Skip to main content
Full Menu Close Menu

Search

Refine Your Search

Open

Filter by type

Search

Do UFT Chapter Leaders receive any additional compensation for their work?

UFT Chapter Leaders receive an annual stipend of $6 per member they represent. They also have an opportunity to receive additional funds, based on a points system, if they are more active participants in union matters and meetings.

Can I be assigned to cover a class on my preparation period?

Yes. Teachers can be assigned to cover one class in the fall and one class in the spring without compensation. In an emergency, teachers may be assigned a coverage during their prep, as per contractual rotation, and be compensated at the coverage...

I just purchased a prescription appliance and HIP rejected the claim. Can I submit this claim to the UFT Welfare Fund?

Yes, the Welfare Fund will reimburse for certain covered appliances for in-service members that meet our medical advisor’s and HIP guidelines. The benefit pays 80 percent of reasonable and customary charges after a $25 annual deductible per person.

How much is the UFT Welfare Fund disability benefit?

As of Nov. 1, 2024, teachers and other pedagogues approved for this benefit receive $575 a week for up to 52 weeks, while paraprofessionals and other groups in the same salary range receive $475 per week for up to 52 weeks. Learn more about...

What is the daily pay rate for a substitute teacher?

The daily rate of pay for a substitute teacher, effective Feb. 1, 2019, is $188.75. Effective May 14, 2020,, it was$193.47; and effective May 14, 2021, it was $199.27. Effective Sept. 14, 2022, the pay rate is $205.25. The workday is fixed at 6 hours...

Which school staff members receive funding from Teacher’s Choice?

Classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors, social workers and psychologists, occupational and physical therapists, school nurses, school secretaries, lab specialists, reading coaches and single shepherds all receive funds through...

Who are the mandated members of the School Safety Committee?

Per Chancellor’s Regulation A-414, every school/campus must establish a School Safety Committee. The committee shall be comprised of the following individuals: the Principal, UFT Chapter Leader, the Custodial Engineer, In-house School Safety Agent...

How many sick days do teachers have each year? How many personal days?

UFT represented DOE employees may take up to 10 self-treated days per school year without a doctor’s note for absences due to illness. Three out of the 10 may be used for personal business. Paras may not take more than five in a term and must have a...

Why should I file a safety report? Should I file incident reports at both school and with the union if something happens at my school?

You should file reports both at school and with the union. It is important to file safety/incident reports with the union because it lets us know what is taking place inside of your building. If you do not report incidents to the union, most likely...

How do I change my name on record with the UFT?

You must provide a legal document (marriage certificate, etc.) for proof of name change. If you receive Welfare Fund benefits, you should fill out the fill out the Welfare Fund’s Change of Status Form on the UFT website to change your name. If you...

What if my Line of Duty Injury (LODI) leave is denied? Do I have any recourse?

In some cases, the superintendent or the DOE’s Medical Bureau will deny a Line of Duty Injury status, and it may be necessary to file a grievance or file for medical arbitration, depending on the reason for the denial. Members who have a pending...

What is the difference between absences that are medical, personal or self-treated days?

CAR days are for your own illness and can be accumulated up to 200 days. Members earn and can use 10 self-treated days per school year as long as they are on payroll. Self-treated days do not require a doctor's note. Three of the self-treated days...

Can you explain the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DeCAP)?

DeCAP is a tax savings, payroll deduction program through which you may submit claims for reimbursement for child care services such as babysitting and summer day camp, or for the cost of caring for an elderly parent who spends at least half of the...

What is a salary step? How do I apply for one?

A salary step is an increase in salary based on experience. With continuous service you move up a half-step twice a year — although there may be no monetary difference between the “A” and “B” levels within one year. These “steps” occur on your...

What enteral formula coverage is provided by the Welfare Fund?

Enteral formulas are liquid food products that are specially formulated and designed to increase the amount of various food elements and nutrients that will maintain proper physiological function of the body process. They may also be used to correct...

How do I change my tax deductions/withholding using ESS?

STEP 1: NYCAPS : go to www.nyc.gov/ESS and log in. Enter your USER ID (your 7-digit Employee ID /Reference Number found on your paystub. Your temporary password consists of the last two digits of your SSN, an underscore (_), the first three letters...

