Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

Thank you to everyone who came to our UFT Brooklyn parent conference on Oct. 22, and thank you to our amazing conference-planning committee for all the work they did to make the day a success. Some 400 parents and education activists enjoyed a great day of workshops, networking, giveaways and more.

See more photos from the conference »

I want to remind you to sign up for UFT text messages by texting the word "PARENT" to 30644. We'll send you updates about things like school closings and delays. We'll also send you a copy of this newsletter that you can easily read on your mobile phone. You can also sign up for text messaging using this online form »

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

Sincerely,

Betty Zohar
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Saturday, Nov. 12: The Association of Black Educators of New York (ABENY) will hold its fall conference for educators, parents, students and education activists from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Frederick Douglass Academy at the intersection of 149th St. and Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard in Manhattan. The conference is free for middle and high school students, and $10 for adults. For more information and to register, download the mail-in registration form »

• Monday, Nov. 14: If your child has a disability and is graduating from elementary school this year, come to an informational event with the Citywide Council on Special Education and learn about your enrollment and service options from district representatives and representatives from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education. This event will run from 6 to 8 p.m. at PS/IS 384, 242 Cooper St. in Brooklyn. To RSVP, call 718-391-8354. See the flier in English » or in Spanish »

• Wednesday, Nov. 16: Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams invites you to a drop-in clinic for assistance with citizenship applications, health insurance and more from 1 to 5 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall, 209 Joralemon St. For more information, see the event listing »

• Saturday, Nov. 19: The New York State Office of Children and Family Services invites fathers between the ages of 14 and 24 to a free Young Fathers Forum from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at St. Francis College, 180 Remsen St. in Brooklyn. There will be information about your rights, resources available to you, career development and more. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. To register, enter the password "YFF2016" on the online registration form »

• Saturday, Nov. 19: The Hetrick-Martin Institute invites young LGBTQ people to its Brooklyn LGBTQ Youth Summit from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Sunset Park High School, 153 35th St. in Brooklyn. This event is free and offers food and Metro Cards. Come learn about services available to LGBTQ youth and how to enact change. Register online now »

Political action

• Sign the petition for free lunch for all students: Parents and education activists, through the Lunch 4 Learning Campaign, are calling on Mayor de Blasio to expand the free lunch program to include all public school students, regardless of income, in this year's budget. This would eliminate stigma, increase participation and feed hungry children. Sign the petition »

• Sign the petition asking the next president to support educational justice: The Alliance to Reclaim Our Schools has written a powerful letter to the next president and U.S. secretary of education calling on them to increase funding for public schools, hold charter schools accountable and more. Read the letter and sign the petition »

News you can use

• Museums with free and suggested admissions: Check out this list of NYC museums with free or suggested-donation admissions »

• How to organize your child's IEP binder: If your child has an Individualized Education Program, you know how helpful but challenging it can be to stay organized. Check out this article about how to organize your child's IEP binder »

• DOE announces new elementary school admissions events: Starting this November, there will be informational events about elementary school admissions in every district. These "It's Elementary!" events used to be offered in each borough and are now district-specific. They'll also offer on-site application help and information about Gifted and Talented programs. Read more and find the event near you »

• Free sleepaway summer camp for NYC kids: The Fresh Air Fund brings low-income NYC children to Upstate New York for free summer camp experiences. Find out more »