Dear parents, grandparents and education activists,

I hope you all stayed warm during this week's storm.

Due to the snow, the lobby day in Albany has been postponed to Monday, March 27. I invite you to join us for the rescheduled day.

Reserve your seat on the bus »

Buses will depart from each UFT borough office at 6 a.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. We need to ensure the Trump/DeVos privatization agenda does not gain a foothold in New York. This is a chance to tell state legislators to to increase funding for public schools, renew the millionaire’s tax (which provides vital revenue), support community learning schools and more.

If you haven't yet, please sign up for UFT text messaging by texting the word "parent" to the number 30644 and answering the questions that follow. We'll alert you about public education campaigns and important news. And, we'll even send you a text message that links to this newsletter so you can easily read it on your mobile phone.

Check out more news and upcoming events below.

Sincerely,

Delci Rodriguez
UFT Parent-Community Liaison

Upcoming events

• Wednesday, March 22: There will be a UFT Queens parent workshop about "The Community Value" from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the UFT Queens borough office, 97-77 Queens Blvd. on the 8th floor. We will discuss how to empower your child through solidarity. Refreshments will be served. Child care will be available. To register, email khernandez@uft.org with your name, phone number, address and how many children you will be bringing. See the event listing »

• Thursday, March 23: There will be evening parent-teacher conferences in high schools next week. For specific start times, check with your child's school. Check out tips from the UFT about getting the most out of these meetings »

• Saturday, March 25: Calling all men! Come to the second annual UFT Men in Education Symposium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at UFT headquarters, 52 Broadway in Manhattan. There will be workshops about empowerment, fatherhood and mentoring. Breakfast and lunch will be served. To find out more and register, see the event listing »

Political action

• Tell the New York State Senate leader to reject the DeVos agenda: Donald Trump's education secretary, Betsy DeVos, wants to destroy public schools. Now state Senate Republicans want to help her to do it. The state Senate this week passed a budget resolution in favor of eliminating the cap on charter schools and sending millions of dollars in funding to charter coffers at the expense of New York City public schools. We have to make sure these proposals do not make their way into the final budget deal. Tell Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan to stand up for public schools and stop diverting public school funding to charters. Take action now »

• Call these state senators to demand funding for New York State public schools: Parents, educators and education advocates have been putting pressure on Albany legislators to fully fund New York State public schools this year. Under the 2006 Campaign for Fiscal Equity decision, the state still owes schools $4.3 billion that is badly needed to get our kids the resources they deserve. Two Republican senators from New York City have been silent on the issue — Martin Goldman and Andrew Lanza. Tell them to vote to fully fund public schools. You can reach Senator Goldman’s office at 718-238-6044 and Senator Lanza at 718-984-4073.

News you can use

• School year calendar for 2017-18: The Department of Education has published the calendar for next school year. Take a look »

• BRAVE student video contest: If your child's school is doing something awesome to promote acceptance, tolerance and respect for all students, then students from the school should enter the BRAVE video contest! As part of its campaign to Build Respect, Acceptance and Voice through Education, the UFT’s BRAVE program is holding a video contest to highlight the efforts made by schools to create environments free of discrimination and harassment. The contest is open to all students, who are invited to submit a 3-5 minute video that conveys the contest theme. All video submissions must be received by Tuesday, April 4. For contest requirements and submission information, see the flier »

• Trans and gender-nonconforming students have rights in NYC schools: If you know a student who is trans or gender-nonconforming, make sure they know their rights. All students should feel safe and welcome in school, and the Department of Education has guidance to make sure that includes trans students. Read the guidance online »

• Job openings with Indivisible: Indivisible is a new nonprofit working to empower citizens on a local level to hold their Congress members accountable. They're hiring for five open positions including organizers, data managers and more. Read the job descriptions »

• Job opportunities with Workforce1 Career Centers: Workforce1 Career Centers located all over the city are available to help you find employment opportunities. To find opportunities at the center near you, create an account, provide identification and attend a meeting at your local center. Find out more »

• Check out the city's Growing Up NYC resource: The Growing Up NYC website shows parents events, information and resources based on the age range of their children. Check it out »