A. Hours Teachers serving in the schools shall have a six-hour and 20-minute day and such additional time as provided for below. The pay rates of employees covered by this agreement will be increased in accordance with the rates set forth herein. The...

The union has negotiated and advocated strongly for many years to maintain the integrity of lesson plans as a tool created by and for teachers. Here are the rights and responsibilities that teachers have vis-a-vis lesson plans.

The Board recognizes the Union as the exclusive bargaining representative of all those assigned as teachers in the regular day school instructional program; all those employed as per session teachers; all those assigned as teachers at WNYE; all...

The irony is stunning. As the UFT prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary, the Department of Education has announced its plans to close the school where the first stirrings of teacher unionism began here almost a century ago.

From the earliest days of the UFT, presidents Charles Cogen and Al Shanker knew that educators could be a powerful tool for reform. Educators knew first-hand the problems that their students faced, and they encouraged educators to come up with...

The new world of special education teacher certification is complicated. Learn more about certification for special education positions.

Cumulative Absence Reserves and Sick Leave back to top Teachers on regular appointment reinstated after retirement will be credited with the cumulative reserves remaining to their credit upon retirement and such reserves as they accumulated as...

Thousands of New York City public school teachers work together in Integrated Co-Teaching classrooms, in which one special education teacher and one general education teacher work alongside each other. But what are the ingredients of a successful...

Ever the agent provocateur, Al Shanker reminded the large UFT Teacher Union Day audience last fall that in the 1950s there was no shortage of naysayers who said teachers would never get their act together: “Can teachers ever be organized? Well, no...

Learn about the process for appealing a final rating.

Since students who are English language learners or multilingual learners (ELLs/MLLs) may be assigned to ICT classes, the question of who is qualified to provide Integrated English as a New Language services in an ICT setting often arises.

Per diem service refers to pedagogic personnel serving on a day to day basis in a school and/or any of its programs.

The provisions in the DOE-UFT contract regarding program preferences and professional activity assignments give teachers a voice about which classes they will teach the following year and which professional activities they are assigned.

Additional compensation salary schedule (2022–27)

The United Federation of Teachers will work with the AFT to support international teachers who were exploited by DOE administrators and will fight to ensure these teachers are covered by the same rights and protections of all current UFT members.

The UFT turns 36 this year [1996]. As unions go, that makes us a fairly new kid on the block. But the reality is that our labor roots stretch back to 1916 and that most of our founding mothers and fathers have either retired or passed on. Even those...

Dial-A-Teacher, the UFT’s free homework helpline, is a lifeline for students every Monday through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. when school is in session. It offers K-12 students and their parents homework support from licensed teachers in English, math...

This award-winning series of articles by Jack Schierenbeck originally appeared in the New York Teacher in 1996 and 1997.

Functional chapters are made up of UFT members who perform a particular job, rather than work together at a school or worksite. Functional chapters were formed to allow UFT members with common issues and concerns to have a voice on the job.

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...

At PS 13 on Staten Island, UFT members and the principal began holding initial planning conferences "on the move." That seemingly minor change has delivered outsized benefits in teacher morale — and possibly even student achievement.

Given the city’s diverse student population, a pressing issue for educators has been how to differentiate instruction to reach all students using one of the new reading curriculum programs.

Paraprofessionals perform vital work in schools. There are career ladder positions available for paras as well as opportunities for educational advancement for paras interested in becoming teachers, school counselors, psychologists or other titles.

Here are some items to take care of right away and others that will help you prioritize and stay on track.

Wage gaps, lack of public support, burnout, a strong emphasis on testing, and cultural and political wars are all factors in a nationwide teacher shortage that has many school systems struggling.

Whether you co-teach on a regular basis or sit on the same grade or subject team as other educators, you have a host of colleagues who can be your allies and support network.

Integrated co-teaching (ICT) classes are taught by two teachers — a general education or content-area teacher and a special education teacher. A co-teaching relationship needs two willing partners who are communicative, collaborative and cooperative...

Download print-friendly versions of UFT-DOE and city contracts.

Here is the calendar for the 2025-26 school year.

For Milton Pincus, the decision to call off the November 7th strike in return for Mayor Robert Wagner’s promise of a fact-finding committee loaded with the leading lights of the city’s labor movement, was a no-brainer. From where he stood — outside...

Learn about commonly used terms in evaluation and what they mean.

A. Work During the School Year Normal work hours for Bargaining Unit Members will be from 8:00 a. m. to 4:00 p. m. Monday through Friday, inclusive of a one-hour lunch period, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Head of School. Bargaining...

UFT Vice President for Education Mary Vaccaro writes that the UFT Teacher Center has been a leader in providing New York City public school educators with high-quality professional learning for more than 40 years. The program recently has begun...

On any day when a Teacher’s absence due to a vacated position or unpaid leave of absence necessitates that a class be covered by an Assistant Teacher, the Employer shall select one Assistant Teacher to be a Special Assistant Teacher for that day. The...