Canva is a popular online graphic design platform that has made premium features available to K-12 teachers for free. Canva for Education offers sophisticated designs that are easily customizable with templates created expressly for educators.

The UFT, along with seven New York City public school teachers and the Staten Island borough president, filed a federal lawsuit on Jan. 4 seeking to halt the implementation of congestion pricing in Manhattan. The suit charges that the plan’s...

Senior citizens need to be wary of emails, phone calls and text messages designed to get them to hand over money or share personal information, an elder fraud expert told UFT retirees at the Retired Teachers Chapter membership meeting in May. Fraud...

Sharon Brown, a member of the UFT’s Administrative Education Officers and Analysts Chapter, supports the principals of 32 Bronx high schools with budget compliance.

We are facing a crisis in our school system that we are handling largely on our own: Over the past 18 months, more than 20,000 children from asylum-seeking families have arrived in our schools. Yet no one in leadership seems to be talking about or...

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford writes that it’s been a stressful year, and the pandemic is still affecting all our lives. Some UFT members have gotten a jump-start on their own social-emotional wellness, with training in...

At the March Delegate Assembly. UFT President Michael Mulgrew said significant progress had been made toward passage of the RESPECT check bill during a report where he also provided updates on the impact of the state's increased funding for 3K and 2K...

Hispanic Heritage Month ends on Oct. 15. To mark the occasion, I've enjoyed reflecting on the incredible contributions Latino activists have made to our UFT parent and caregiver family. I want to share with you a little information about two such...

The roughly 5,500 UFT members who belong to the smaller New York City Board of Education Retirement System want the opportunity to switch to the TRS — and there is a bill in Albany that would give them that choice.


UFT retirees who are enrolled in the union’s Supplemental Health Insurance Program (SHIP) will now enjoy improved dental benefits and some much-needed relief from health insurance plan copays.

The United Federation of Teachers opposes developmentally inappropriate practices and works to restore child-initiated play and experiential learning with the active support of teachers in their rightful place at the heart of early childhood...

Because you are a UFT member, you are well on your way to long-term financial well-being. That’s because when you retire, you will have a defined-benefit pension, as rare today as it is valuable.

With the new state budget mandating that New York City make smaller class sizes a priority, UFT President Michael Mulgrew identified 856 high-need city schools with space to reduce class sizes this September.

Michael Buitrago, an ELA teacher at Flushing HS, helps organize events and activities for students to promote school spirit. "I truly believe that a large part of the high school experience is being able to look at your school like a second home," he...

Think about expanding your teaching beyond the walls of your classroom with a field trip. Here are some tips to help you plan a trip.

The following email was sent on March 3, 2023, to all members of the Retired Teachers Chapter from UFT President Michael Mulgrew and Retired Teachers Chapter Leader Tom Murphy.

Brooklyn native Vanecia Wilson, a UFT special representative and 31-year veteran educator, continues her advocacy on behalf of teachers, students and school communities as the union’s new political director.

More than 20,000 UFT members now have their choice of pension systems after a campaign led by members of the UFT Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter. 


The Tax-Deferred Annuity program is a simple and powerful way to save additional money for your retirement. Your TDA account is funded exclusively through your own contributions.


About three-quarters of UFT members participate in the Tax-Deferred Annuity program. Retirees who are 73 or older must withdraw a certain percentage of funds – known as required minimum distributions (RMDs) — from the tax-deferred annuity each year...

UFT members enjoy robust retirement benefits, often the envy of workers outside the union's ranks. Union leaders urged members at its second Pension Expo to support efforts to guarantee such benefits for all U.S. workers.

The UFT has asked the State Education Department to investigate the city Department of Education for its continued failure to provide mandated special education services to students.

The UFT will campaign to establish fair and sustainable cost-of-living adjustments to pensions for retired UFT members and other city workers by significantly improving the COLA benefit.

Each year at the beginning of March, eligible retired members receive a partial reimbursement from the UFT Welfare Fund for the cost of an optional drug rider that provides prescription coverage from their insurance carrier.

The Retired Teachers Chapter and the UFT Welfare Fund are proud to present an in-person series of educational, thought-provoking and entertaining lectures as part of the UFT Florida Center’s Day at the University. Please join us for one or all of...

The city and its Department of Education (DOE) have appealed an Aug. 5 court ruling that invalidated the City Council’s vote on the education portion of the 2022-23 budget, while the Council considers legal options to restore the funding cuts.

Members of the school community at PS 18 in the South Bronx have transformed a brick wall into a mural reflecting the diversity and values that make the UFT United Community School and its neighborhood a vibrant community.

It’s always a good idea to speak with your family about what to do in the event of a debilitating illness or death. Here is a list of topics to discuss with your family and the legal documents you should have. Let trusted family members know where...

The UFT Pension Department offers an array of services to inform members of their retirement benefits and help them prepare for retirement.


Educators at Flushing High School called on the UFT and took a stand when the principal initiated a program that resulted in isolating ELL students. Instead addressing students' learning and language issues, they were isolated in two windowless...

The following email was sent from School Counselors Chapter Leader Rosemarie Thompson to all school counselors on Monday, Jan. 31.

In the RTC's Ocala section in Florida, members new to retirement connect with those in their 70s and 80s, who are the majority in the section and have been enjoying life after school for many years.

The UFT will promote and advocate for practices in our school communities that support children of asylum seekers in adapting to their new language and educational environment.

The New York City Labor Council, AFL-CIO, organizes a rally every May 1 to mark International Workers’ Day. But the size of this year’s event dwarfed those in years past as more than 15,000 union members, including hundreds of UFT members, marched...

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York City Council Education Committee regarding school-based education budget cuts for September 2022.

The UFT launched a radio ad campaign on April 30, 2020, to raise awareness that school buildings should not re-open unless there are aggressive testing protocols and procedures in place to ensure the safety and the health of students, educators...