Imagine Schools NYC starts where it should — in the community. Educators, parents, students and the surrounding community will craft proposals about the kind of new schools they want to see built in their neighborhoods. 

The UFT invited former vice president and 2020 presidential candidate Joe Biden to speak at Teacher Union Day on Oct. 20. In May, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, who has who has since dropped out of the race, addressed the UFT Spring Education Conference.

Hector Figueroa, the president of 32BJ Service Employees International Union who died on July 11, was an exemplary partner in the critical fight for social and economic justice.

In pursuit of equity, the city’s School Diversity Advisory group has proposed getting rid of the gifted and talented program in the public schools. It’s a bad idea.

The calamity that was Sept. 11 has receded in memory for many people who were not directly affected by the terrorist attacks. But for the first responders and the people who lived, worked and attended school near Ground Zero — some 425,000 New Yorkers — the tragedy continues to unfold. 

When the UFT and the Department of Education launched Teacher Career Pathways seven years ago, it was an effort to give teachers a career path that allowed them to remain teachers and share their hard-earned knowledge for the benefit of their colleagues — with a stipend for the extra responsibilities they take on.

More than 30 of the 51 New York City Council seats — a common entry point into elected office — will open up in 2021 because of term limits. It’s an opportunity to elect more public school educators and other UFT-represented professionals to elected office.

New York City has reached the legal limit of charter schools, which has prompted a big push by charter advocates to raise the cap. Albany needs to stand firm.

It’s easily among most people’s greatest fears: Having a medical emergency when you’re far from home, whether it’s an accident or a serious illness.

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6–10, as good a time as any to take stock of how teachers are viewed by the public at large.