Maia Baumgarth, Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical HS, the Bronx

When Maia Baumgarth became the chapter leader at her school a year and a half ago, she was surprised by how much she and her colleagues had to learn about the DOE-UFT contract under which they all worked.

“Even with 25 years in the system, I was missing important information,” said Baumgarth, a biology teacher at Alfred E. Smith Career and Technical HS in the Bronx.

Baumgarth quickly began educating herself and her colleagues about the contract, holding frequent meetings and sharing pertinent sections of UFT communications by email.

“It’s a critical part of teaching: Understanding your rights,” she said.

For example, educators at her school were teaching additional classes in shortage areas, but were also taking on circular 6 assignments — like small-group instruction — for no additional pay. Baumgarth pointed out that those teachers were supposed to be excluded from circular 6 duties, and the issue “was immediately resolved,” she said. Those teachers who wanted to retain the circular 6 duties could do so for extra pay as a school-based option. “People were very happy,” she said.

Contractual rights and duties will be a continued focus for Baumgarth this school year as negotiation work begins on the DOE-UFT contract that expires in November 2027.

Baumgarth and her colleagues say being in compliance is essential to caring for students.

“Ensuring that we’re in compliance is important because it means the students are receiving the services they’re supposed to get,” said James Hough, Baumgarth’s co-teacher and a special education teacher. “You want the teacher fully equipped.”

Baumgarth attends every special education committee meeting and takes a strong interest in protecting special education compliance, Hough said.

“She helped a lot of us special education teachers with licensing, because a lot of us who are new don’t have much clarity,” he said.

Baumgarth is beloved among her colleagues, not only for her knowledge of the contract, but for the care she shows, said paraprofessional representative Elena Cardenas, noting Baumgarth’s habits of bringing food to chapter meetings and writing “beautiful” messages of appreciation to paraprofessionals.

Baumgarth also reminds paraprofessionals not to take on additional duties outside of their contractual assignments. “She says, ‘I know you want to take care of other people, but you have to follow the contract to take care of students,’” Cardenas said.