School Counselors Chapter Newsletter - October 2025
I hope the first month of school went well for you. I cannot believe that we are already in October!
I would like to give a special welcome to our newest members. Congratulations on joining one of the most dedicated chapters of the UFT. Thanks to those of you who attended our New School Counselors Orientation with the DOE on Aug. 26. Your union is here to support you throughout your career!
As the school year progresses, you should remember important information about your responsibilities and rights as a school counselor. I've included this below and hope you will find it helpful.
Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
In solidarity,
Rosemarie Thompson
RThompson [at] uft [dot] org (RThompson[at]uft[dot]org)
Complete our chapter survey
We are asking school counselors at all levels to fill out a survey that tells us more about your responsibilities pertaining to class coverage and completing incident reports in the Online Occurrence Reporting System (OORS). We'll use your answers to inform the concerns we raise in consultation. Your responses will not be shared with the DOE.
Annual Individual Progess Reports
According to Section 100.2 of the New York State Education Department’s Regulations of the Commissioner, we are required to complete annual individual progress reports (IPRs) for each of our students from grades 6 to 12 in STARS Classroom. All student-certified school counselors must complete and enter all IPRs no later than June 30, 2026. School-level reports will be emailed to your student services manager within the first 10 days of each month.
Schools may also monitor completed IPRs by using STARS’ Custom Report 1.73 to extract previous log entries and Custom Report 4.34 for a list of students awaiting log entries.
Student services managers for the 2025 26 school year
Please review the list of student services managers for the 2025-26 school year. Note that multiple superintendents may have the same student services manager. You should reach out to the student service manager for your district if you ever need guidance.
Annual performance review for all school counselors
This year, we'll continue to be rated "S" or "U" in our evaluations. Your payroll secretary should access the EIS Web Rating Form System to update online rating forms for school counselors. The EIS rating system will close at the end of June. If you receive a "U" rating and you'd like to file an appeal, you must contact me and your district representative.
You should receive your end-of-year rating sheet from your principal or supervisor before the end of the school year. If you do not, please reach out to me.
Professional development on Election Day
Professional development (PD) on Election Day will once again be conducted remotely for all school-based staff. Principals cannot require staff to report in person on Nov. 4. All schools will devote two hours of the workday to updated training on child abuse identification and reporting that covers new content for recognizing abuse in children with developmental or intellectual disabilities.
You may also check the Office of Safety and Youth Development portal or contact your student services manager for additional PD opportunities. There will be options for both in-person and online PD. Please register using your DOE email address.
School counselor hours and repurposed time
Please review the current guidance on repurposed time and hours for school counselors. You can make sure that you are working your contractual time based on your school’s lunch period. If you work in a single-session school, you can review the times that school counselors are required to work for the four annual parent-teacher conferences.
I advise you to reach out to your supervisor and building chapter leader so they’re aware of these rules.
Child abuse and neglect prevention trainings for designated liaisons
If you are the designated liaison for your school's Child Abuse Prevention and Intervention Team as indicated in the Consolidated Youth Development Plan, you are required to attend online training. You must attend a full session to be in compliance (days may not be split). All sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and will have one 15 minute break and a 45-minute lunch break.
Cellphone ban progress
The statewide cellphone ban has been implemented well in our schools. All schools should now have everything they need to enforce the ban. Students should know where to put their phone and other electronics when they arrive in the morning, and where to pick them up when they leave. According to an agreement with the UFT, no UFT member, except for a dean, may collect or confiscate student devices.
If there are any issues with the cellphone ban at your school, please reach out to me.
Teacher's Choice allotments for the 2025-26 school year
The DOE has released Teacher’s Choice allotments for this school year. School counselors will receive up to $100 in reimbursements for the cost of supplementary supplies and materials.
The purchasing period ends on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. To receive reimbursement through Teacher's Choice, you must save and submit receipts as proof of purchase, accompanied by a DOE accountability form. This year, the deadline to submit receipts is Friday, Jan. 16, 2026.