School related professionals play an essential role in supporting the varied needs of students. Meet the chapter leaders of the UFT's functional chapters and learn more about their role.

We can all agree that our health benefits need a reset. For the past two years, the city and the MLC have been involved in a negotiated acquisition process for a new in-service and pre-Medicare retiree health care plan, which we hope will be the...

Some 300 nurses gathered for workshops, a keynote address on neurology and a festive lunch at the Federation of Nurses/UFT's Professional Issues Conference at the New York Grand Central Hotel in Midtown Manhattan on Nov. 21. 


Actor Heather Simms is playing Missy Judson in the current Broadway revival of Purlie Victorious. She made her stage debut in 2nd grade at PS 243 in Crown Heights, hamming it up as the mother in “Hansel and Gretel.”

At the first Delegate Assembly of the school year on Oct. 11, UFT President Michael Mulgrew stressed the importance of making sure all parts of the new DOE-UFT contract get implemented.


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.

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.

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.

Oftentimes the leaders of this union are the faces in the media, but we know the real work happens when our members drive the change. This school year, we will again be joining together to form citywide union committees to tackle some of the most...

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...

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro submitted testimony to the New York City Council Education Committee oversight hearing on COVID impact on English language learners.

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.

Staten Island 2nd-graders learn about fire safety and about the history of firefighting during a class trip to the New York City Fire Museum in SoHo.

After three years without their annual luncheon, UFT Retired Teachers Chapter members reunited to celebrate their service to the union and the integral role retirees play in strengthening the power of the UFT. More than 400 retirees attended the...

Successfully fighting off a charter school co-location. Reviving a program that teaches high school students how to swim. Creating a WhatsApp chat to connect librarians around the city. These are just a few of the achievements of the exemplary...

Just two of this school year’s grievances over excessive class sizes citywide remained unresolved by Thanksgiving — thanks to a powerful provision in the 2018 Department of Education-UFT contract.

This school year, PS 133 in Harlem has three newly minted teachers who were employed as paraprofessionals at the school the previous year. The three, who have fashioned a mini support group for one another, are grateful for the help of the union and...

The UFT doubled down this year on its customary end-of-summer initiatives to support students and teachers with school supply giveaways, information, resources and plain old fun.

UFT members came together in every borough on the union’s Day of Action on May 6 to demand improvements to Tier 6 of the state pension system.
In Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, members took part in simultaneous after-school rallies, while members on...

The state’s new UFT-backed cellphone ban is getting rave reviews from educators who say students are more engaged in class — and rediscovering “old-fashioned” pastimes like reading, playing board games and simply talking to one another.

Hundreds of Federation of Nurses/UFT members gathered on Nov. 18 at union headquarters for their annual Professional Issues Conference to delve into some of their key concerns and honor colleagues who have helped improve working conditions.

A high school where students do maintenance work on airplanes. A student-created clothing brand that sells out of a student-run, brick-and-mortar store. These were just a few of the innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs represented...

Three current UFT chapter leaders in District 22 in Brooklyn follow in the footsteps of family members whose dedication and hard work as chapter leaders inspired the next generation.

A social worker and an instructional coordinator from the city DOE's Division of Early Childhood Education provide crucial support to 3K and pre-K teachers at PS 7 in East Harlem.

This Brooklyn teacher uses immersive, engaging lessons and storytelling techniques to bring the past to life for his middle school students.

Given the city’s diverse student population, a pressing issue for educators has been how to differentiate instruction to reach all students using one of the new reading curriculum programs.

Skills such as communication, collaboration, problem-solving and emotional intelligence are crucial and in-demand and helping students acquire them is much needed, but where should teachers begin?

Students in the Career and Technical Education dance program at Talent Unlimited HS in Manhattan learn not only technique and performance but also how to choreograph, produce and direct.

A lunchtime LEGO club conceived by two paraprofessionals grows into an award-winning career and technical education STEM program at Fairmont Neighborhood Elementary School in the Bronx.

Dayniah Manderson’s favorite genre to teach in her 8th-grade English classes at Mott Haven Community School is dystopian fiction because, as a wheelchair user with muscular dystrophy, she relates to the struggle to break free from oppressive systems.

The Harbor Defense Museum at Fort Hamilton, with its collections of weaponry, uniforms and memorabilia from the American Revolution to World War II, is an interesting destination for a class trip.

Nearly 1,100 paraprofessionals and other members gathered at the New York Hilton Midtown on March 22 to celebrate the outstanding work of their colleagues, attend professional learning sessions and have fun at a carnival. City Council Education...

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.

About 250 UFT members from the city's academic high schools gathered on April 25 at union headquarters to honor outstanding educators and schools and to celebrate 10 years since the UFT's first Academic High Schools awards.

If you are planning to retire in the next year or two, now is the time to start preparing. It may seem early, but trust us, it’s not. 
The UFT Pension Department is here for you to assist in your transition to retirement.


The UFT-DOE contracts contain protections against a wide range of discriminatory or harassing behaviors, including sexual harassment. Federal, state and city laws also provide protections. Here is what you need to know.