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.

William Faulkner famously said, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” In our politically forgetful society, many forget what happened in politics last month, let alone what happened two or three years ago.

While many people were in the midst of holiday preparations or celebrations on Dec. 23, UFT retiree Theresa Hambel was taking a course on changes to federal tax law. It was part one of her annual training as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program...

This Q&A answers many common questions regarding IEP planning and meetings, including updates from the 2023 DOE-UFT contract.

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 Sensory Exploration, Education and Discovery (SEED) program at PS 171 in Queens takes place in a special room with a rock-climbing wall, a brightly colored tunnel to crawl through, a swing and trampoline. These components are powerful tools to...

One of the greatest benefits of UFT membership is having a guaranteed retirement allowance when you retire. But for members who joined the retirement system after April 12, 2012, their defined-benefit pension is not equal to what more veteran members...

Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law three state bills in December that incrementally improved UFT members’ pension benefits.

About 500 new UFT members had the chance to see “How to Dance in Ohio” at Teachers Night on Broadway on Feb. 1. “It was complete joy,” said UFT Vice President Karen Alford, who leads the union’s new member initiative. “The show spoke to all of us as...

After the first day of a planned weeklong strike, the California State University faculty union reached a tentative contract with the university that included big raises for the lowest paid instructors, who comprise over half of the union’s 29,000...

A new U.S. Department of Justice report found that hate crimes at schools, colleges and universities steadily increased from a pandemic low in 2020 to 2022, the latest year for which data is available. 


More than 200 school districts nationwide are suing social media companies, alleging the platforms’ addictive apps are harming youth mental health and forcing schools to devote more resources to help them.

See exemplary teaching strategies and instructional tools to support newcomers.

The influx of students from new-immigrant families these past few years has presented many challenges for New York City public school educators. Here are some proven strategies to support them.

When you need legal assistance, it can be costly and stressful. That’s why the union created a Legal Services Plan exclusively for UFT members that provides in-service members with access to attorneys who will assist them for free or at discounted...

Chapter leaders have taken the Delegate Assembly’s Fix Tier 6 presentation on the road. Chapter Leader Lillian Crespo at PS 216 in Brooklyn and her UFT district representative, Adam Shapiro, showed it to PS 216 members at a Jan. 22 chapter meeting. 


Early voting has been a welcome development in New York City since it was first implemented in 2019. But for the educators and students at the 33 public schools in Staten Island, the Bronx, Brooklyn and Manhattan that serve as early voting sites...

In their zeal to implement a project that promises to generate about $1 billion a year in revenue, agency officials failed to consider how congestion pricing simply shifts who pays the environmental costs.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told delegates at the Delegate Assembly on Jan. 17 that the union faces both a city and a state budget fight this spring.


UFT President Michael Mulgrew told union delegates at the Delegate Assembly on Jan. 17 that the UFT is moving full steam ahead with its lawsuit to stop Mayor Eric Adams’ school budget cuts. He said the mayor’s budget restorations in mid-January...

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...

When Catrina Como became chapter leader at PS 376 in Brooklyn, she faced a tricky situation: The principal was demanding, and staff did not know their rights and were reluctant to speak up for themselves. “I work with a lot of amazing teachers who...

If you’re like many new teachers, you’re working under an Initial, Internship or Transitional B teaching certificate that will eventually expire. With the school year half over, now is a good time to take stock of the progress you’re making toward...

Michael Frank, a history teacher at the HS of Environmental Studies, has bobbleheads of most of the U.S. presidents in his classroom to make the content come alive.

I felt guilty that I was not able to understand or communicate with my pre-verbal students in District 75. I was pouring my heart and soul into lessons, only to be met with silence. The weight of these challenges pressed down on me, and depression...

The UFT decked the halls with joy and toys when it invited 100 students from 10 city shelters to UFT headquarters on Dec. 16 for its annual holiday party in partnership with the Coalition for the Homeless.

The UFT Career and Technical Education Division’s Impact on Achievement Conference, which was held virtually on Jan. 29, focused on artificial intelligence in the classroom and in the professional sectors for which CTE education prepares students.

About 400 school social workers and psychologists gathered at UFT headquarters, and another 900 joined remotely, for a day of professional development to mark Clinicians Appreciation Day on Jan. 12.

The 20th annual UFT African Heritage Committee’s awards dinner, held on Feb. 2 at Antun’s of Queens Village, was bigger than ever this year, befitting its landmark anniversary.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew and other union officers gathered at the Corning Tower Observation Deck in Albany on Jan. 29 to make the case for the union’s 2024 legislative priorities with state lawmakers. “We have a lot of challenges, as always, in...

Mayor Eric Adams makes mid-year cuts to school budgets even though the city has reserves of more than $8 billion, a new record high.

Eligible educators can deduct from their federal income taxes up to $300 of unreimbursed expenses from 2023 for books, supplies, computer equipment and other materials they use in the classroom. The agency raised the deduction from $250 to $300 for...

With the recent decision by the secretary of state of Maine to bar former President Donald Trump from the ballot based upon the contention that his words and actions violated the U.S. Constitution’s 14th Amendment, the Constitution is being tested in...

Every school ought to possess one of these. Even football stadiums are adopting them now, and they’re prevalent in airports in other countries. Their significance for students cannot be overstated.

Tier 6 members also have to pay into the pension for their entire career whereas we contributed for only 10 years. Work needs to be done to fix this.

Gov. Hochul's push for phonics-based reading sparks debate. Critics urge a balanced approach, emphasizing comprehension and meaningful texts to cultivate a love for reading.