UFT Vice President for Special Education Carmen Alvarez (speaking, center) and Dana Ashley (far right), the director of the Institute, talk with participants (from left) Sharon Kitchings, the chapter leader at PS 55 in the Bronx, Luis Torres, the principal at PS 55, and Sarah Finley, an English teacher at the Brooklyn HS for Leadership and Community Service, about how this model can work at their schools.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew welcomes participants to the Institute, which will train all staff building-wide in how to successfully work with children in crisis who exhibit challenging behavior. The Institute features a structured, whole-school approach that supports students emotionally and environmentally to reduce stress.

Participants at the program came to learn new techniques for dealing with the challenging behavior of students.

Dana Ashley, the Institute’s director, describes the program.

Josh Fox, an elementary teacher at a Queens school with 1,000 students and a trainer with the IUB program.

Mitch Klages Bombich, an elementary school teacher in the Bronx and a trainer with the IUB program.

UFT District 75 Representative Analia Gerard in conversation with Sharon Williams, the chapter leader at PS 140 in Brooklyn, and Roderick Palton, the principal at the school.