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Am I able to team up with other staff members to pool funds to enable a larger purchase using our Teacher's Choice funds?
Yes, you can. If two or more program participants wish to pool all or any portion of their Teacher's Choice funds to purchase an item for a shared class or assignment, each must complete their own Teacher’s Choice accountability form. All...
Are the items I purchased with Teacher’s Choice funds my own? Can I keep them if I resign or transfer schools?
Items purchased with Teacher’s Choice funds are the property of the DOE. These purchases must remain at your school for use in your classroom or office assignment; they cannot be taken to a different location if you transfer to a different school...
Can I opt out of Teacher’s Choice?
If you do not wish to participate in Teacher’s Choice, you should submit a Request for Non-participation (opt-out) form to your school by the deadline indicated for that particular school year.
Will I forfeit my Teacher’s Choice payment if I do not submit receipts for my purchases?
If you receive Teacher’s Choice funds in your paycheck and do not submit an accountability form with receipts by the January deadline, the DOE will take back the money from a future paycheck.
How do eligible members receive their Teacher's Choice funds?
Members receive their Teacher’s Choice allotment as part of their regular paycheck, not as a supplemental check, usually in mid-to-late November each year. Since Teacher’s Choice is treated as a post-net payroll adjustment, the funds are nontaxable.
What types of purchases are not permitted under Teacher's Choice?
Teacher’s Choice will not reimburse purchases of furniture, fees for trips or performances, gifts for students, computer accessories for home use, power tools, appliances or equipment that requires special wiring or installation, among others. Also...
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...
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 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 can I sign up to receive text messages from the Federation of Nurses?
The Federation of Nurses have started using texting as a method to send important updates to our members. To sign up, Use this link while on your mobile device (you’ll be asked to grant access to your text messaging app) or text "FON" to #86366. You...
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...
If I am an appointed DOE employee represented by the UFT and not eligible to take UFT parental leave, what options do I have for time off after the birth of my child?
If you are not eligible for parental leave because you have not been employed by the DOE for 12 months and in active service for 12 months prior to your child's birth, you are able to take a traditional maternity leave. There is no minimum service...
How will being appointed in a new license affect my tenure?
When you are appointed in a new license you begin a new probationary period of up to four years under the new license. Your probationary period can be reduced if you were previously granted tenure with the DOE in another license area or were...
What is the difference between achieving tenure and completion of probation?
The primary difference between tenure and completion of probation is that a permanent or professional NYS teaching certificate matching the NYCDOE license must be issued. In some cases, members will still be working under an initial or provisional...
How can I find my UFT member ID number?
Your UFT member ID number can be found in several places: On your physical UFT membership card In the “My Account” section of the UFT website In the UFT Member Hub and the UFT mobile app Please note that you must be registered for an account on the...
How do I update my email preferences and/or subscribe to Federation of Nurses and UFT newsletters?
First, you must already be subscribed to receive our emails. Learn how to subscribe to emails » At the very bottom of each email we send out, there is a link to email preferences: From that link, you can update your preferences and subscribe to...
How do I update my email preferences and/or subscribe to UFT newsletters?
First, you must already be subscribed to receive UFT emails. Learn how to subscribe to UFT emails » At the very bottom of each UFT email we send out, there is a link to email preferences: From that link, you can update your preferences and subscribe...
Do members working per-session over the summer receive sick time/CAR days?
During a per-session summer activity, pedagogues and paraprofessionals accrue one sick day for each month of service. If you don't take a sick day in July, you can take two in August. One sick day taken during a per-session summer activity can be...
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...
What are the consequences if I do not complete my CTLE hours within the five-year deadline?
If you are audited and asked to submit proof of CTLE hours and you have not completed them, you may not be allowed to work in a New York State public school until you have met the requirements. If you do not complete the required CTLE hours before...
What actions do I need to take at the end of my five-year cycle? Do I need to submit proof of completion of CTLE hours?
At the end of your five-year cycle, you will be asked to verify whether you have met the 100-hour requirement. You should not submit any documentation to the state Office of Teaching Initiatives; however, you should keep your records for at least...
What are the CTLE language-acquisition requirements?
If your professional certificate is in English to Speakers of Other Languages or you hold a bilingual extension annotation, a minimum of 50% of your CTLE hours must be in language acquisition, including a focus on best practices for co-teaching...
Which professional learning courses count toward the CTLE requirement?
Your CTLE hours must be completed with a state-approved provider. Both the UFT’s LearnUFT program and the UFT Teacher Center are state-approved providers that offer affordable CTLE workshops. P-credits taken through the city Department of Education’s...
When does my five-year cycle begin and when will I be required to complete my CTLE hours?
Your first registration period begins on the date you register with NYSED, and it expires five years and zero to 11 months later, depending on your birthday. It ends on the last day of the month preceding your birth month. For example, if you...
How many CTLE hours must I earn to maintain my state certification?
Teachers with professional certification and paraprofessionals who hold a Level III teaching assistant certificate must complete 100 CTLE hours every five years to maintain their certification. You are required to register with NYSED in order to...
Which teachers and paraprofessionals need to earn CTLE hours to maintain their state certifications?
Teachers who hold professional teaching certificates and paraprofessionals who hold Level III teaching assistant certificates need to earn CTLE hours. Teachers who hold entry-level certificates (initial, conditional initial, Transitional A...
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...
Can an IEP be amended without an IEP meeting when the school does not offer the program or service on the student’s IEP?
No, in this case, the IEP team must be convened to consider other programs and service options based on the student’s specific needs. If the team concludes that the student requires the service or program that the school does not offer, the school...
Is it appropriate for the IEP team to consider whether a student requires special education support during clusters or special classes in elementary school or during electives or language classes in middle and high schools?
Yes, the IEP team should discuss whether students with disabilities require support in any instructional, grade-bearing class. Teachers of such classes who are concerned about the ability of a student with a disability to access or participate in the...
Are IEP-assigned paraprofessionals (individual and small group) required to attend related service sessions?
The management needs section of the student’s IEP must make clear the circumstances during the school day, including related services and nonacademic settings such as lunch and transitions, for which the student requires the support of a...
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 help can the UFT provide if students are not receiving the support and services required by their IEPs or the school is not adhering to the special education regulations and requirements set out in the DOE’s Standard Operating Procedures Manual?
There are two avenues for resolving special education issues: your school’s Special Education Committee or the special education complaint. Issues that can be brought to the Special Education Committee include the failure to properly staff special...
What should I do if my principal includes guidance in a staff/school handbook that contradicts our UFT contract?
Speak with your chapter leader or district representative. While a handbook may reiterate an existing provision of a collective bargaining agreement or Chancellor’s Regulation, a handbook cannot be contrary to or modify a provision of a collective...
What is DASA training?
The Dignity for All Students Act mandates that anyone applying for a New York State teaching license or certificate after December 31, 2013 complete six hours of training on harassment, bullying and discrimination in schools.
Can co-teachers in an Integrated Co-Teaching (ICT) class cover for each other during preparation periods?
No. Two teachers--one general education and one special education--must be present for all periods of ICT instruction required by students' IEPs. Co-teachers may not cover for each other during preparation periods.
Can I cash/deposit my paycheck before the date that is printed on the check?
If you still receive a paper paycheck, you should not cash or deposit it prior to the date printed on the check. New York City has an "early encashment" fee of $55 that they place on each checks that is deposited or cashed before the date printed on...