Political action, including legislative efforts, are vitally important to the welfare of our schools, our members and our union.

Representatives from various UFT departments are available to visit your school to speak with your members about important issues.

Retiree Ann Mackey founded the Coastal New Jersey Chapter of the LPGA Amateurs, the recreational amateur arm of the Ladies Professional Golf Association, fostering fellowship on the fairway and empowering women, one golf swing at a time.

The historic uprising for Black lives in the summer of 2020 sparked educators at Brooklyn’s New Utrecht HS to launch an Equity Team to tackle racial inequality.

We believe that there now exists a historic opportunity to build peace in Ireland. The start of the talks process is one expression of the great potential which has now presented itself. This process belongs to us all and should be informed by as...

UFT members at PS 35 in Hollis, Queens, won a hard-fought arbitration decision against a principal engaging in union animus. The decision confirms members’ rights to conduct union activity without interference or retaliation.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew warned at the Oct. 12 Delegate Assembly that the UFT and its fellow unions are entering a fierce battle to protect their premium-free health care.

UFT Vice President for Special Education MaryJo Ginese writes that our special education teachers, paraprofessionals and related service providers do incredible work supporting children with IEPs, but the DOE too often has not fulfilled its part.


Members will receive detailed information about the new city health care plan directly from NYCE PPO. Learn more about enrollment in our new health care plan.

This UFT workshop meets the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) training requirement of the NYS Education Department for state certification.

Running through a sprinkler on a hot day. The taste of corn fresh from the grill. Swimming in a river, lake, ocean or pool. These are but a few of the joys of summer. Make sure to be in the moment and savor the simple pleasures of these long, bright...

“Be kind, rewind” is a slogan that disappeared with VHS tapes, but it succinctly illustrates the basic elements of kindness: Even a small, seemingly trivial act can make life a little better for someone you don’t know.

Louise Naples, a retired school secretary, has become an avid quilter in retirement. Her quilts were recently on display at The Center, a communal gathering space at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Kew Gardens, Queens.

The UFT’s Retired Teachers Chapter hosted a celebratory luncheon on March 6 to recognize 68 educators who have been union members for 50, 60 or more years. 


As a new teacher, you are bound to encounter situations with students that are challenging to navigate. If you find yourself in one of the following situations, here is some guidance for making a plan of action.

The precise risk of disease from low-level, short-term exposure to asbestos is unknown. There is no scientific evidence that casual exposure to asbestos — such as the amounts typically found in schools — will cause a problem.

CookShop, the federally funded nutrition education program of the Food Bank For New York City, helps children, teens and adults develop the nutrition knowledge and cooking skills to make healthy food choices on a limited budget, and fosters...

The number of students with disabilities in an Integrated Co-Teaching class may not exceed 40 percent of the total class register with a maximum of 12 students with disabilities.

Educators who are serving or who have served in the U.S. military qualify for special leaves of absence and may be eligible for special benefits

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.

A coalition of parents and teachers at PS 28 in the Mount Hope section of the Bronx, drawing on the expertise of UFT organizer Betty Zohar, formed in December to prod the police and local officials to clean up the school's entrance, where drug users...

Educators' extra efforts working collaboratively and leading their students at Francis Lewis HS in Queens paid off with an extra special Black History Month celebration featuring a number of high-profile speakers, including film director Malcolm Lee...

UFT Vice President Mary Vaccaro writes that Teacher Center specialists with extensive teaching and coaching expertise in New York City public schools offer support, professional development, collegial advice and access to resources and materials that...

UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella Hinds encourages high school educators to continue to expand their own knowledge base through reading a variety of texts. Being an avid reader, she writes, helps educators better guide their...

The Family Child Care Providers Chapter signed and ratified its third contract with the state’s Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) in 2022. See highlights of your contractual rights.

Nature journaling not only boosts students’ attention, sense of well-being and joy, but also strengthens their scientific, mathematical and critical-thinking skills. 


Financial literacy is a foundational life skill, yet too many young people reach adulthood without it. Here are several comprehensive, nonpartisan resources teachers can trust.

The latest online mapping tools can do much more than get us from point A to B. With features such as data collection and media integration, online maps can be used in the classroom to take student activities in completely new directions. 


While technology tools cannot and should not replace hands-on art making, these digital resources can be used to bring the arts, which may be otherwise lacking in your students’ school day, into your curriculum in meaningful ways.

Days are longer and the sun’s rays don’t only help flowers bloom — they also have a way of making us feel happier and more energized. So embrace your inner sun worshipper and enjoy the benefits of the season.

With the shift from summer to fall, now is the time to reap the benefits of a likely change in routine, to make decisions about what’s really important — and to develop whatever new habits you’ve been meaning to.