Spring Education Conference 2026

UFT members cheer the speakers at the union’s annual spring gathering of educators.

The conference kicks off with a town hall discussion moderated by UFT President Michael Mulgrew about lowering class sizes featuring Queens Chapter Leaders (from left to right) Shantae Jones of PS 135, Sheryl Dixon of PS 95 and Anthony Nicoletti of IS 125.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James is introduced to thunderous applause and rallies attendees with an inspiring speech.

Standing with Win CEO Christine Quinn (4th from left) as she accepts the John Dewey Award, the union’s most prestigious honor for a nonunion member, are (left to right) UFT Vice President Janella Hinds, UFT Treasurer Victoria Lee, Mulgrew and Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels.

Mulgrew reminds the Spring Conference attendees that their work is vital to the success of the next generation, saying, “We are the protectors of our students’ hopes and dreams.”

Students from PS 75 Emily Dickinson in Manhattan entertain UFT members with a song.

Emily Christensen, a teacher at MS 51 in Brooklyn and a UFT Teacher Center coach, browses UFT merchandise.

Joann Jones, a special education teacher at Pathways in Technology Early College HS in Brooklyn, takes in the African American Heritage Committee table in the Hall of the Americas, the conference’s exhibit hall.

More than 1,100 UFT members gather for the conference at the New York Hilton.

Teacher Danielle Istrico leads the cheer team from PS 160 in Queens as they prepare to perform at the opening of the exhibit.

Members participate in “Journey Through Hidden Voices in Our Classroom,” one of the professional development workshops offered at the conference.

Participants learn cellphone tips in the “Retiree Tech Essentials: Tools to Support Your Everyday Life” workshop.

Members explore new ways to differentiate when lesson-planning in “Prompt and Circumstance: Scaffolding for ELLs in the AI Age.”

Teachers Ian Ellison (left) of A-Tech HS, and Joshua Yoo of IS 303, both in Brooklyn, use tech tools to make lesson planning more efficient in the “ChatGPT: Because “Sunday Scaries” Should Be for Scary Movies, Not Lesson Planning” workshop.