Were you a New York City or New York State employee or did you work as a substitute teacher or serve in the military before joining the Teachers’ Retirement System? If so, you may have the option to buy service credit.


The city of New York's health plan and the UFT Welfare Fund-provided supplemental health benefits are among a UFT member's most valuable assets. Learn about what both plans provide so that you and your eligible dependents can access these benefits...

If you have worked the District 75/Chapter 683 summer program for the past two years, you may choose to take advantage of UFT parental leave during the summer program, or you may wait to take your leave when the school year begins.

Candy Jorge, a Spanish teacher at Washington Heights Expeditionary Learning School in Manhattan, came to the United States from her native Dominican Republic at the age of 17 with nothing. Now the 9th-grade team leader develops and implements...

After months of organizing that culminated with a protest rally outside their school on April 16, staff and parents at PS 157 in the Bronx have spurred the Department of Education and NYPD to take immediate action to improve safety outside the...

7.1 Benefit Fund. The Employees covered by this Agreement, as provided herein, are participants in and covered by the Health Care Chapter United Federation of Teachers Benefit Fund (“Fund”). Effective January 1, 2014 and thereafter, any changes...

The UFT offers many different ways to stay in touch with the union and get the latest updates on your rights, benefits, discounts, workshops, campaigns and more.

We need to expand and not contract, much less eliminate, specialized programs for high-achieving youngsters.

Stephen T. Mather Building Arts and Craftsmanship HS's commitment to student well-being is why Sylwia Nosowicz, a first-year teacher whose first career was as a clinical mental health counselor, feels comfortable calling the school “a perfect match”...

If you are a paraprofessional, the DOE-UFT contract establishes rights and obligations in terms of when you can be absent from work. Learn about how you accumulate and can use sick days and about excused absences.

All registered UFT social media accounts, including Facebook pages and groups, Instagram accounts, Threads accounts, X accounts and TikTok accounts, (together "UFT social media accounts") are places for the UFT and its members to share ideas and...

Retired educator Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa has sought refuge in libraries and books her whole life, and now she is contributing her own works to libraries — historical novels that reflect the richness, complexity, beauty and brutality of her Afro-Puerto...

When you retire, you have three choices for handling your money in your Tax-Deferred Annuity: 1) Defer; 2) Convert your TDA into a monthly annuity; or 3) Withdraw all the funds. Most TRS and BERS members elect TDA deferral status.

More than 120,000 in-service members and retirees participate in the UFT’s Tax-Deferred Annuity program. When you retire, you have three choices for handling your money in your TDA. Learn about all your options in this month's Secure Your Future.

More than 20,000 UFT members now have their choice of pension systems after a campaign led by members of the UFT Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter. 


Arranging your classroom in a way that works for you and your students is an important first step toward a successful year. Veteran teachers share ideas and tips on help you set up your classroom — whether for the very first time or as part of a...

It is the declared objective of the parties to encourage the prompt and informal resolution of employee complaints as they arise and to provide recourse to orderly procedures for the satisfactory adjustment of complaints. A resolution should occur at...

It’s important to check your pay stub to be sure you are getting the correct salary with the proper deductions. Learn more about deduction codes and how to read your paycheck correctly.

Here are some frequently asked questions for Teachers Assigned.

The UFT’s 15th annual Early Childhood Conference on April 1 buzzed with energy as nearly 200 educators gathered to learn ways to engage their youngest students with play.

Get answers to questions about pay increases that are part of the proposed contract.

As we awaken from our winter semi-hibernation, it’s a good time for a more thorough reset of your life physically, emotionally and mentally. Much like cleaning the house, it’s about organizing yourself so you can be present for the people, places and...

As a member of the UFT Welfare Fund, you and your eligible dependents can obtain optical services annually. Learn all you need to know about your optical benefit.

School-based virtual learning gives schools and UFT members the ability to offer expanded educational opportunities to students, expand equity and access to all high schools, and provide additional opportunities for students to pursue accelerated...

When teachers and paraprofessionals are on the same page, the classroom becomes a place of unity and students are the beneficiaries. Teachers across the city discuss the benefits of forging strong, healthy relationships with the paraprofessionals...

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.

Lice are six-legged, wingless, insect parasites of humans, mammals (cattle, pigs etc.), and birds (chicken and other birds). Lice are divided into two groups: lice found on mammals, which need blood for sustenance; and those found on birds, which...