Cara Matthews

Strength, resilience, solidarity, advocacy, leadership, dedication, compassion and an unwavering commitment to excellence—these were among the qualities celebrated at the Federation of Nurses/UFT’s annual Nurse Recognition Awards.
The celebration, held May 14 at UFT headquarters, commemorated National Nurses Month and brought together about 300 members and their guests to honor 25 nurses whose colleagues nominated them for going “beyond the call of duty,”

Fixing Tier 6, increasing state funding for public schools and boosting pay for early childhood providers were among the top priorities as about 1,000 UFT members and parents traveled to Albany on March 16 for the union’s annual Lobby Day.

Members were the true MVPs as some 4,000 traveled to Albany's MVP Arena to rally in support of Tier 6 reform. The rally marked the culmination of the UFT’s monthslong “6” days campaign, an escalating series of member actions designed to raise awareness and pressure state lawmakers to address the grave “injustice” of Tier 6.

UFT Assistant Secretary Michael Sill was elected UFT secretary and elevated to director of staff. He replaces LeRoy Barr, who retired on Feb. 1.

Retired special education teacher Hope Kirsch has turned her educational knowhow into a rewarding second act as a lauded special education attorney post retirement.

Tom Pappas, a “tough as nails” but kind educator and administrator who began teaching in 1957 and went on to serve as a district representative, borough representative, UFT assistant, UFT secretary, staff director and Retired Teachers Chapter leader, died on Feb. 13, 2026. He was 93.

Low salaries for New York City public schools’ paraprofessionals have led to thousands of vacancies, unserved students and personal financial crises, UFT members said at a March 9 City Council hearing on legislation for an annual $10,000 paraprofessional RESPECT check.

Teacher Jacqueline Armento's development and coordination of the Law Institute at John Bowne HS in Queens earned her recognition at this year’s UFT Career and Technical Education Awards night, where she received a UFT CTE Educators Award.

About 200 members gathered for a day of self-care, reflection and community at the UFT’s annual HERstory Celebration Brunch in honor of Women’s History Month.
The event, organized by UFT Vice President Janella Hinds, was designed to support members' physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.