Leigh Anderson

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. 


It is important for teachers in their probationary period (which lasts four years and a day) to be proactive about communicating with the principal about earning tenure and staying on top of their certification requirements.

Members with questions about their union rights and benefits can now ask George, the UFT’s automated and interactive UFT Member Hub guide.

About 250 school counselors enjoyed a packed day of professional development, networking and some precious camaraderie with fellow counselors for the union's 20th annual School Counselors Conference.