Cara Matthews

Persuading lawmakers to oppose the governor’s proposal to substantially increase the number of charter schools operating in New York City topped the agenda for the nearly 900 UFT members and public school parents who traveled to Albany on March 13 to meet face to face with their state representatives on the union’s annual Lobby Day.

Community School 55 in the Morrisania section of the Bronx has a Success Academy charter school co-located in its building, but the disparity in their resources and the student populations they serve make them anything but co-equal.

At their 41st annual Paraprofessionals Festival & Awards Luncheon on March 25, members celebrated the many rights they have gained since their chapter's founding and the trailblazers who led the way while acknowledging there is much more to do.

A wildlife refuge an outdoor sculpture garden, museums, a tea party and even a wastewater treatment plant are the destinations for in-person Si Beagle Learning Center outings this spring.

All eyes were on the purple state of Georgia in December as U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, faced — and defeated — former pro football player Herschel Walker in a runoff election, with campaign help from retired UFT members.

Gail Postal, a 26-year teaching veteran, is relentless in the pursuit of her second career, constantly exhibiting and selling paintings, entering hundreds of juried art shows and putting her boundless energy into making her teenage dream come true.

Staten Island 2nd-graders learn about fire safety and about the history of firefighting during a class trip to the New York City Fire Museum in SoHo.

Thanks to the union’s advocacy, the city Department of Education has agreed to take the reorganization of the Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) off the table for this school year.

With aggressive marketing, strong lobbying, perks like free rent and millions of dollars of contributions from billionaire investors and philanthropists, the number of Success Academy charter schools has expanded at the expense of traditional public schools.

Educators, family members and community partners attended the UFT's annual Career and Technical Education celebration on Feb. 3 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan, where 85 educators and community partners were honored.