With the state funding that 750 schools received to bring class sizes into compliance with state law, more UFT members will have optimal teaching conditions next school year and are confident that students will benefit from the additional time and...

In accordance with recent amendments to NYSED regulations, IEP teams must make certain considerations before determining that a student requires an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, and the student’s IEP must reflect those considerations in the relevant...

About 1,000 UFT members and guests attended this year's CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony where the union celebrated the 40th anniversary of Success Via Apprenticeship, a program that trains the career and technical education teachers of tomorrow.

Mohammed Hossain, a UFT CTE Award winner and engineering teacher at the High School for Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Queens, found his way to a career in education after realizing he found joy in helping people have their own...

Dual-language pre-K teacher Gema Campusano of the District 25 Pre-K Center in Queens has found that bilingual education not only supports students' language development but also builds their confidence and a strong sense of identity.


With some exceptions, K–12 teachers are covered by Advance.

Each ICT class must, at a minimum, have a special education teacher and a general education teacher. In New York City, the special education teacher must be certified and appointed in special education and the general education teacher must be...

A high school where students do maintenance work on airplanes. A student-created clothing brand that sells out of a student-run, brick-and-mortar store. These were just a few of the innovative Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs represented...

Teacher Robyn Matty speaks to the challenges teachers and students face in the wake of a severe shortage in paraprofessionals.

Class sizes and staffing ratios (including teachers and paraprofessionals) in self-contained special education classes are determined by the needs of the students as reflected in their IEPs. The ratios are based on state regulations and NYC...

Yes, in May 2020, the DOE negotiated new rules for certification, licensing and/or probation for teachers who hold a library license, for teachers of performing arts/drama and for teachers assigned to a special education program who have a non...

A pre-K teacher and the UFT chapter leader at PS 150 in Queens, Jeanine Bradley has found her voice as an advocate, both in the community and at her school, for people with Crohn’s and for her fellow educators. And she makes sure her students, no...

Will Dulin, a third-year teacher at Pathways to Graduation in Jamaica, Queens, takes pains to truly see his CTE students, helping them to forge pathways to educational success even when they can't quite envision them themselves.

Michelle Pérez, a bilingual school social worker, discusses the challenges and rewards of her work in New York City schools connecting families with school-based and community resources and providing crisis intervention and at-risk counseling for...

SESIS arbitration decision info sent to principals

Teachers' virtual travelogue allows students at the High School of Economics and Finance to travel and learn all around New York State during the pandemic without ever leaving the comfort of their lower Manhattan campus.

UFT members share first-person accounts recounting their success resolving issues through the special education complaint process. The process is a powerful tool to safeguard students' welfare as well as members' workplace rights and members should...

The delivery of specially designed instruction is the core job responsibility of special education teachers. IDEA regulations define “specially designed instruction” as “adapting, as appropriate to the needs of an eligible child under this part, the...

Kappa League, a program that offers Black and Latino high school boys a chance to develop leadership skills while preparing for college, now has a small but growing presence in New York City public schools thanks to the efforts of two UFT members.

Jennifer Figueroa believes that anyone can be an artist. And the Bronx native, now in her third year of teaching art at PS 178 in Co-op City, knows that an expansive definition of "artist" helps kids take pride in all kinds of creativity.

Review this page to reference federal laws, regulations and policy guidance regarding special education.

The teacher leader team at IS 145 in Jackson Heights, Queens, has stepped up to help keep pace with the changing needs of the students and the teachers at the school, which is located in one of the city’s most ethnically diverse neighborhoods.

The UFT traveled to IS 145 in Queens on Sept. 4 to celebrate the school's achievement in bringing all 6th-grade classrooms into compliance with the state class size law limits. This year, 6th-grade classes will have a limit of 23 students, down from...

Dial-A-Teacher, the UFT’s homework help line that offers K–12 students free assistance from city Department of Education teachers in all school subjects in seven languages, is back for its 41st year.

A cluster teacher at PS 372, The Children’s School, in Brooklyn, shows off the LEGO wall he's built in his classroom to support the educational needs of his District 75 students.

English Language Learners (ELLs)/Multi-Lingual Learners (MLLs) recommended to receive specialized instruction in special classes may be served in bilingual special classes or in special classes with students who are not ELLs/MLLs.

The Board and the Union recognize the need to maintain both staff stability and an equitable balance of experienced and inexperienced teachers in the schools. To meet this need, and to provide opportunities within this framework for teachers to...

Employees who elect to be employed in the Board's program which implements Chapter 683 of the Laws of 1986 ("Program") shall serve under the following terms and conditions of employment during July and August: The gross annual salary rate of each...

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...

If your certification is expiring you need to do the following to apply for your professional certificate: You will need to apply for the appropriate certificate through your Teach account. You will need to email your Human Resource Director to...

A team of three co-teachers at Harlem's Urban Assembly School for Global Commerce use their diverse teaching talents to help their students make huge leaps in ELA and ENL, earning them an Excellence in Education Award at this year's UFT Academic High...