite the bleakness of the situation, educators remain committed to protecting their students and advocating for them.
UFT members say, ‘No kings’
Joining more than 7 million protesters nationwide, more than 200 UFT members marched up Sixth Avenue alongside members from other New York City unions as part of the No Kings March in Manhattan on Oct. 18.
Change for the better
Paraprofessional Unique Robinson of Murrow HS in Brooklyn acted quickly to advocate for a solution when presented with the need to safely and comfortably meet the toileting needs of her paraplegic student.
Manhattan paraprofessionals meet and greet
About 60 paraprofessionals, including members in their first year and veteran paraprofessionals, gathered to network and meet their union representatives at the Manhattan Paraprofessionals Meet and Greet.
Spreading the dual language of love
Dual-language pre-K teacher Gema Campusano of the District 25 Pre-K Center in Queens has found that bilingual education not only supports students' language development but also builds their confidence and a strong sense of identity.
Scores jump on state exams
New York City public school students in grades 3 to 8 made dramatic gains in reading and math on 2025 state exams. The percentage of students overall performing at grade level in reading jumped 7.2 percentage points to 56.3% and 3.5 percentage points in math to 56.9%. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the results were “a testament to the hard work by New York City educators and students.”
UFT welcomes new teachers
The number of new teachers who turned out on Aug. 26 for the kickoff of New Teacher Week was about twice as large as last year, thanks to the surge of hiring over the summer to reduce class sizes in some 750 schools. As the new hires lined up outside Barclays Center in Brooklyn early that morning, about 100 UFT reps, including UFT President Michael Mulgrew, were on hand to welcome them and enroll them in the union.