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Special Education Intervention Teacher (formerly known as IEP teacher)

The Special Education Intervention Teacher is a centrally funded learning specialist. Learn more about this position and the role these educators play for students with disabilities.

School safety during the pandemic

The multiple layers of protection against COVID-19, including the vaccination of all staff and eligible students, are serving our school communities well.

UFT-DOE agreement on social-emotional screening

We were able to negotiate time during your regular workday for you to complete the DESSA SEL screener — and your ability to do this work off school grounds at your discretion.

Anthony Rosario, community school director

At Hudson HS, a United Community School in Chelsea in Manhattan, Community School Director Anthony Rosario helps the school community address unmet needs through wraparound services.

Excused absences

You are entitled to be absent from work but still get paid without using your sick bank for bereavement, jury duty, graduations, screenings and blood donations, and some health-related absences.

Google Chrome extensions for educators

There are many reasons for using Google’s Chrome browser — it’s generally fast and integrates seamlessly with Google programs you may use such as Google Classroom. But there is another good reason: the ability to add Chrome extensions.

Bringing change and finding joy

UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds writes that high school educators routinely face challenges, and during the pandemic, we found little joy. Connecting with our quest for joy in our craft remains an undeniable part of our...

Members rally and win at PS 157

After months of organizing that culminated with a protest rally outside their school on April 16, staff and parents at PS 157 in the Bronx have spurred the Department of Education and NYPD to take immediate action to improve safety outside the...

Your health benefits as a new educator

The city of New York's health plan and the UFT Welfare Fund-provided supplemental health benefits are among a UFT member's most valuable assets. Learn about what both plans provide so that you and your eligible dependents can access these benefits...

Super authors!

Behind a door cleverly disguised as shelves at the back of the Brooklyn Superhero Supply Company lies a “Secret Library” that houses 826NYC, a nonprofit organization whose true mission is to support student writers.

Providing ‘fatherly’ guidance

Jermaine Coley's warm, hands-on approach has made the second-year school counselor a respected and beloved figure at PS 284 in Brownsville, Brooklyn.

Hailing the path taken to new health plan

I’m proud that the UFT led the charge at the bargaining table and even prouder that we modeled participatory unionism at its best in the process leading up to the Municipal Labor Committee’s final vote on the new plan on Sept. 30. From the beginning...

New optional rider choices for retirees with GHI Senior Care

Retirees with GHI Senior Care may now choose to purchase the 365‑day hospitalization rider separately from the prescription drug rider — you no longer have to buy both together. Learn more »

Testimony of Karen Alford on payments to early childhood care and education providers

UFT Vice President Karen Alford submitted testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Education on a bill about payments to early childhood care and education providers.

Fight for RESPECT continues

Paraprofessionals fanned out across the city in January to sit down with City Council members to urge them to support a revised "RESPECT check" bill that would provide an annual check of no less than $10,000 to the educators whose ranks are suffering...

Union pushes for systemic equity

At a March 4 legislative reception in Albany, UFT leaders pressed lawmakers to advance a slate of policies aimed at improving equity across New York’s education system, from Tier 6 retirement benefits to school funding and early childhood care...

Civil rights groups, elected officials from eleven counties join UFT/ Staten Island Borough President lawsuit against congestion pricing

Three civil rights organizations and 18 elected officials have joined as co-plaintiffs in the congestion pricing lawsuit filed by the United Federation of Teachers and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella.

Testimony on spending of COVID-19 relief funds

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education regarding the NYC Department of Education's spending of federal COVID-19 relief funds.

Madeline Velez, school counselor

Madeline Velez-Vazquez, a bilingual school counselor at PS 58 in the Bronx, says school counselors are needed “now more than ever to help students succeed.” She says, "I’m seeing both extremes: children who are more hypervigilant about the pandemic...

Money, power and ‘RESPECT’

More than 1,600 paraprofessionals and fellow UFT members came together from across the city on April 2 to call on the New York City Council to pass legislation to give paraprofessionals an annual “RESPECT check” of $10,000.

Paraprofessionals Awards Luncheon

More than 1,000 members and guests turned out to affirm the work of paraprofessionals at the annual Paraprofessional Awards Luncheon. A total of 16 honorees were recognized for their work supporting students across the city, with UFT leaders...

Our fight for smaller class sizes

We’ve known for decades that smaller classes enhance teaching and learning. But the pandemic drove home that class size is also a public health issue. We are pushing for legislation that would change the health section of the city’s administrative...

UFT presses state for fair funding

The UFT is pushing New York State to update the formula it uses to allocate Foundation Aid to better reflect the actual cost of education and the particular needs of each school district’s students.

School Secretaries Awards Soirée

School secretaries were honored with awards, flowers and festivities at the union’s School Secretaries Awards Soiree on June 2. The theme of the evening was “resilience.”

Cellphone ban takes effect

The new academic year marks the start of the statewide bell-to-bell ban on cellphones and any other internet-enabled electronic communication devices in schools. The UFT successfully fought for the restriction to help students focus.

Federation of Nurses/UFT Professional Issues Conference

As they learned about the latest treatment protocols and other workplace issues at their annual union conference, Federation of Nurses/UFT members vowed they would continue fighting to make the state enforce the landmark 2022 safe staffing law and...

Our physical therapist of the year

Every year, we ask you to nominate a colleague who does outstanding work. During this challenging and unusual school year, we wanted to highlight a therapist who has provided outstanding in-person and tele-therapy. Here's a conversation with our...

Landmark settlement in student debt lawsuit

Public servants, including public school educators and nurses, may be on their way to a reduction or elimination of their crushing burden of debt thanks to a landmark settlement announced Oct. 13 between the U.S. Department of Education and the...

We must end the city’s annual budget soap opera

UFT President Michael Mulgrew wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News calling for an update to New York’s budget process to make it more democratic and responsive to the needs of communities.

Testimony regarding mayoral control of public schools in New York City

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York State Senate and New York City Committees on Education and the New York State Assembly Committee on Education regarding mayoral control of New York City public schools.

Happy coats-giving!

The UFT hosted an afternoon of food, fun and free coats for students experiencing homelessness at its Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 20, when more than 130 children filled Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.

Testimony on establishing an office of health care accountability and creating an independent commission to oversee hospital services pricing

Anne Goldman, the UFT vice president for non-DOE members and the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT, testified before the New York City Council Committees on Hospitals and Health in support of Council Member Julie Menin's bill to create an Office...

Turning a page at Queens school

The library at Bard Early College in Long Island City, Queens, is getting a makeover to make it more accessible for students with disabilities, thanks to a partnership between Jessica deCourcy Hinds, the school’s library director, and students in the...

UFT solidifies class size funding

The push to ensure New York City implements the state class size law gained new momentum this spring after state lawmakers included a provision in the state budget requiring the city Department of Education to fund class size reduction in individual...

Testimony of Anne Goldman on the state of nursing in New York City

Anne Goldman, vice president for non-DOE and private sector members at the Federation of Nurses/UFT, delivered testimony before the City Council Committee on Hospitals.

Testimony on Int. 2374-2021 to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to classroom capacity

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York City Council Committee on Education in regards to Int. 2374-2021, a bill to amend the administrative code of the city of New York in relation to classroom capacity.

Testimony regarding a proposal to amend rules of practice for the conduct of remote proceedings

UFT Hearing Officers (Per Session) Chapter Leader Tony Feldmesser testified before the New York City Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings regarding a proposal to amend the rules of practice for the conduct of remote proceedings.