Three teachers in Queens — the New York City borough with the most overcrowded classrooms — drive home the benefits of the state's class size law, which mandates smaller numbers of students per class, by sharing their experiences from the front lines...

Marna Davidson, the former coordinator of the Florida Retired Teachers Chapter office, has died at 89.

Alaa Yousef was elected chapter leader at Park Slope Collegiate in Brooklyn this October, and in her first action in that role, she used the operational issues complaint process to get her members paid for instructional lunch periods. When those...

Students enter our classes at different levels of learning. That’s why teachers are evaluated on their students’ progress, rather than on passing rates, which cannot capture the good work we do with students.

As a middle school math teacher, I’ve learned that providing students with spiral reviews — having students revisit concepts throughout the year — created by their peers instills a sense of ownership of the work. It typically makes the problems more...

In 1996, New York Teacher reporter Jack Schierenbeck, a gifted writer and labor scholar, undertook to write a series of articles detailing the history of the UFT. The result, “Class Struggles: The UFT Story,” was a vivid and insightful retelling of...

A. Assistance in Assault Cases The principal shall report as soon as possible but within 24 hours to the Office of Legal Services and to the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning that an assault upon a teacher has been reported to him/her...

Growing up near Coney Island, Brooklyn, Ariella Moshchinsky knew early on that she would pursue a career in the sciences — and she says it was her public school education in Brooklyn schools that helped inspire her to achieve that goal.


Students with disabilities who receive Integrated Co-Teaching services are educated with age-appropriate peers in the general education classroom. ICT provides students the opportunity to be educated alongside their non-disabled peers with the full...

What teacher, guidance counselor, social worker or school psychologist hasn’t had to confront a professional disagreement with a supervisor? Professional conciliation provides a mechanism — a professional space — for attaining a win-win solution that...

The UFT calls on the DOE to recruit, hire and retain special education teachers, counselors, nurses, OT/PT, speech, social workers, paraprofessionals, hearing services and all titles that deal with special education to create a supportive learning...

Word of mouth is the reason many retirees find their way into the Manhattan Section's Si Beagle classes, which are offered online and in person, and again include “dine-arounds,” walking tours and museum trips.

IS 383 Chapter Leader Syreeta Dixon refused to back down when her principal violated the DOE-UFT contract in multiple ways in her Bushwick school’s teacher schedule and then threatened to lay off staff when Dixon called her on it.


As part of their fight for a fair contract, educators across the city on March 30 set out to make their heavy workload visible to their school communities and to the city during a citywide grade-in.

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford writes that we are excited to return to our classrooms to do what we do best after recharging over the summer. And we won’t let budget cuts or layoffs stop us from providing our public school...

Each year since 1984, several of the city’s Career and Technical Education graduates have been nominated for the Success Via Apprenticeship program, which combines college courses with apprenticeships in classrooms and in each student’s chosen...

Information about Touro University courses offered in conjunction with the UFT Course Program.

Be sure to check this page for the latest news and updates regarding certification.

Librarians are valuable colleagues in schools, but often their role is misunderstood. Here is a FAQ to answer many of the questions you may have.

Read the UFT's current legislative policy recommendations for New York City.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew submitted testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Education's hearing on the New York City preliminary budget for fiscal year 2027.

UFT members came together in every borough on the union’s Day of Action on May 6 to demand improvements to Tier 6 of the state pension system.
In Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, members took part in simultaneous after-school rallies, while members on...

Fostering a respectful environment and establishing predictable classroom routines goes a long way toward helping students thrive. But for new and experienced teachers alike, this school year presents fresh challenges to traditional classroom conduct...

In my work as a 10th-grade social studies teacher, I’ve found that fostering student agency — allowing students some choices and control over how their day goes — increases engagement. 
Here are some ways that a classroom teacher can encourage...

George Altomare, a founder of the UFT who led with insight, devotion and a great deal of heart, died on Aug. 20, at age 92 after a long illness. He loved teaching and dedicated his life to improving public school education for New York City students...

The contract requires that each school form a staff development committee to collaboratively review, consider and develop the professional development that is offered during the new time set aside for professional development. This section of the...

PROSE stands for Progressive Redesign Opportunity Schools for Excellence, and the opportunities for redesign at the heart of this program are predicated on the UFT’s core belief that the solutions for schools are to be found within school communities...

The UFT in August won an important grievance filed on behalf of guidance counselors at a Queens middle school who were forced by their principal to cover for the teacher assigned to their school’s SAVE room, instead of meeting with students that they...

Yes, it must. Under the DOE-UFT contract, it is your school’s obligation to provide you with “appropriate and sufficient basic instructional supplies and books,” including textbooks, paper, assessment materials, chalk, microscopes and math...

An evaluator cannot demand that a teacher provide a hard copy of the day’s lesson plan on the spot. When observing a lesson, a supervisor has the right to see the plan of the lesson being taught. The supervisor may take a photo of the plan or ask...

Check out these programs from the UFT to support parents, caregivers and students.

Assistance in Assault Cases back to top The principal shall report as soon as possible but within 24 hours to the Office of Legal Services, to the Chief Executive of School Safety and Planning and to the Victim Support Program that an assault upon a...