A. Conversion Charter Schools 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, nurses and therapists of a Conversion Charter...

More than 1,600 paraprofessionals and fellow UFT members came together from across the city on April 2 to call on the New York City Council to pass legislation to give paraprofessionals an annual “RESPECT check” of $10,000.

Are you concerned about paying back your student loans? The Student Debt Relief Program, brought to you by the UFT, is here to help.

Throughout the school year, teachers apply for “per-session” activities that are done either before or after school, on the weekend or holidays, or during the summer. If you apply for and are accepted for such an activity, you are paid at the per...

More than 1,000 members and guests turned out to affirm the work of paraprofessionals at the annual Paraprofessional Awards Luncheon. A total of 16 honorees were recognized for their work supporting students across the city, with UFT leaders...

We’ve known for decades that smaller classes enhance teaching and learning. But the pandemic drove home that class size is also a public health issue. We are pushing for legislation that would change the health section of the city’s administrative...

In January 2017, the city Department of Education fulfilled its agreement to clear 765 public school buildings of light fixtures containing the probable carcinogen polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs.

A. Policy It is the policy of the Board to encourage discussion on an informal basis between a supervisor and an Employee of any Employee complaint. Such discussion should be held with a view to reaching an understanding which will dispose of the...

The UFT is pushing New York State to update the formula it uses to allocate Foundation Aid to better reflect the actual cost of education and the particular needs of each school district’s students.

School secretaries were honored with awards, flowers and festivities at the union’s School Secretaries Awards Soiree on June 2. The theme of the evening was “resilience.”

The new academic year marks the start of the statewide bell-to-bell ban on cellphones and any other internet-enabled electronic communication devices in schools. The UFT successfully fought for the restriction to help students focus.

In December 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a bill that allowed UFT members who are enrolled in the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) to transfer into the Teachers’ Retirement System if they wish. Read our FAQ and view important...

As they learned about the latest treatment protocols and other workplace issues at their annual union conference, Federation of Nurses/UFT members vowed they would continue fighting to make the state enforce the landmark 2022 safe staffing law and...

The diet-health connection established in the 1980's is evolving, in the 1990's, into a diet-health-environment connection. This unit will illustrate how our daily choices in the areas o diet, exercise, recreation hobbies and attitudes affect not...

Every year, we ask you to nominate a colleague who does outstanding work. During this challenging and unusual school year, we wanted to highlight a therapist who has provided outstanding in-person and tele-therapy. Here's a conversation with our...

A. Posting and Filling Assignments A copy of the current social worker and psychologist assignments will be posted in each superintendency. Open assignments occurring for Psychologists and Social Workers shall be filled in accordance with the Open...

Public servants, including public school educators and nurses, may be on their way to a reduction or elimination of their crushing burden of debt thanks to a landmark settlement announced Oct. 13 between the U.S. Department of Education and the...

UFT President Michael Mulgrew wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News calling for an update to New York’s budget process to make it more democratic and responsive to the needs of communities.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew testified before the New York State Senate and New York City Committees on Education and the New York State Assembly Committee on Education regarding mayoral control of New York City public schools.

The UFT hosted an afternoon of food, fun and free coats for students experiencing homelessness at its Thanksgiving Luncheon on Nov. 20, when more than 130 children filled Shanker Hall at UFT headquarters in Manhattan.

Added provisions regarding other working conditions covered under the contract.

Anne Goldman, the UFT vice president for non-DOE members and the head of the Federation of Nurses/UFT, testified before the New York City Council Committees on Hospitals and Health in support of Council Member Julie Menin's bill to create an Office...

Where the Board is legally required to provide coverage for mandated paraprofessional services to children in special education programs, paraprofessionals employed to provide such coverage shall serve under the following conditions: No fewer than...

The library at Bard Early College in Long Island City, Queens, is getting a makeover to make it more accessible for students with disabilities, thanks to a partnership between Jessica deCourcy Hinds, the school’s library director, and students in the...

The push to ensure New York City implements the state class size law gained new momentum this spring after state lawmakers included a provision in the state budget requiring the city Department of Education to fund class size reduction in individual...

Anne Goldman, vice president for non-DOE and private sector members at the Federation of Nurses/UFT, delivered testimony before the City Council Committee on Hospitals.

A sustained campaign by UFT members to reform Tier 6 of the New York State's pension system pays off with state lawmakers dropping to 58, from 63, the age at which members can retire without penalty with 30 years of service.


A. Excessing Rules - Appointed Secretaries Before applying the Rules for involuntary excessing, the senior school secretary within license who volunteers will be excessed from the school to a vacancy within the same district or in the case of high...

A. Excessing Rules-Appointed Psychologists and Social Workers Before applying the Rules for involuntary excessing, the senior social worker or psychologist (as applicable) who volunteers will be excessed to a vacancy within the same superintendency...

This unit will enable students to identify monkeys and apes and the similarities they share with humans. Their differences will be explored as well. Students will learn about the family and social structures, behavioral characteristics and physical...

This unit will provide information concerning the hunting and trapping of animals and how this has led to extinction and endangerment of some species. Alternatives to the use of animals for fur will also be explored.