The coronavirus pandemic couldn’t stop 430 UFT members from virtually joining the union’s annual Lobby Day to advocate for funding for public schools and the union’s own education initiatives in the state budget.

More than a year ago, the School Counselors Conference was the last UFT conference held before COVID-19 shut down school buildings. This year’s event, held on March 20 on Zoom, found school counselors grappling with a new set of challenges as the end of the pandemic slowly comes into view.

Children benefited from a robust spirit of giving during the December holidays. The union’s Elementary Schools Division collected nearly $22,000 to spend on thousands of toys while UFT members donated hundreds more that were distributed to children in need. Meanwhile, the UFT’s Brooklyn borough office teamed up with First Book to give away about 4,000 books to 200 families.

The UFT Teacher Center, which typically provides professional learning for educators, expanded its mandate during this unprecedented school year to provide a free program of student enrichment — tailored to different age groups — on three consecutive Saturdays in December to help build learning for thousands of students from pre-k through high school. 

Twenty-eight chapter leaders received the Ely Trachtenberg award in recognition of their service in the 2019-20 school year. The award, named for a teacher whose rank-and-file  organizing skills were critical to building the union, recognized chapters and their leaders who carry on that tradition with strong member engagement and advocacy.

Five hundred public school parents across the city join the UFT’s virtual parent conference in November to discuss remote learning and parenting during the pandemic.

More than 1,000 students, parents, teachers and school counselors participate in the first virtual UFT College Fair, held via Zoom in October.

Federation of Nurses/UFT members and school nurses in November attended the UFT’s 41st annual Professional Issues Conference, held virtually for the first time.

Weekly UFT online family workshops allowed public school parents to connect with each other and get solid information.

“I Will Not Die,” 3rd-grader Samantha Mercedes’ winning pandemic mask design, told the story of her grandmother’s victorious fight against the coronavirus.