Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

I hope you had a good summer and a smooth start to the school year.

Our schools are more successful when parents, teachers and students work together. Make sure that parents are represented on your school leadership team, which should have a parent member, and your school safety committee, which should include the parent-teacher association president.

Download a checklist of committees at your school that should have parent representation »

Safety plans are due on Sept. 30, so make sure parents have representation at the first school safety committee meeting or discuss concerns with the principal. Find out more about school safety plans »

If you missed any of our workshops last year, I can send you training materials on Parent-Teacher Association policies, school leadership teams and more. Email me at fstreich@uft.org for this information.

Please make sure your parent-teacher association takes advantage of the beginning of the school year by collecting parent phone numbers and emails on a sign-up sheet. You can set up a table at parent events with information about resources, including our UFT parent conference brochure, wear t-shirts and promote your organization and school events.

At your first parent-teacher association meeting, discuss how parents would like to see teachers use their Tuesday parent engagement time.

Remember that the UFT parent outreach committee can provide workshops at your school or assist with safety issues. I can come to a Parent-Teacher Association or President Council meeting to present as well.

And finally, don't forget to register for the UFT Manhattan parent conference on Oct. 15. You’ll have the opportunity to attend three workshops from 27 offerings on topics ranging from free NYC resources to social-emotional health to de-escalation of conflicts. There will also be food, vendors, resources, and the opportunity to network with other Manhattan parents.

• Date: Saturday, Oct. 15
• Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Location: UFT headquarters at 52 Broadway, 2nd floor. Directions »

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

Sincerely,

Francine Streich
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Saturday, Sept. 17: There will be a literacy across Harlem march, book drive and community celebration from 1 to 4 p.m. starting at Sister’s Uptown Bookstore & Cultural Center (1942 Amsterdam Ave.) or El Museo del Barrio (1230 5th Ave.) and culminating in a celebration at Marcus Garvey Park’s Richard Rodgers Amphitheater (Mount Morris Park West at W. 122nd St.). For more information and to RSVP, visit the event listing »
  
  Also be sure to check out this list of books about Harlem »

• Thursday, Sept. 22 and Wednesday, Sept. 28: Don't miss your school's family night and parent-teacher conferences on Sept. 22 for elementary schools and Sept. 28 for high schools. The middle school conferences took place on Sept. 15. You should check with your child's school for start times. For more details and other dates of parent-teacher conferences this school year, see the flier from the Department of Education»

• Monday, Sept. 26: There will be a Fight for $15 march at the site of the first presidential debate starting at 2:30 p.m. at 25 W. 18th St. The march will proceed to Hofstra University, where the debate is being held. While the nation is watching, join other New York activists in standing up for good jobs and a living wage. See the flier in English » or in Spanish »

• Thursday, Sept. 29: The Citywide Council on Special Education will host an informational event about special education issues from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hunters Point Campus, 1-50 51st Ave. in Queens. Meet with Department of Education employees and get answers to questions about busing, advocacy, pre-K special education and more. Refreshments will be served. To RSVP, call 718-391-8354. See the flier »

• Thursday, Oct. 6 and Wednesday, Oct. 19: High school students and their families are invited to College is Possible: An evening of answers for high school students with disabilities and their families to find out about the options available to them at the City University of New York (CUNY). This event will be on Oct. 6 in the Bronx at CUNY Hostos College and Oct. 19 in Queens at CUNY York College. Campus tours start at 5 p.m. and presentations start at 6 p.m.

Education news

• Free homework help hotline from the UFT starting Sept. 19: Starting next week, the UFT's Dial-A-Teacher homework help hotline will accept calls from students every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. The number is 212-777-3380. Find out more on the UFT website »

• Gifted and Talented testing will be available in mid-October: Students applying for Gifted and Talented programs in the 2017-18 school year should fill out a Request for Testing form when it becomes available in mid-October. The deadline to submit a Request for Testing will be Nov. 14. For more information, visit the Gifted and Talented page on the DOE website »

• Use a new online tool to find the right high school for your child: Chancellor Fariña has released a new NYC school finder tool this year in time for high school admissions. The tool allows you to search New York City’s hundreds of high school choices by school name, keyword, location, size, and more. It works on phones, tablets and computers. Check out the NYC school finder »

• Download a free guide to New York City public schools: The Department of Education has published Achieve NYC, a handbook for New York City public schools, in ten different languages. This resource has important dates for the school year, information about who to contact in your child's school to address issues, details about transportation and more. Download Achieve NYC on the Department of Education website »

• Apply for free or reduced-price school lunch online: You can apply for free or reduced-price school lunch for your child online using MySchoolApps. Families that are new to the Department of Education should apply as soon as possible for their children to start receiving free school lunches. The families of students who received free school lunch at an NYC public school last year must submit a new application by Oct. 21. Apply online now »

• Find out your child's math and English language arts test scores: To look up your child's test scores, sign up for an NYC Schools account »

• New vaccine requirement: As of this school year, all students in 7th and 12th grade are required to have received the meningitis vaccine. For more information on vaccines and immunizations, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website »

• Find after-school programs in your neighborhood: Use the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development's search feature to find after-school programs in your neighborhood. Search by location, category or keyword. Find out more »

• Download the HomeworkNYC app: The new HomeworkNYC app allows students to access information from their teachers and the city's public libraries right from their mobile devices to get support with their homework. Find out more »

Opportunities and resources

• NYC organizations that help families: The Manhattan parent outreach committee created a list of New York City organizations that support families with health, legal, financial and other assistance. Download the Manhattan parents resource guide »

• Non-profits are invited to apply for grants of up to $200,000 for youth technology programs: The Best Buy Foundation is awarding grants of up to $200,000 to non-profits for programs that bring technological education to youth in underserved communities. Find out more »

• Earn your High School Equivalency while learning construction and getting paid: YouthBuild of Upper Manhattan is accepting applications from youth between the ages of 17 and 24 for this school year's cohort. Earn a stipend while getting your High School Equivalency and learning about construction. For more information or to apply, call Emma at 212-453-5378 or Tia at 212-822-8353.

• Schedule free workshops from Planned Parenthood for adult role models: Planned Parenthood offers a workshop series to organizations and groups in Brooklyn, Manhattan and the Bronx about how adults can support teens' sexual health and be good role models. These workshops are available in English and Spanish and are free of charge. For more information, see the flier in English and Spanish »

• English classes on Saturdays this fall: Register now for English classes at Hunter College, 695 Park Ave., on Saturdays this fall. Saturday Program in English Language Literacy (SPELL) classes for parents of children high school age or younger are available free of charge. The registration deadline is Sept. 17. Find out more »

• Guide to health care for immigrant families: The New York Immigration Coalition created a five-page, fold-out poster filled with valuable information for immigrants about their health care options. Find out more »

Political action

• How charter schools are changing the Democratic party: While the Democratic party moves further left, the charter lobby is pulling the party right on key issues that affect students and families. Read the LA Times article »

• Education advocates to march from NYC to Albany for school funding: Marking the 10th anniversary of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity case in which the state’s highest court ruled that New York State was underfunding its public schools, education advocates will march the 150 miles from New York City to Albany between Oct. 2 and 11. Read the article on Politico »

• Education Law Center sued the state for denying funds to public schools: Last week, the Education Law Center sued the State Division of the Budget on behalf of Albany, Yonkers and New York parents. The lawsuit is holding the state accountable for denying receivership grant money to struggling public schools. Find out more »