Hannah Brown
New York Teacher Reporter
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.
Harlem Week
UFT member and parent volunteers handed out about 250 backpacks filled with school supplies to famiiies during Harlem Week festivities on Aug. 18.
Pasha Durr, home instruction teacher
Pasha Durr teaches Brooklyn high school students in their homes when they’re unable to physically attend school.
Members weigh in on health care coverage
The new health care committee convened by the UFT spent its first two meetings on April 3 and 30 delving into the intricacies of health care coverage for New York City workers and retirees.
Make it 55!
UFT members came together in every borough on the union’s Day of Action on May 6 to demand improvements to Tier 6 of the state pension system.
In Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, members took part in simultaneous after-school rallies, while members on Staten held in-school actions and those in the Bronx passed out “fix Tier 6” flyers at three transit hubs.
Demanding what they’re owed
Fed up with the DOE’s delay in reimbursing them for travel expenses, itinerant related service providers went public with their frustrations in April. Occupational and physical therapists also called out the DOE for long delays in tuition reimbursement for coursework they need to maintain their licenses.
Albert Shanker College Scholarship Awards 2025
The UFT gave out $5,000 college scholarships to 200 high school seniors and nine graduate students at the 56th annual ceremony on June 3 at UFT headquarters.
School Secretaries Awards Soiree
Thirty-two school secretaries from across the city were honored at the union’s 38th annual School Secretaries awards celebration on June 6.
Member Assistance Program’s Let’s Talk About It
About 250 middle schoolers participated in music activities, all designed to encourage social-emotional learning, at the fifth annual Let's Talk About It event organized by the UFT's Member Assistance Program.
Future in Focus career fair
About 450 students from 35 high schools learned about jobs in unionized fields at the UFT Academic High School Division’s 8th annual Future in Focus job fair.