This year for the first time, all employees who receive Teacher's Choice — both those who have direct deposit and those who receive paper checks — received the allocation in their Nov. 29 paycheck.

Members were not taxed on the Teacher's Choice money. (In order to reflect the allocation as a credit to the net pay — and not to be taxed — it was reflected on the pay stub as minus $57. The Department of Education did not take back the payment.)

Also, despite the reduced funding for Teacher's Choice this year, members should not neglect to submit their receipts as proof of purchase. These receipts must accompany their Statement of Purpose/Accountability form. Once this form is available, it can be accessed on the DOE Teacher's Choice website.

A list of eligible educators with the Teacher's Choice allocation for each title is posted on the DOE website. For additional information or assistance from the DOE, contact its Office of Special Projects Unit at 1-718-935-3304 or email specialprojects@schools.nyc.gov. At the UFT, contact Michael Sill at msill@uft.org.