Dear parents, grandparents, guardians and education activists,

January was an exciting month for Brooklyn parents and education activists at the UFT! We had a workshop series about how to create a grassroots organizing campaign in a school. We discussed survey design and analysis, social media, advocacy vs. activism and much more. Participants then applied their new skills to issues from nutrition in school lunches to safety and busing.

Thanks to the Brooklyn parent and community outreach committee's hard work, the series was an incredible success. Thank you to the committee and everyone who joined us!

Whether you joined us at the workshops or not, stay involved with education activism by getting on the bus for a UFT lobby day in Albany on Monday, March 16! We'll advocate to protect public education and increase school funding. The Brooklyn bus will pick up at 6:30 a.m. at the UFT's Brooklyn borough office at 335 Adams St. Please download and share the flier in English and Spanish. There's limited room on the bus, so register soon »

Check out more upcoming events and news you can use below.

Sincerely,

Betty Zohar
UFT Parent and Community Liaison
bzohar@uft.org

Upcoming events

• Thursdays, Feb. 6 and 13: Explore your early childhood education options at a pre-K and 3-K information session in Brooklyn. Run by the city Department of Education, they'll be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. On Feb. 6, the location will be PS 69 in Borough Park, and on Feb. 13, it will be the Brooklyn Arts and Science Elementary School in Crown Heights. For further details, visit the DOE website »

• Thursdays, Feb. 13 and 27: Come to the UFT's Black History Film Series from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway in Manhattan. On Feb. 13, we'll watch "Back to Natural," a documentary about hair, politics and racial identity. On Feb. 27, we'll watch "College Behind Bars," which tells the story of a group of incarcerated men and women earning college degrees. Learn more and register »

• Saturday, April 4: The UFT will host its fifth annual Men in Education Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway in Manhattan. There will be workshops about mentoring, fatherhood and empowerment. For a flier and to register, see the event listing »

News you can use

• Read the DOE's guide to special education: The DOE has updated its Family Guide to Special Education Services for School-Age Children. It contains information about initiating and navigating the process for getting your child special education services. Check it out »
  
  Is your child getting close to high school graduation? Check out the DOE's Family Guide to Transition Planning »

• New resources for early childhood from Advocates for Children: Advocates for Children has updated its guides to early intervention, pre-school special education, turning 5 and kindergarten admissions. You can find these and many other resources in English and Spanish, and some in Bengali, Chinese and Arabic, on the Advocates for Children website »

• File your taxes for free: If you will be reporting income of $69,000 or less on your 2019 tax return, you might be able to electronically prepare and file your income tax returns for free. To learn more and get started, visit the New York State Tax Department website »

• Free admission to the Museum of Jewish Heritage: Any city public school student with a student ID or report card can claim four free passes to the Museum of Jewish Heritage in downtown Manhattan until August 2020. Plan your visit »