Cara Matthews
New York Teacher Senior Editor/Reporter
Trading lesson plans for shopping lists
Retiree Lorraine Castro has traded in lesson plans for shopping lists since joining forces with her daughter, an in-service teacher at DeWitt Clinton HS in the Bronx, to launch Flavor Bandits, a food truck business that serves up empanadas and other food at events north of New York City.
Medicare 101: All you need to know
Signing up for Medicare involves more than just checking a box on a form; there are multiple parts to Medicare, and rules and premiums vary.
UFT is dialed in for its candidates
UFT members hit the phone lines and fanned out from New York City to Philadelphia and Scranton, Pennsylvania, this fall to campaign for Kamala Harris for president, as well as other pro-union, pro-education candidates down the ballot on Nov. 5.
UFT members get on board
Energized UFT members paired up with their fellow union members from the Philadelphia Teachers Union and AFT Pennsylvania on Sept. 21 to get out the vote for Kamala Harris in the battleground state.
UFT celebrates class size milestone
The UFT traveled to IS 145 in Queens on Sept. 4 to celebrate the school's achievement in bringing all 6th-grade classrooms into compliance with the state class size law limits. This year, 6th-grade classes will have a limit of 23 students, down from 30 or more in years past.
Mixed results on state exams
Students with disabilities and students of color made gains in math and lost ground in reading, mirroring the overall pattern for New York City students in grades 3 to 8, according to state test score data.
UFT launches new app
The UFT has launched a new mobile app for fast and convenient access to union resources and information and is available for iPhone and Android users. The UFT Member Hub app replaces UFT-Mobile, the union's old app.
Teacher’s Choice amounts to hold steady
The popular Teacher’s Choice program continues this school year, with eligible UFT-represented educators receiving a reimbursement for some of the supplemental instructional supplies they buy.
Save money with UFT member discounts
UFT membership entitles retirees to discounts on everything from clothing, restaurants and Broadway shows to travel, financial services and sports clubs.
Crafting a theatrical return in retirement
Retired Queens teacher Rebecca Owens-Goldhammer staged a theatrical return to her first love in crafting her Second Act in retirement -- as a designer of theatrical headpieces.