It was nice to read the article about Jermaine Coley, the school counselor at PS 284 in Brooklyn [“Providing ‘fatherly’ guidance,” April 11, 2025, issue].

Paraprofessionals make so many things happen seamlessly that otherwise would most likely take a huge effort, which would impede time spent on instruction, transportation and other much-needed systems.

I want to bring up something that’s been on my mind and honestly really bothers me: When I hear “boys and girls” being used in the classroom or see students being asked to line up or sit based on their gender. I’ve known kids, even as young as age 5...

In-service members and retirees weigh in on everything from the need for a "RESPECT check" for paraprofessionals to offering warm words about a Brooklyn school counselor to standing up for immigrant students.

Thanks to the efforts of Chapter Leader Debbie Strack Cregan, the members of PS 69 in Jackson Heights found their voice and their collective power in their successful organizing effort to push back against a new and overbearing principal.

Pasha Durr teaches Brooklyn high school students in their homes when they’re unable to physically attend school.

Something as simple as being outside can improve your frame of mind. Seeing the world around you — clouds, birds, children and adults — can help you refocus away from yourself, which is helpful for anyone struggling with depression and anxiety.

Chapter leaders of the five co-located high schools at the Walton Educational Campus in the Bronx celebrated on April 8 the grand reopening of their campus library, a result of the chapter leaders joining forces and convincing their administrators to...

UFT Vice President Anne Goldman writes that in today’s health care settings, the willingness of nurses to speak up for their patients is the essential factor in safeguarding quality care. Nurses who belong to the Federation of Nurses/UFT can advocate...

The new health care committee convened by the UFT spent its first two meetings on April 3 and 30 delving into the intricacies of health care coverage for New York City workers and retirees.

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...

UFT members came together in every borough on the union’s Day of Action on May 6 to demand improvements to Tier 6 of the state pension system.
In Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, members took part in simultaneous after-school rallies, while members on...

I have tackled the challenge of implementing Illustrative Mathematics, the Department of Education’s new mandated algebra curriculum, by embracing the pedagogical practices in “Building Thinking Classrooms," developed by Peter Liljedahl.

The new state budget legislation includes two union priorities — a cell phone ban in schools and funding earmarked for class size reduction — but UFT President Michael Mulgrew said the state’s revised funding formula used to calculate school aid hurt...

UFT members who are currently enrolled in the Board of Education Retirement System have the option to transfer into the Teachers’ Retirement System, under a new state law signed by the governor.

One of the many benefits provided by the Teachers’ Retirement System (TRS) and the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) is the ability to borrow against your Qualified Pension Plan and your Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) savings.

Our country now feels like a dangerous and scary place. And yet, I don’t despair. I’m encouraged to see UFT members taking to the streets and uniting in protest with our fellow union members on a grand scale.

Summer is a good time to check on any outstanding items needed for state certification or to review state education policies if you are being appointed under a different license this upcoming school year. Read answers to common questions below and be...

We can all agree that our health benefits need a reset. For the past two years, the city and the MLC have been involved in a negotiated acquisition process for a new in-service and pre-Medicare retiree health care plan, which we hope will be the...

The number of optical stores available to UFT Welfare Fund-eligible members has increased by almost 800 nationwide with the addition of Visionworks to the General Vision Services network.

Fed up with the DOE’s delay in reimbursing them for travel expenses, itinerant related service providers went public with their frustrations in April. Occupational and physical therapists also called out the DOE for long delays in tuition...

Maria Dela Cruz and her fellow math teachers at Newtown High School in Queens fuel their students' interest in the subject by participating in a national math competition whose live and virtual aspects pique students' desire to go all out to best...

School districts that rely on international exchange programs to hire teachers to address shortages in some subject areas largely opt for J–1 cultural exchange visas. Such districts are feeling the impact of the Trump administration's pause on such...

Maryland is providing $1 million in grants to 11 in-state colleges and universities with the goal of helping federal employees who were laid off under the Trump administration to earn teaching licenses.

A new contract between the United Food and Commercial Workers Union and one of the world’s largest meat companies establishes a pension plan — the first new defined-benefit retirement fund in the industry since 1986.

The federal threats to collective bargaining, Social Security, health care and education funding loomed large at the 53rd annual New York State United Teachers Representative Assembly in Rochester in early May.

The New York City Labor Council, AFL-CIO, organizes a rally every May 1 to mark International Workers’ Day. But the size of this year’s event dwarfed those in years past as more than 15,000 union members, including hundreds of UFT members, marched...

At the June 11 Delegate Assembly, UFT President Michael Mulgrew indicated that the union was leaning toward not making an endorsement in the Democratic primary for mayor.
“There is no clear consensus among the membership,” he said. “It’s one of the...

If someone possesses “information literacy,” they can find, evaluate and effectively use sources of information. With the advent of social media and AI, it’s become easier and easier to spread mis- and disinformation. How can we help our students...

If you feel your contractual rights have been violated, it’s time to speak up and seek a fair resolution. If informal measures don’t fix your issue, your chapter leader can assist you in preparing and filing a grievance, which is the formal way that...

Approximately 30% of New York City schools don’t have libraries, and there are only 250 certified school librarians throughout a system with more than 1,800 schools. School libraries are needed more than ever.

Two New York City high school students have been detained by federal immigration enforcement agents following what should have been routine immigration hearings. Although these arrests did not take place on school property, they have nonetheless been...

At the May Delegate Assembly, delegates passed a resolution opposing election interference and another endorsing City Council candidates in the June 24 Democratic primary.

President Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” which the U.S. House of Representatives passed on May 22 and is now under consideration in the Senate, would spell disaster for public education and critical social services including...

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...

With the state funding that 750 schools received to bring class sizes into compliance with state law, more UFT members will have optimal teaching conditions next school year and are confident that students will benefit from the additional time and...