Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

I hope your child is having a good school year. Studies show that students do better in school when their parents are involved, so jump in! Make sure your school has parent representation in equal numbers on the school leadership committee and that the parent-teacher association president or designee is on the school safety team. Make sure they tell you about these committee meetings and get your feedback at parent-teacher association meetings. For more information about how parent interests should be represented in your school, download our information sheet »

This year the UFT Manhattan parent outreach committee will be lobbying for free lunch for all students regardless of income in conjunction with the Lunch for Learning Coalition. Be on the look out for the online petition, which I'll send out by email soon. We have postcards about this effort that you can distribute at your school. Email me at fstreich@uft.org and let me know if you'd like me to send you some.

Our other battle this year is, of course, for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity funding our school are still owed — 1.6 billion. A dedicated group of 20 teachers, parents and education advocates walked 150 miles from New York to Albany last week, stopping in towns along the way to rally for the funds owed. The walk culminated in a rally in Albany, where they demanded that Gov. Cuomo and the State Legislature do the right thing and fully fund our public schools. Read our news story »

For those of you who came to our Oct. 15 Manhattan parent conference, we thank you for your participation. It was a resounding success! Some 500 parents were in attendance for wonderful workshops and speakers, including a fantastic presentation from our keynote speaker Dr. Rudy Crew. We also collected hundreds of signed postcards expressing support for the Lunch for Learning campaign to bring free lunch to all students. Save the date to deliver them to City Hall with us on Nov. 16 at 4 p.m. I want to thank the many people who worked to get the word out about this conference and our amazing parent committee who worked so hard planning and running the conference with me.

Check out more upcoming events, resources and news below.

Sincerely

Francine Streich
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Wednesday, Oct. 19: The City Council's Education Committee will hold a hearing on bullying, harassment and discrimination in NYC schools at 1 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City Hall. All are welcome to hear and give testimony as the committee and community members discuss the Department of Education's current policies and give recommendations for improvements to make schools safer for vulnerable students. See the event listing »

• Friday, Oct. 21: Parents and educators of English language learners are invited to an English language learner parent academy from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at New York University to hear speakers and network. Breakfast and lunch will be served. See the flier »

• Saturday, Oct. 22: Come to the Big Apple College Fair from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Jacob Javits Convention Center, 655 W. 24th St. in Manhattan. There will be representatives from over 200 colleges and universities.

• Saturday, Oct. 22 and Saturday, Oct. 29: The Door, a career and education services organization, invites young people between the ages of 16 and 24 to apply for its ServiceWorks Boot Camp and Make a Difference Day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Complete a service project and get career tips, a $25 AMEX gift card, and more. Download the flier »
  Applications are due by Oct. 19. You can return them by email to Justin Richardson at jrichardson@door.org. Download the application »

• Saturday, Oct. 29: Middle school students and parents should check out the career and technical education high school fair from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at George Westinghouse High School, 105 Johnson St. in Brooklyn. Learn about high school programs in finance, construction, health care and more. For more details, see the career and technical education website »

• Saturday, Nov. 12: Come to the New York Urban League's Historically Black Colleges and Universities Fair from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Riverbank State Park, 679 Riverside Drive. High school seniors should bring copies of their transcripts. Representatives from more than 45 historically black colleges and universities will be there. Register online now »

Political action

• Campaign for Hillary: The UFT is bringing volunteers on by bus to Philadelphia to do canvassing to get out the vote for Hillary Clinton on Saturday, Oct. 22 in this battleground state. Buses will leave at 7:30 a.m. from UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway. Reserve your seat »

• Sign the petition telling Wall Street billionaires to pay their fair share: The carried interest tax loophole allows hedge fund billionaires to pay a lower tax rate than working families. Sign the petition telling Congress to close the tax loophole »

News you can use

• Scholarship opportunity for high school students: Students in grades 9 through 12 are invited to enter the Voices of Democracy essay contest for a $5,000 college scholarship. Entries are due by Nov. 1. For more details, see the rules and eligibility » and download the application »

• Pay-what-you-can writing workshops for students: Uptown Stories offers writing workshops at 178 Bennett Ave. in Upper Manhattan for several age ranges on topics from comics to fantasy writing. These workshops are weekly and offered on a pay-what-you-can admissions basis. For class descriptions, schedules and registration, see the Uptown Stories website »

• Summer internships at the New-York Historical Society for high school students: High school students should consider applying for a paid internship with the New-York Historical Society this summer. Student historians examine artifacts, work as facilitators in museum galleries, assist with museum programs and more. Applications are due in February 2017. Visit the website »

• Enter the "Doodle 4 Google" student art contest: Google invites K-12 students to submit their art to the "Doodle 4 Google" contest before the deadline of Dec. 2. The winner's art work will be featured on the front page of Google, and prizes include college scholarships and an Android tablet. Visit the website »

• Sinergia, Inc. is hiring: Sinergia, Inc. is an NYC non-profit that provides lifelong services for people with developmental disabilities and their families in under-served communities. Sinergia is looking for a human resources coordinator who is fluent in English and Spanish. See the job listing »

• Sign the petition telling Wall Street billionaires to pay their fair share: The carried interest tax loophole allows hedge fund billionaires to pay a lower tax rate than working families. Sign the petition telling Congress to close the tax loophole »

• Free science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) enrichment program: The Parris Foundation invites sixth- through 11th-graders to join a free STEM enrichment program that meets on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at DeHostos Community Center on the Upper West Side until Dec. 10. Lunch and snacks are provided to participants. To learn more, download the flier » or download the application »