Leigh Anderson

The UFT welcomed its newest members this spring with a series of events, from bowling and arcades to nature walks and paint and sips, geared to build community, connection and camaraderie.

Candy Jorge, a Spanish teacher at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in Manhattan, came to the United States from her native Dominican Republic at the age of 17 with nothing. Now the 9th-grade team leader develops and implements curriculum infused with texts rooted in Latino culture to model success for her primarily Dominican students.

As much as you might want to toss all your materials in a box and sprint out the door on the last day of school, consider doing your future self a favor by strategically preparing for September in June, thoughtfully packing up your classroom and finding ways to continue to build your skills over the summer. 


A 4th-grader teacher in the Bronx sends "happy mail" to let her students know that their hard work and effort is noticed and appreciated.

The UFT awarded scholarships to 189 public high school and graduate students as part of the annual Albert Shanker College Scholarship Awards Celebration and Reception. The students, many of whom began their high school careers online during the pandemic, were praised for their commitment to education despite the tumult of the last four years.

The Federation of Nurses/UFT honored 21 nurses for their patient advocacy and activism in the face of a health care landscape that puts profits before patients during its annual Nurse Recognition Day awards dinner.

The city's speech teachers and their students were honored at the UFT's Better Speeh and Hearing Celebration, where a wide variety of therapies that speech teachers provide were highlighted.

The UFT’s Retired Teachers Chapter hosted a celebratory luncheon on March 6 to recognize 68 educators who have been union members for 50, 60 or more years. 


“There is no music like live music. It’s a transcendent experience,” says Thomas Wright, the new music teacher at Edward R. Murrow HS in Midwood, Brooklyn. 
Wright, who previously taught elsewhere in the country, took the job in September, attracted by Murrow’s robust music department.