UFT Secretary LeRoy Barr, the winner of the Charles Cogen Award at Teacher Union Day on Nov. 2, discovered the value of strength in unity and learning from veterans early in his career.

The IRS has announced the amount employees can contribute to their tax-deferred annuities and Roth accounts for 2026.

Whether you are a new member, in mid-career or close to retirement, here are steps you can take to learn about your pension benefits and stay on track as you progress down the road to a financially secure retirement.

In-service TRS members can start to contribute to a Roth account in January 2026. A Roth option offers no upfront tax break, but withdrawals in retirement are generally tax-free.

Addiction is a complex, often chronic brain disease characterized by compulsive engagement in a behavior or a substance craving and use despite negative life consequences. Learn some of the early warning signs.

One of the many benefits of union membership is having paid leave to rest and recuperate when you are sick. Learn how UFT members earn, use and even borrow days from their Cumulative Absence Reserve.


No matter where you are in your career, the UFT is committed to helping you learn and grow. Learn about the hundreds of high-quality courses and workshops the union offers throughout the year.

Talking roles are discussion jobs that rotate among students in a small discussion group. The roles give quieter students a clear entry point, encourage active listening and build accountability.

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.

Paycheck deductions made for NYSUT-endorsed insurance premiums began again in November and will continue through the last paycheck in June.

Paraprofessionals make the case to outgoing Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to back the RESPECT check bill.

A Queens teacher argues the Danielson teacher evaluation process needs an overhaul, with teachers being rated in part on how much they've grown as educators.

Paraprofessionals make the case to outgoing Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to allow the RESPECT check bill to get a vote.

In a tremendous show of solidarity and the power of union organizing, hundreds of UFT members across District 21 in Brooklyn wore black in support of their colleagues at PS 99 in their struggle with their principal.


We launched our “6” days campaign on Dec. 6. On the sixth of every month, schools will participate in coordinated actions to educate members about the need to fix Tier 6 of the pension system, build visibility and show collective strength.

Thousands of paraprofessionals mobilized throughout 2025 to fight for the $10,000 annual "RESPECT check," only to have City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams block it. The UFT will redouble its efforts in the new year.

A retired educator warns that teachers must take pains to ensure the human student-teacher relationship remains central in schools as artificial intelligence makes inroads into the pedagogical process.

As AI penetrates public education faster than policy can keep up, educators are being asked to navigate powerful new tools with little guidance. To help fill that void, the AFT has released a framework meant to ensure AI supports teaching and...

About 1,700 UFT members and guests marked the union’s 65th anniversary at this year’s observance of Teacher Union Day on Nov. 2 by honoring union members past and present for their efforts to improve working conditions and strengthen members’ rights...

City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams blocked the “RESPECT check” bill from coming to a vote before the full City Council this year.
But the UFT plans to redouble its efforts to get the bill across the finish line in the new year.

UFT members supported the “RESPECT check” bill on Nov. 13 by holding teach-ins, wearing blue and tagging City Council members on social media in photos of themselves holding “RESPECT for Paraprofessionals” signs.

The Trump administration's mass deportation agenda has triggered anxiety and absenteeism in New York City public schools. Yet despite the bleakness of the situation, educators remain committed to protecting their students and advocating for them.

About 300 UFT members from schools across the city attended one of the union's immigration workshops in October and November. The sessions walked members through the steps to establish school-based committees to support and defend immigrant families...

UFT members at the six sites that make up District 31 Pre-K Centers on Staten Island are no longer staying silent in the face of mistreatment from their principal, thanks to Chapter Leader Amy Craine.

A calmer pace. More individualized attention. Fewer distractions. Those are among the greatest benefits teachers say they’re seeing in their classrooms this year as the state class size law enters its third year of implementation.


With the latest legal hurdles cleared, all city employees and pre-Medicare retirees in the GHI CBP plan and their dependents will be automatically enrolled in the new NYC Employees PPO plan on Jan. 1, 2026.

The Committee on Political Education (COPE) is the UFT’s political action arm. Learn about its importance and how members can help support it in this Q&A.

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.

UFT Vice President MaryJo Ginese writes that a half-century after the passage of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which required an "appropriate education" for students with disabilities, the city DOE still has work to do.

Let's lower the Tier 6 retirement age before we're 6 feet under!

A colorful multi-sensory space in a Queens special education teacher's classroom offers her kindergarten and 1st-grade students a range of engagement to calm themselves and self-regulate.

As a new teacher, you are bound to encounter situations with students that are challenging to navigate. If you find yourself in one of the following situations, here is some guidance for making a plan of action.

An elementary school teacher shares what a math lesson taught him about a new way to measure success in this latest installment of New Teacher Diaries.

Caring for people in need and promoting equity were top of mind in the five resolutions UFT delegates approved at the Delegate Assembly on Nov. 19, including support for disaster relief in Jamaica and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Growing up near Coney Island, Brooklyn, Ariella Moshchinsky knew early on that she would pursue a career in the sciences — and she says it was her public school education in Brooklyn schools that helped inspire her to achieve that goal.


TRS may ask retirees to complete a Retirement Allowance Verification Form annually. If you receive such a letter, don't ignore it.