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...

How can taking a maternity/parental/child care leave affect my summer pay?

Any time a person is off payroll, their summer pay is reduced accordingly. In other words, if you are off payroll for 10% of the school year, your summer pay would be reduced roughly 10%. If you are on a UFT parental leave, this loss is compensated...

Are paraprofessionals eligible for tuition reimbursement for credits towards a masters degree?

The DOE will reimburse eligible full-time paraprofessionals for the cost of up to 12 credits towards a master’s degree in education. Paras must be in an accredited graduate education program as a fully matriculated student leading to New York State...

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...

How much teaching or work experience is required to obtain a permanent or professional state certification?

The total number of years of experience hasn’t changed (two years for a permanent certificate and three for a professional one), but the state has changed its definition of a “year of experience.” A minimum of 180 days over a 12-month period in an...

What are the responsibilities of a School Leadership Team (SLT)?

School Leadership Teams meet at least once a month during the school year at a time convenient for the parent members of the team. SLTs establish many of their own bylaws and procedures, so each school may have different policies in place for the...

What feedback will I be receiving after an observation is conducted in my classroom?

Feedback is non-evaluative information about an observation that you should receive within ten days of an observation. The feedback can be via email, written, or face-to-face. Teachers can indicate a preference for the format of their feedback during...

When are teachers supposed to hold IEP meetings for students with disabilities?

IEP meetings should happen during instructional time or the teacher’s professional activity period. Under the 2023 DOE-UFT contract (Article 6B1d), IEP conferences can now also be scheduled during the 40-minute block of Other Professional Work on...

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...

If both parents work for the DOE, are both eligible for UFT parental leave?

Both parents are each entitled to six weeks of UFT parental leave if they both work for the DOE in UFT-represented titles. In the 2023 DOE-UFT contract, the union fixed a thorny issue with the original 2018 parental leave agreement: When both the...

What is the Lead Teacher Assistant position for paraprofessionals?

The Lead Teacher Assistant is an annual position for in-service, full-time paraprofessionals that enables them to play a more diverse role supporting student needs in the classroom and school. Lead Teacher Assistants support instruction in the...

What supervision/assistance is required when accompanying 3-K or pre-K students to the bathroom/toileting?

Students who have shown the ability to use the bathroom independently should be encouraged to do so. However, line of sight supervision of students must be maintained during toileting and handwashing. Staff should provide closer, more helpful...

Is it possible to donate days from my CAR bank to a sick colleague?

Pedagogical employees may donate CAR days to another employee only if the recipient has a catastrophic sickness. The recipient does not have to be a pedagogical employee and may belong to a different payroll bank. However, DOE employees cannot donate...

How many years do I have to work before I can retire and collect a pension?

The state laws governing the public employee pensions have changed over time. Usually the changes do not apply to people who have already joined the retirement system — in other words, the new pension plan applies only to future members. So the rules...

I am a UFT retiree and am a “snowbird.” How do I update my secondary address on file with the union?

From the “My Account” page of the UFT website, you will also find a link to Change of Status/Update your Information form to update your secondary address. Requests to add or update a secondary address can also be made by email to membership [at] uft [dot] org (membership[at]uft[dot]org)...

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...

Can I meet with a Health & Cancer Helpline social worker in person to discuss my needs?

Yes, but we ask that you call ahead to schedule an appointment as this will ensure that time will be set aside for you.

I am a paraprofessional who was the subject of an investigation and those charges have been found to be unsubstantiated. During the investigation, I was suspended without pay. Now that I have been cleared, am I entitled to back pay?

Yes. If after an investigation, the allegations against the paraprofessional are found to be unsubstantiated, within 30 days the paraprofessional will receive back pay for the amount of time of the suspension without pay.

I am an F-status employee. Am I eligible to take a UFT parental leave?

No. Individuals who work F-status are not eligible to take UFT parental leaves. Time worked F-status will also not count towards eligibility to take parental leave.

What is a deferred pay date?

A deferred pay date is only applicable if you have yet to meet the age of retirement and will be collecting your pension at a later time.