Arts programs may be on the chopping block this fall as school principals look for ways to cut costs in the face of Mayor Adams’ school budget cuts. But for many educators, the pandemic has proven that arts instruction is more important than ever.

In November, as he accepted the Charles Cogen Award at Teacher Union Day, United Federation of Teachers Secretary LeRoy Barr reminded the 1,700 unionists in attendance: "In this union, we don't rise by standing above one another, we rise by lifting...

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. Southern District of New York, asserts the DOE has put students and staff who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing at risk by refusing to install an appropriate emergency notification system that would alert deaf members of the...

The UFT provided City Council members with education about the value of key union initiatives, including the paraprofessional RESPECT check bill, United Community Schools and the NYC Childcare Navigator during its annual legislative breakfast.

As the Dec. 20 deadline approached, several hundred New York City public schools were working on their applications for funding to reduce class size next school year. In late October, principals were invited to create a plan and apply for funds...

Susan Kramer has always been the type of person that people gravitate toward when they are struggling with a life dilemma or need advice and support. After retiring at the end of the 2020-21 school year, she saw an ad for a course with the United...

A wildlife refuge an outdoor sculpture garden, museums, a tea party and even a wastewater treatment plant are the destinations for in-person Si Beagle Learning Center outings this spring.

Bennett Fischer, chapter leader of the UFT's Retired Teachers Chapter, welcomes retirees back to another year of impactful activism; first and foremost: the midterm elections, reminding retirees that the benefits many depend on are at stake.

This year, 2025, is an election year for both our city and our union. Retired Teachers Chapter Leader Bennett Fischer encourages retirees to education themselves about all the candidates and then get out and vote.

Retired teacher Luann Martin gives back to her community by volunteering with the Feeding with TLC soup kitchen operated by Trinity Lutheran Church on Staten Island.

The Board of Trustees of the UFT Charter High School in Brooklyn has voted to bring the school under the supervision of the city’s Department of Education as a regular public school, giving up its charter.

“Twenty eyes are better than two” is a refrain that swim team members at John Adams HS in Queens hear from their coach, physical education teacher Alex Navarrete, encouraging them to watch out for one another’s safety. They found out how true it is...

Educators' extra efforts working collaboratively and leading their students at Francis Lewis HS in Queens paid off with an extra special Black History Month celebration featuring a number of high-profile speakers, including film director Malcolm Lee...

Everyone who was in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, has a personal 9/11 story, including UFT educators who were hard at work serving the city's 1.1 million students when planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Twenty-five years...

The morning town hall at the UFT’s Spring Education Conference was devoted to self-care, stress reduction and wellness.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York State Senate Committees on Education, NYC Education, and Budget and Revenue to review how school districts are spending Foundation Aid and American Rescue Plan funds.

"Pete the Cat" author Eric Litwin led early childhood educators in a merry dance as they practiced how to engage the city's youngest learners in a love for reading during the 16th annual Early Childhood Conference held at the UFT headquarters.

The UFT gave out $5,000 college scholarships to 189 high school seniors at the 53rd annual Albert Shanker Scholarship Awards Ceremony & Reception on June 7 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued a statement on the appointment of Kamar Samuels as Chancellor of New York City Public Schools.

Twenty-five middle school educators were honored at the UFT’s inaugural Middle School Awards Night on May 15. Some 200 members and guests attended as members' roles in students' lives at at key stage of development were highlighted and celebrated.

A tour about pollinators and another that focuses on architecture are just two of the many educational tours that can serve as class trips at The Green-Wood Cemetery, a 478-acre National Historic Landmark chartered in 1838 in western Brooklyn.

The United Federation of Teachers and its state affiliate, New York State United Teachers, sued the New York State University (SUNY) for violating the state charter school cap by permitting Success Academy to transfer a charter from one of its...

UFT members said the stakes could not be higher this presidential election season as members, elected officials and guests came together at UFT headquarters on Sept. 10 to avidly watch the presidential debate between Democrat Kamala Harris and...

Victoria Lee, a veteran teacher who became a UFT pension representative in 2016, was elected to fill out the remainder of UFT Treasurer Debra Penny's term on the Teachers' Retirement System board.

The UFT Florida Center in Boca Raton is now open each weekday, and members can stop by any time from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Adams administration has dropped its effort to implement a Medicare Advantage health care plan for the city’s roughly 250,000 Medicare-eligible retirees.

DOE policy states that “students must achieve mastery” and/or “achieve learning outcomes” to receive a passing grade. If not, they will receive an NX.

Members of the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) who have positive ratings will fill regular assignments in September in schools where they are needed.

Lemon cookies with a dusting of powdered sugar. A National Electrical Code handbook quiz. A Zombie-killing video game.
These were among the projects of career and technical education high school students on display in the exhibit hall at this year’s...

One of an employer’s most basic obligations is to pay its employees in a timely fashion. Yet over and over again, the city Department of Education falls short in this regard.

For $120 a year, UFT retirees who are members of the Retired Teachers Chapter can obtain supplemental benefits that reimburse them for some out-of-pocket expenses, including ambulance rides, dental work, hearing aids and private-duty nursing.

UFT retirees who are members of the Retired Teachers Chapter can join the Supplemental Health Insurance Program (SHIP) during their first year of retirement and recoup hundreds, or even thousands, of dollars for out-of-pocket medical expenses...

Our country now feels like a dangerous and scary place. And yet, I don’t despair. I’m encouraged to see UFT members taking to the streets and uniting in protest with our fellow union members on a grand scale.

Retired teacher David Ginsberg brings "hope to anyone and everyone" in his Asheville, North Carolina, community with the help of Chula, the 2-1/2-year-old dog he has trained since she was a puppy to be a therapy dog. The trainer and his dog are...

Online forms of classroom assessments can be huge timesavers for educators by providing quick data, instantly compiling student answers and even reducing the amount of grading.

Barbara Zietchick began taking painting lessons and learning about printmaking while she was still a kindergarten teacher on Staten Island in the 1980s. Now, 37 years after her retirement, Zietchick’s lifetime commitment to “change and growth”...