The 3,000 school secretaries in the city’s public school system have a plethora of professional responsibilities. They are on the front lines each day answering all kinds of questions for staff, parents and students while managing many of the administrative tasks that keep a school running smoothly.

“The secretary’s job requires a great deal of know-how and expertise,” said Mona Gonzalez, the UFT school secretaries chapter leader. “That’s why professional development is so crucial.”

The chapter’s annual training seminar, held this year at UFT headquarters on Dec. 7, helps fill that need.

The day began with opening remarks from Gonzalez, who welcomed her 60 colleagues and introduced members of her executive board.

The plenary speaker for the event was Adhim Deveaux, the coordinator of the UFT’s anti-bullying BRAVE campaign. His presentation stirred some lively discussion when he touched on adult bullying in the workplace. Deveaux said a number of the secretaries asked him afterward to come to their schools to speak to staff.

The school secretaries in attendance also had the opportunity to attend workshops on payroll, purchasing and pupil accounting.

Faye Huegel, a school secretary at PS 79 in Manhattan said the purchasing workshop that she co-led was valuable because the Department of Education’s training in the school purchasing system has been inadequate. Huegel said school secretaries who attended the workshop were “extremely grateful” to finally be able to understand the system by connecting it to the “language of the user.”

Marie Brauer, a secretary at PS/IS 180 in Brooklyn, said that beyond the valuable information that secretaries picked up, those in attendance were simply glad to have the opportunity to network and compare notes.

“The seminar brings us together so we don’t feel like we are in this alone,” Brauer said.