As another school year comes to a close, we as school counselors reflect on the crucial role we play in helping our students achieve their personal best in the academic, social/personal and career domains. Our efforts as student advocates and school...

If you’re like many new teachers, you’re working under an Initial, Internship or Transitional B teaching certificate that will eventually expire. With the school year half over, now is a good time to take stock of the progress you’re making toward...

If you are planning to create lesson plans related to the Climate Action Days or want to integrate climate change more regularly in your classroom, there are many high-quality materials online.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew writes that we will see meaningful improvements in our working conditions — and our students’ learning conditions — this school year as a result of fights we undertook as a union for the changes we need. 


Educators and other professionals can benefit from taking time to reflect, release tension and recharge. Summer is a great time to slow down and reset, but don’t wait for summer for self-care!

The UFT endorses Melinda Katz in her primary for Queens District Attorney, Darcel Clark in her primary election for Bronx District Attorney, and Michael McMahon in his primary election for Staten Island District Attorney.

You may take time following the death of a family member without loss of CAR days. If your parent, child, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, spouse or domestic partner, or parent of spouse or domestic partner or any other relative or step-relative of...

UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued a statement in response to Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposed $827 million cuts to education in his executive budget.

Beautiful skyline, sunny day Everyone scurrying on their way Twin Towers standing tall and erect Representing much of what we respect.

See frequently-asked questions regarding special education.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew issued a statement in response to the state Education Department's announcement that it would revise a memo that barred schools from requiring parental consent for in-school COVID-19 testing of students.

This is not the first time the state has earmarked money to reduce class size (previously early grades) only to have the city Department of Education misuse the funds. During the Bloomberg administration, when Joel Klein was the schools chancellor...

Does Special Coordination of Benefits (SCOB) apply to the Optical Plan? Yes. Members and their spouse/ domestic partner who are also members are entitled to SCOB.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew backs a City Council bill that would create an Office of Healthcare Accountability to rein in overcharges by hospitals that a study found inflated employee health care costs by up to $2.4 billion.

Educators have stressful jobs with long hours and a range of challenges, and they may experience burnout as a result. Here are some signs of burnout and ways to address it.

PS 896 in Sunset Park had no chapter leader, delegate or paraprofessional representative, and an administration that placed excessive demands on the staff. The turnaround was stark after Anna Willis, a second-year, untenured teacher, took on the...

Meditation can lower your stress level, reduce anxiety and depression, increase your ability to concentrate and bring a sense of calm and purpose to your life.

Emma Gomez, a new chapter leader job at PS 206 in Rego Park, Queens, organized an action every single weekday in March 2020 as part of the Queens borough office’s March Madness initiative in schools to help boost morale and build strong chapters.

Transfers of attendance teachers from one district office, superintendency or organizational unit to another district office, superintendency or organizational unit will be granted on the following basis: A. General Transfers Principals, attendance...

Some 350 guests were treated to fiery lion dancers and a delicious traditional Chinese meal as the UFT Asian Heritage Committee hosted its annual Lunar New Year Banquet. Marian C. Thom, the founder and longtime chair of the committee, was honored.

The holidays are an opportunity to reconnect and celebrate with family and friends, but they can also cause social, emotional and financial stress. So it’s important to take time for yourself and approach the holidays in a way that will preserve your...

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.


September is a great time to set your intentions for how you’d like the school year to proceed and put strategies in place to help you achieve your goals.


Black history is American history. We've compiled the following lesson plans, teaching ideas and online resources to help teachers celebrate Black History Month in February. See the materials below, organized by grade level.

Mike Sill is the UFT’s secretary and also serves as the director of personnel, payroll and special projects. Elected to office in 2019, he is serving his second term within UFT leadership. Mike received his bachelor’s degree in English from...

Summer is a great time to get your diet on track for more energy and a healthier and longer life. How much do you know about the building blocks of a healthy diet? This may be the time to fine-tune—or overhaul—what and how you eat.

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.

All vacancies within the bargaining unit shall be posted at the work site for seven (7) work days. Before a new employee is hired for any bargaining unit position, current bargaining unit members who meet the posted qualifications will be promoted to...

Both parents are each entitled to six weeks of UFT parental leave if they both work for the DOE in UFT-represented titles. In the 2023 DOE-UFT contract, the union fixed a thorny issue with the original 2018 parental leave agreement: When both the...

Math teacher makes innovative use of dry-erase tables inside her Brooklyn classroom.

Natalie Kavral is a 2011 graduate of the plumbing program at Queens Technical High School. Now, more than a decade later, Kavral, one of only two female plumbing teachers in New York City public schools, teaches plumbing and runs the plumbing program...

The activities of this unit will provide students with hands-on manipulative experience, an introduction to the skills of behavioral observation and data collection and an appreciation of the complex nature of insect ecology and behavior.

The DOE has developed a comprehensive plan to address the identification and treatment of food allergies and the use of epi-pens in New York City schools.