School social workers take to the stage during lunch to show off their T-shirts and their pride in what they do.
More than 1,000 school social workers gathered at UFT headquarters and online on March 6 for a day of professional development and networking to mark the 10th annual Social Workers Appreciation Day. Social Workers and Psychologists Chapter Leader Raul Garcia noted that with social workers often being the only ones of their title at a school, he hoped to provide members with a sense of “professional community.” Social worker Stacie Soto of Franklin D. Roosevelt HS in Brooklyn’s Mapleton neighborhood gained insights during a workshop on multitiered systems of support in school social work led by social-emotional learning expert Clay Cook of CharacterStrong. Soto appreciated Cook’s focus on “evidence-based strategies” over “theories and jargon.” Maya Tsekenis, a social worker at MS 936 in Borough Park, Brooklyn, appreciated the opportunity to network. “Now more than ever,” Chapter Leader Garcia said, “we need that sense of community.”
