Ninth-graders at NEST+m, a gifted and talented K-12 school on Manhattan's Lower East Side, took their science lessons to new heights during a class trip to the Intrepid Museum.

About 250 UFT members from the city's academic high schools gathered on April 25 at union headquarters to honor outstanding educators and schools and to celebrate 10 years since the UFT's first Academic High Schools awards.

New pension plan tiers come into existence when the state Legislature enacts new laws that change benefits, contribution rates and service requirements. But a pension tier is never set in amber. Over the past 40 years, legislative amendments to each...

If you are planning to retire in the next year or two, now is the time to start preparing. It may seem early, but trust us, it’s not. 
The UFT Pension Department is here for you to assist in your transition to retirement.


The decision to transfer to a new school is personal and may be based on a variety of reasons. If you wish to transfer, there are more opportunities available to you now than ever before.

If you want a new opportunity, wish to work closer to home or have been placed in excess, the Open Market Transfer Plan gives you the chance to apply for a position at another school. This Q&A addresses the most commonly asked questions about the...

We all came together as a family. This is one of the many times I was proud to be a New York City teacher.

Art teacher Dan Wever said he ran for chapter leader at Sunset Park HS in Brooklyn in 2021 knowing that at some point the union chapter would have to organize to demand the removal of the school’s longtime principal, Victoria Antonini.
 Less than two...

"I got a scarf!" 6-year-old Daisy exclaimed to her friends as she excitedly pulled a pink knitted scarf out of her bag. The scarf matched her new winter coat and the pink heart painted on her face by a Queens Technical HS cosmetology student.

Performers and instructors at the New York City location for Second City, the renowned comedy theater group that has launched the careers of many famous comedians and actors, have chosen the UFT as their bargaining agent, the union announced in May.

Hundreds of families packed the schoolyard at PS 21 on Staten Island for the UFT's third annual back-to-school backpack giveaway, where children received needed backpacks and school supplies, served alongside food and fun.

Si Beagle trips make a seamless transition from in-person walking tours to virtual excursions for Retired Teachers Chapter members.



When PS 315, the East Village Community School, moves on Sept. 8 into the First Avenue building that houses PS 19, the chapter leaders for the two Manhattan schools can take a bow for their work in ensuring a smooth merger that meets the needs of...

See contact information pertinent to UFT Retirees.

Energized UFT members paired up with their fellow union members from the Philadelphia Teachers Union and AFT Pennsylvania on Sept. 21 to get out the vote for Kamala Harris in the battleground state.

Thanks to vigorous lobbying by members from the UFT, its state affiliate NYSUT and other public employee unions in New York state, state lawmakers approved a change in the final average salary calculation for members of Tier 6 of the pension system...

Pension and TRS membership for paraprofessionals

The UFT Welfare Fund Retiree Social Services' Nationwide Telephone Reassurance Program offers support for retirees that is just a phone call away. Retirees can chat for as long as they need about whatever issue they may wish to discuss or may be...

Union members in Minneapolis–St. Paul recently issued a call to show nationwide solidarity on Jan. 23 after a brutal ICE operation led to the killing of Renee Nicole Good and the targeting of students, educators and immigrant communities.

Tom has spent decades fighting for the financial security of New York City’s educators. From running pension workshops, to meeting with UFT members during the school day and beyond to address their needs, Tom is the trusted leader TRS members deserve...

The Pre-K Center Handbook recommends that the school programmer stagger the teachers’ and paras’ lunches so that one of them can be present during lunch.

Topic/Theme/Duration Essential Question(s) Standards Key Students Learning Objectives Sequence of Key Learning Activities Text(s) and Materials to be Used Assessment(s)

This Agreement shall become effective as of October 13, 2007 and shall continue in full force and effect through October 31, 2009.

“What I love about the union - and I don’t have to tell you, a math teacher - there is power in numbers.”

The answer is NO! If the school wants you to accompany a teacher and a class on a school trip, then the school is responsible for your transportation, admission fees and expenses to be incurred as a result of the excursion.

Any regularly appointed teacher may apply for a leave of absence. Leaves of absence with partial pay include military leaves and sabbatical leaves for study and for restoration of health.

A student’s teacher or related service provider may make a referral for a reevaluation. Additional information about reevaluations can be found in the Reevaluation section of the DOE’s Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Manual.

For teachers and paraprofessionals, the first two workdays before students return are both 6 hours and 50 minutes long. For other titles, Tuesday follows regular work hours and Wednesday is six hours and 50 minutes.

Not necessarily. Charter schools each decide what retirement benefits they will offer. They do not automatically provide pension coverage through the New York City Teachers’ Retirement System. However, they may opt to do so.