Some 350 UFT Teacher Center site coaches, field liaisons and directors past and present — from long-retired employees to current staff — gathered at the TWA Hotel in Queens on April 27 to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the program.

The UFT Teacher Center, which is a collaboration among the UFT, the city Department of Education and the state Education Department, was created in 1979 under the leadership of then-UFT President Albert Shanker. In its first year, it had just seven employees at union headquarters. Today, UFT Teacher Center sites are embedded in nearly 200 school buildings across all five boroughs.

“I see roots planted by Al Shanker,” said Vincent Pilato, the current director, in his welcome speech. “We come together because we have a shared desire and willingness to learn.”

The program is one of the union’s proudest and most enduring education initiatives. “Over the last 45 years, this institution has been a cornerstone of the UFT — because we understand what goes on inside the classroom,” said UFT President Michael Mulgrew.

Teacher Center sites, all staffed by former classroom teachers, provide support for the full spectrum of teachers — from those just starting out to teachers who are struggling to those who continue to refine their craft.

“Teacher Center has always had the mission of teachers helping teachers,” said Charlie LoBello, who co-helmed the UFT Teacher Center from 2011 until his retirement in 2020. “Each year, we’re able to reflect on teachers’ needs and how we can support them. We’re constantly reshaping ourselves so we can meet the needs of our staff.”

Aminda Gentile, Rita Danis and Tina Collins were among the other former UFT Teacher Center directors who attended the celebration, which was organized by UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro.

Also on hand was AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, who during her tenure as UFT vice president for education won state accreditation for the UFT Teacher Center as a CTLE provider, enabling Teacher Center-led sessions in the professional development bloc during the school week to count toward CTLE hours for continuing certification.

A 10-year-old pianist from PS 236 in the Bronx wowed the audience with his renditions of two classical works.

The shared sense of purpose and accomplishment was palpable as UFT Teacher Center’s former and current staff celebrated the program’s growth and their decades of hard work on behalf of New York City children.

“It takes a village to raise a child,” said Sandy Dugan, the site coach for District 31 Pre-K Centers, “but it also takes a village to teach one.”