The UFT says a 6-point drop in overall ELA test scores by city public schoolchildren points to an "incompetent" implementation by the city DOE of new reading intervention programs, and the union is demanding reforms.

At the UFT’s annual city legislative breakfast, 28 City Council members heard how critical an annual “RESPECT check” would be in reversing the paraprofessional shortage in schools. They also heard appeals from union representatives for continued city...

When Roy Fialkow retired in 2019 after a 29-year career as an adaptive physical education teacher, his life came full circle: He returned to Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, where he had been a dancer in his 20s, as the nonprofit’s education...

Planning to retire? Here's the information you need.

I can honestly say that when I shifted my goal from “How much can I get done in a day?” to “What are the best ways I can teach my students today?” I began to feel more comfortable and confident in my classroom, says a third-year special education...

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...

About 900 educators, along with 100 public school parents, made the three-hour trek by bus to Albany for UFT Lobby Day on March 11 to urge lawmakers to fix Tier 6 of the pension system, overhaul mayoral control of city schools and increase state...

Roughly 350 new retirees gathered for the New Retiree Luncheon at the New York Hilton Midtown on Dec. 5 to toast their life after retirement. 


Over the years, the United Federation of Teachers has grown to include many different kinds of educators and school-based professionals who share common interests and concerns. These various groups have formed chapters of their own, known as...

Teachers, school psychologists, guidance counselors, school social workers, librarians, attendance teachers, school secretarial staff and laboratory specialists may be permitted to withdraw a resignation. Take the following steps: Contact the NYC...

Find more resources about special classes.

The UFT resolves to continue our founders’ work to preserve public education, protect workers’ rights and do our part in solidarity with our fellow workers to fight for a nation and world where we all can live and thrive in our workplaces and in our...

New York’s labor movement came together on an extraordinary scale Sunday, March 8, to demand pension reforms at a rally at the MVP Arena in Albany.

We thank those who preceded us and paved the way for us to celebrate our 63rd anniversary, knowing that the UFT has made unique and important contributions to public education, to the labor movement and to millions of people’s lives.

Participants got to try Energetic: The Board Game, which challenges players to work together to decarbonize New York City while factoring in funding, zoning, political support and other factors.

District 12’s Scholarship Breakfast, which has grown in size every year since its 2018 inception, brought nearly 500 attendees to Villa Barone Manor in the Bronx on June 3.

The unavailability of a teacher to cover a class (i.e., a substitute teacher) constitutes an emergency.

Karen Alford is vice president for elementary schools. She spearheads the union's United Community Schools initiative, which strengthens schools by offering wraparound health and social services in the school building for the entire community.

Michael Mulgrew, the UFT president since July 2009, was reelected to the position for the sixth time in May, receiving 54% of the votes. The independent Global Election Services, which conducted the election for the first time, announced the...

The UFT has created a new telehealth benefit for members who are not eligible for city health insurance. UFT members who are substitute paraprofessionals, per-diem teachers and members of the union’s ADAPT Community Network Chapter can now access...

After 28 years in the New York City public school system, retired teacher Jo-Ann Marks' childhood dream takes flight when she begins a second career with Frontier Airlines.

Students in the premedical academy at John Dewey HS in Brooklyn came up with the idea to start a club to help students of color, who are traditionally underrepresented in the field, pursue their interests in medicine and, with the help of teacher...

The UFT's first-ever Pension Expo on Oct. 26 gave 400 UFT members the information and tools they needed to plan for retirement. “We provided members a place where in one day they could take care of all these things they were concerned about and never...

In March, educators at Maxine Green HS for Imaginative Inquiry in Manhattan received word that their school would close in June. Winning the Academic High School Division's Team High School Award, said the chapter leader, was "a fitting end to the...

Karina Budhu, an aspiring teacher and SVA apprentice, is a rare woman in tech and the winner of this year's Edwin Espaillat Award at the 2025 CTE Awards Recognition Ceremony.

There are excellent online audio and visual resources that speech improvement teachers and classroom teachers alike can use to help students develop their listening and speaking skills. These media-rich resources provide ways to listen to language...

Conversion Charter Schools back to top Pursuant to Article 56 of the New York State Education Law (the "Charter Schools Law") an existing public school may be converted to a charter school. As modified below, teachers of a Conversion Charter School...

Contact information for UFT headquarters, borough offices, departments and hotlines. Use it to find email addresses, phone numbers and maps for key locations.

UFT Vice President Mary Vaccaro delivered testimony before the City Council on examining screen time and the use of digital devices in New York City Public Schools.

The UFT welcomed its newest members this spring with a series of events, from bowling and arcades to nature walks and paint and sips, geared to build community, connection and camaraderie.

More than 300 educators in grades 3-K though 2 enjoyed a day of inspiration, camaraderie and professional development with an emphasis on how important a strong start is to a child’s educational achievement.

A unique new elective at Eleanor Roosevelt HS on Manhattan's Upper East Side designed by computer science teacher Susan Ettenheim and known as Patterns of the World, allows students to apply computer science principles to the visual arts.

Steven Leaderman, a teacher at P370, a District 75 program in Coney Island, has created an innovative vocational program that has his students sort and deliver school supplies. The program helps the students develop key vocational and life skills...

Go along with teachers Maureen Collins and Jessica Smalley of PS 264 in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, as they take their 3rd-graders on a field trip to the New York Aquarium as a complement to the HMH into Reading curriculum.

As AI penetrates public education faster than policy can keep up, educators are being asked to navigate powerful new tools with little guidance. To help fill that void, the AFT has released a framework meant to ensure AI supports teaching and...