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Richard Mantell

VP for Middle Schools

Richard Mantell VP for Middle Schools

Middle-schoolers need freedom to grow

UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell writes that one of the most concrete ways schools can help prepare middle school students to take on more adultlike behavior is in how they manage class transitions. The best instructional models are where students — not teachers — move between classes. When students navigate their own schedule, find their classrooms, and manage their time between periods, they build executive functioning skills, a sense of independence, and the self-regulation they will need in high school and beyond.
New accolades for middle school

New accolades for middle school educators

UFT Vice President Richard Mantell writes that being a middle school educator is a calling, and it’s high time we recognize our colleagues’ invaluable contributions.
To that end, the union is planning its the first-ever Middle School Awards Night.


Richard Mantell

If you want to help a student, ask a teacher

UFT Vice President Richard Mantell writes that the holidays may be long over, but the giving is not. It’s what we educators do. We provide our students with the resources they need to succeed in life, whether it’s educating them in the classroom, giving them extra support or that nudge, or acting as a cheerleader or a coach.

A student holds a poster reading "Anti-Bullying event"

Bullying knows no bounds

UFT Vice President for Middle Schools Richard Mantell writes that after holding his annual Middle School Anti-Bullying Conference in October, he learned his 28-year-old daughter had been bullied when she was in middle school. While he was shocked, he was not surprised.