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Hard times put benefits at risk
Far right legislators see raising the debt ceiling as an opportunity to push an ideological agenda that could advance their cause.
Why I am an avid reader
UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds encourages high school educators to continue to expand their own knowledge base through reading a variety of texts. Being an avid reader, she writes, helps educators better guide their...
Soak up the sun safely
Days are longer and the sun’s rays don’t only help flowers bloom — they also have a way of making us feel happier and more energized. So embrace your inner sun worshipper and enjoy the benefits of the season.
UFT Teacher Centers are friends indeed
UFT Vice President Mary Vaccaro writes that Teacher Center specialists with extensive teaching and coaching expertise in New York City public schools offer support, professional development, collegial advice and access to resources and materials that...
Mapping out a path to learning
The latest online mapping tools can do much more than get us from point A to B. With features such as data collection and media integration, online maps can be used in the classroom to take student activities in completely new directions.
Harvest new beginnings
With the shift from summer to fall, now is the time to reap the benefits of a likely change in routine, to make decisions about what’s really important — and to develop whatever new habits you’ve been meaning to.
The importance of being ‘seen’
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...
Time to lay it on the line with lawmakers
President Michael Mulgrew reminds members the UFT stays in the fight for the things that matter to educators, students, their families and our communities. As the budget process gets underway at the state and city level — the UFT is geared up to...
Tech tools to bring the arts to class
While technology tools cannot and should not replace hands-on art making, these digital resources can be used to bring the arts, which may be otherwise lacking in your students’ school day, into your curriculum in meaningful ways.
HERstory celebration
About 175 members and guests attended this year's HERstory brunch in celebration of women’s role in the UFT and the broader labor movement.
Teaching financial literacy
Financial literacy is a foundational life skill, yet too many young people reach adulthood without it. Here are several comprehensive, nonpartisan resources teachers can trust.
Embracing abundance
November can be a time of joy, generosity and togetherness. Yet it can also arrive bundled with stress, comparison and a sense of lack — whether financial, emotional or social. Cultivating abundance thinking and gratitude can transform not only how...
Nature journaling brings science to life
Nature journaling not only boosts students’ attention, sense of well-being and joy, but also strengthens their scientific, mathematical and critical-thinking skills.
Transferring schools
All UFT pedagogues, including teachers, clinicians, school counselors and school secretaries, as well as paraprofessionals, have the opportunity to transfer to a different school under the Open Market Transfer Plan.
Educators deserve seat at policy table
The past two years have proven that New York City is home to some of the most skilled and hard-working educators in the country. The highest form of respect comes when education policy makers really listen to what these classroom educators have to...
We’re your home for professional learning
UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro writes that the UFT Teacher Center has been a leader in providing New York City public school educators with high-quality professional learning for more than 40 years. The program recently has begun...
One stride at a time
UFT members in all five boroughs and on Long Island participated in this year’s American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walks on three separate weekends in October, raising thousands of dollars for breast cancer research...
Homework: what's helpful and what isn't
If you haven’t already developed a personal homework philosophy, it can be helpful to devote some time to considering the practical value of the homework you plan to assign and the logistics around its submission and grading. As you do so, keep in...
Transit programs
If you travel to work by public transportation, you can save money by taking part in the City of New York Commuter Benefits Program, which enables you enables you to pay for allowable commuting costs in the city and the tri-state area with tax-free...
Embattled federal workers unite
Federal workers have faced a dizzying mix of reductions in force, firings of probationary workers, early retirements and deferred resignations since Trump became president for the second time. The Federal Unionists Network (FUN) in New York City is...
Doing a technology inventory
The start of the year is a good time to consider what equipment you have on hand, what you may need to obtain, your classroom protocols related to technology, and what technology projects you’d like to pursue. Here is a framework for doing this...
Meeting the challenges
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.
Fact Sheet on Tentative UFT Contract
Learn more about the tentative DOE-UFT contract.
Working with related service providers
For the new classroom teacher, the sheer volume of related service providers in a school can be a little bewildering. But it’s important to get to know these colleagues and the services they provide to students with disabilities.
Mulgrew shares post-election outlook
UFT President Michael Mulgrew predicted that the Trump administration will attack unions and public education.
Getting in SHIP-shape will cover out-of-pocket costs
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.
Save money with SHIP
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...
The summer of our discontent
In the months leading up to November's momentous presidential election, we can remain on the sidelines and let the bad guys make the decisions, or we can enter the political fray, enlist our friends and allies in the battle and forge victories.
Data literacy essential
Understanding and interpreting data is a fundamental skill of modern life. Learn how to teach data skills using engaging, student-centered strategies and resources.
A chance to speak out on mayoral control
For too long, we have been at the whim of whatever agenda the current mayor decides to pursue. The school budget cuts we are now fighting is a perfect example. What our schools need is not always aligned with what the mayor wants. What is the purpose...
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.
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.
‘I want to be him’
New teacher Gabrielle Vega was drawn to her 8th-grade social studies teacher's flair for the dramatic, and her affinity for theatrics is serving her well as she teaches that subject at MS 936 in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, a District 20 middle school...
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...
Inspiring students to write their stories
My students can express their voices through journal writing, poetry and narrative story writing. I want my students to know their stories don’t have to be confined to their hearts.
Learning about topics from genealogy to guitar
Thousands of UFT retirees participate in hundreds of Si Beagle Learning Center courses, seminars, trips and dine-arounds each year.