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Hannah Brown

New York Teacher Reporter

Aubrey Lees

Aubrey Lees, hearing officer

As a hearing officer for the city's Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings, Aubrey Lee adjudicates cases involving summonses issued by the city’s regulatory agencies. "I can’t imagine what this job would be like without a union," she says.

Union fights outsourcing

Union fights outsourcing of therapy work in schools

The UFT is pushing back against the DOE's use of part-time therapists from private agencies rather than operationalizing the ninth session negotiated in the 2023 DOE-UFT contract to enable full-time therapists to do this work.

Educators take a breath

Educators take a breath

Two-hundred educators and their families gathered in Queens for a day of wellness and fun. They heard from MindUp CEO and founder Goldie Hawn and took part in activities and workshops to nurture their mental and physical health.

Organizing for the win

Organizing for the win

More than a hundred 3- and 4-year-olds with disabilities at the Mosaic Pre-K Centers in Queens will now receive the related services they need to thrive, the culmination of a two-year organizing effort by the union and the broader school community.

MAP Helpline Graphic

Get mental health support services 24/7

UFT members and their families now have access to mental health support by phone, text or online chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The new mental health helpline, an initiative of the union’s Member Assistance Program (MAP), is staffed by licensed counselors who have been trained to understand the needs of UFT members and the mental health resources available to them. 

A Pink Tide

A pink tide

A pink wave crested over New York City school buildings on Oct. 16 as UFT members wore pink to work to raise awareness about breast cancer. The annual tradition is a way to celebrate survivors, pay tribute to lost loved ones and colleagues, and emphasize the importance of early detection and treatment.
A real class act

A real class act

Nine educators at MS 137 in Ozone Park, Queens, graduated from the same school where they were middle schoolers. The teachers and paraprofessionals credit their own teachers' mentorship and cultural connectedness as the inspiration for their deciding to become educators and return to their educational roots.
Harlem week

Harlem Week 2024

UFT members and parent volunteers handed out back packs and other school supplies to more than 1,000 students during this year's Harlem Week festivities.
friends-on-beach-bright-swimsuits

Summer bliss: cool down and unwind

Take advantage of all that August offers for your mental and physical health by following these tips for summer bliss, relaxation and safety.

summer-friends

Summer wellness: rekindling social ties

While the slower pace of the summer months presents an opportunity to improve our private habits and routines, we can also turn our attention to an aspect of health that’s too often ignored in an individualistic culture: our social relationships.