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Do I have to be a member of the retirement system?
That depends on your job. If you are an appointed teacher, paraprofessional or other pedagogue in a city public school, you automatically become a member of the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS), which provides your pension. Your contributions to...
How are my union dues calculated?
For DOE employees, dues are currently set to .85 of one percent of the maximum contractual salary of your title at Step 8B plus 20-year longevity, plus added amounts for the union’s state and national affiliates. So, all the members who are teachers...
What health & safety precautions should be taken for staff who handle student toileting accidents & diapering needs?
In accordance with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration's (OSHA) Blood-Borne Pathogens Standard, the NYCDOE requires District Schools and Pre-K Centers to institute the Exposure Control Plan (ECP) as an effort to minimize employees' risk...
A member of my immediate family is graduating and I need the day off. Do I have to use my CAR days to attend?
It depends on the type of ceremony, the location and your job title: Pedagogues and paraprofessionals: One day with principal’s or supervisor’s permission to attend their graduation or that of a parent, child, step-child, spouse or registered...
How many days notice do I have to give if I’m planning to resign?
We recommend you first contact your UFT borough office and speak with a UFT representative before you resign. DOE pedagogue employees who plan to resign must give at least 30 calendar days’ notice, according to Chancellor's Regulations. According to...
If I am going to be excessed, when will I be notified?
According to the UFT/DOE contract, you must be informed in writing by June 15 if you are at risk of being excessed for the next school year, but it is still possible to be excessed after that date due to changes in enrollment or the budget.
Does my school have a safety plan?
Every school must have a school safety plan and a crisis response plan that is updated annually and logged with the education, police and fire departments. Safety Plans are mandated by the SAVE Legislation, the UFT Contract, the Chancellor’s...
When does a School-based Option (SBO) expire?
SBOs sunset at the end of every school, with one exception. The only SBOs that do not sunset every year are changes between seven and eight periods in elementary schools. Any modification to the contract must be voted on every school year, except as...
Can I grieve a letter that has been put into my personnel file?
Material in your file can be grieved under two specific circumstances: if the letter was written outside the contractual time frame (time limits are specified in the contract) if the underlying substance of the letter violates a specific contractual...
I want to choose a professional activity that is not on the contractual menu. What do I do?
If you would like to do a professional activity that is not on the contractual list, you can propose it to your principal, whose approval is required before you undertake the activity. Also, the 2018 Contract made it possible for chapters to use the...
How is Teacher’s Choice funded? Is it a contractual right?
The New York City Council created Teacher’s Choice decades ago after intense lobbying by the UFT. Teacher’s Choice is not guaranteed from year to year; the UFT has to lobby for funding for the program in every year’s city budget. Teacher’s Choice is...
What is a school-based option?
A school-based option is a modification of the UFT/DOE contract that has been approved by the UFT staff, principal, UFT District Rep, Superintendent, UFT President, and the Chancellor in order to improve education in the school. It provides schools...
Does my school have to provide me with classroom/instructional supplies and materials?
Yes, it must. Under the DOE-UFT contract, it is your school’s obligation to provide you with “appropriate and sufficient basic instructional supplies and books,” including textbooks, paper, assessment materials, chalk, microscopes and math...
I am an occupational therapist/physical therapist. What are my retention rights for taking a leave? Do I have the right to return to my school after my leave is over?
As a result of the 2018 DOE-UFT contract, occupational therapists/physical therapists on a leave have the right to return to their school if the leave is for one year or less. A therapist on a leave should reach out to their supervisor at some point...
What is the school’s obligation to provide Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) teachers regular common planning time?
Co-teachers must collaboratively plan, prepare and facilitate lessons, activities and projects, so they must be given regular common-planning time during the workday. According to the 2023 contract, schools with professional activity periods will...
I'm a member of a functional chapter represented by the UFT. Where can I find more information and news about issues specific to my job role?
UFT functional chapter members--such as a school counselor, a social worker or school secretary, for example--can find information tailored to their chapter's specific needs on the UFT website. Around 40 functional chapters have their own sections of...
Where do my UFT dues go?
UFT members’ dues pay for the full array of services that your union provides to support you and your career — everything from professional support services and development to help you be better at your job to negotiating and enforcing the contract...
What is the class size limit for music instruction courses?
In elementary and middle/intermediate schools, the contract is silent on class sizes for music instruction. It is the Union’s position that no class in elementary school should exceed 32 students (25 for kindergarten and 18 for pre-K) or 33 students...
What is considered bereavement leave?
You may take time following the death of a family member without loss of CAR days. If your parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or domestic partner, or parent of spouse or domestic partner or any other relative or step-relative of...
Special education teachers and school counselors in middle and high schools are often assigned to develop IEPs for students they do not serve. Is this permissible?
No. According to federal law, the IEP team — which includes the parent and the teachers and related service providers who work with the student — is responsible for developing, reviewing and revising the IEP of a student with a disability (see the...
Where can I find CTLE credit-granting courses and opportunities?
The UFT frequently offers CTLE workshops to members. Many UFT conferences also include CTLE workshops. You can see the latest opportunities on the UFT website. The AFT’s educational webinars grant CTLE hours for participating. Often professional...
When can I file a grievance?
In most cases, a grievance must be filed within 30 school days from the time you have knowledge of the act or condition that violates the contract. However, in certain types of grievances, the time limits are shorter. For example, all reorganization...
What is excessing? What is the difference between excessing and layoffs?
Excessing is the process of reducing staff in a particular school when there is a reduction in the number of available positions in a title or license area. There are times when a school reduces the size of its faculty, such as when it experiences an...
Can co-teachers in an ICT class “tag team” each other to participate in their students’ IEP team meetings?
No. When a general education teacher is a required member of the IEP team for the student, one of the student’s general education teachers must be present for the entirety of the IEP meeting. Similarly, when a special education teacher is a required...
What should I do if I have been the victim of an assault at school?
The DOE-UFT contract offers you protection and strong support if you have been assaulted while on duty. As well as notifying your principal within 24 hours, you should notify the UFT Health and Safety Department by filing an online safety/discipline...
What do I do if my class size exceeds the contractual limits?
If your class exceeds the maximum number of students permitted, notify your chapter leader immediately. During the first 10 days of school (and the first 10 days of each term), the chapter leader and the principal will attempt to informally resolve...
What are the required components of a successful ICT program?
ICT is an instructional model that allows students with disabilities to be educated with age‐appropriate peers without disabilities in the general education classroom with the support of a special education teacher to deliver specially designed...
Can virtual learning be used for credit recovery purposes?
No, and here’s why: Virtual learning is described in the 2023 MOA with the goal of becoming “the first major public-school system to develop, implement and expand high-quality virtual instruction and related services, for all students who choose this...
How do I achieve tenure?
The process for determining whether or not you will get tenure is rigorous, and tenure is not automatic at the end of the probationary period. You must: 1) be recommended for tenure by your principal; 2) be granted tenure by your superintendent; 3)...
What are the responsibilities of a chapter leader?
As chapter leader, your responsibilities include the following: Holding at least six regularly scheduled chapter meetings each year. Forming a chapter consultation committee,meeting monthly with the committee and the principal, and reporting the...
What types of leaves are available to UFT members?
The most frequently requested leaves are: UFT parental leave: Eligible UFT-represented DOE employees may take up to six weeks of parental leave following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child. The 2023 contract agreement includes an...