In July, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced a plan to import the worst part of Medicare Advantage — prior authorizations — into traditional Medicare. Prior authorization requirements will be established for certain traditional...

Pedagogical DOE employees who are injured or made sick on the job are covered by the Line of Duty Injury provision of the DOE-UFT contract — not workers’ compensation. The following Q&A answers some of the most frequently asked questions about Line...

UFT-represented employees covered by the DOE-UFT contract will see a pay raise of 3.5 percent on Sept. 15.

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. 


James J. McBratney, a product of Staten Island public schools, is a successful business owner and financial adviser best known on Staten Island as the proprietor of Jimmy Max Restaurant, a community staple he dropped out of college to open in 1989.

The number of new teachers who turned out on Aug. 26 for the kickoff of New Teacher Week was about twice as large as last year, thanks to the surge of hiring over the summer to reduce class sizes in some 750 schools. As the new hires lined up outside...

Two years after Florida expanded a law allowing tax dollars to fund private school scholarships, school districts across Florida are facing declining enrollment and the loss of millions of dollars in public funding as more families opt for state...

The Trump administration has unilaterally stripped hundreds of thousands of workers at four federal agencies of their union contracts after a federal appeals court overruled an injunction that had halted the plans. 


A US Supreme Court ruling allows the Trump administration to proceed with 1,400 layoffs at the U.S. Department of Education.

The UFT Delegate Assembly voted on July 8 to endorse Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor in the November elections. At a news conference at union headquarters the following day, Mamdani pledged to work with the union to...

The start of the year is a good time to consider what equipment you have on hand, what you may need to obtain, your classroom protocols related to technology, and what technology projects you’d like to pursue. Here is a framework for doing this...

As any seasoned teacher will tell you, it’s important to start the school year off on a good note. Along with essentials like reviewing classroom rules and units of study, ice breakers play a key role in setting the right tone and building rapport...

Federal workers have faced a dizzying mix of reductions in force, firings of probationary workers, early retirements and deferred resignations since Trump became president for the second time. The Federal Unionists Network (FUN) in New York City is...

The UFT-DOE contracts contain protections against a wide range of discriminatory or harassing behaviors, including sexual harassment. Federal, state and city laws also provide protections. Here is what you need to know.


At its last meeting of the 204-25 school year, the Delegate Assembly passed four resolutions.

If you travel to work by public transportation, you can save money by taking part in the City of New York Commuter Benefits Program, which enables you enables you to pay for allowable commuting costs in the city and the tri-state area with tax-free...

At PS 13 on Staten Island, UFT members and the principal began holding initial planning conferences "on the move." That seemingly minor change has delivered outsized benefits in teacher morale — and possibly even student achievement.

The Municipal Labor Committee and the city reached a tentative agreement with EmblemHealth and UnitedHealthcare on Aug. 28 on a new health care plan for in‑service city workers, pre-Medicare city retirees and their families.

With the new ban on internet-enabled personal electronic devices in New York public schools, we are not taking anything away from our students — instead, we are giving something back. We are giving them back their ability to focus, and we are giving...

As of Aug. 6, the DOE had hired more than 2,300 educators for the 3,700 open positions for class size reduction — about 62% of the need. The progress is significant, but the UFT notes that with hiring shortages throughout the city school system, the...

The historical curiosity of 1st-graders at Manhattan's PS 4 is sparked when co-teachers Lizette Lantigua and Yomayra Gomez take them on a class trip to the 260-year-old Morris-Jumel Mansion, Manhattan's oldest surviving residence.

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 a sign that the pandemic has drawn fully to a close, the city Department of Education’s special COVID-19 leave policy ends this school year. Absenses related to COVID-19 will be charged to members' sick bank.

UFT Chapter Leader Keesha Hopkins successfully led the charge that saved her school, the Brooklyn Academy of Science and Environment, from being merged with another high school co-located in the same building.

A new middle school teacher in the Bronx learns that her fellow teachers are willing to guide and support her when she broke down in tears in the staff lounge after an overwhelming day.


UFT member and parent volunteers handed out about 250 backpacks filled with school supplies to famiiies during Harlem Week festivities on Aug. 18.

More than 1,000 families received backpacks and other school supplies at the union's fourth annual back-to-school supplies giveaway and barbecue on Aug. 7 at PS 21 on Staten Island.

This summer, the AFT and the UFT announced a $23 million partnership with Microsoft, Open AI and Anthropic to forge a first-of-its-kind teacher institute for artificial intelligence: the National Academy for AI Instruction. 


Research shows a positive impact on students when teachers and families are able to work together effectively. Here are UFT Teacher Center tips and strategies to establish a solid relationship between home and school.

Pre-K teacher Melysa Solomon of Manhattan's PS 343 has come up with an innovative way to provide students with their snacks throughout the day.

The United Federation of Teachers represents nearly 200,000 members, including a diverse group of some 78,000 teachers and 26,000 paraprofessionals as well as school counselors, school nurses, social workers and psychologists, occupational and...

A Line of Duty Injury leave must be requested via the DOE’s Self-Service Online Leave of Absence System (SOLAS). The dates of your leave should include only the actual days you are out, so you should request Line of Duty Injury status from the day of...

In some cases, the superintendent or the DOE’s Medical Bureau will deny a Line of Duty Injury status, and it may be necessary to file a grievance or file for medical arbitration, depending on the reason for the denial. Members who have a pending...

Under Line of Duty Injury, pedagogues may apply for important benefits, including paid time off from work to recover and reimbursement of medical expenses. If you are injured in the line of duty, your health plan covers your medical care. You can...

You must notify your administration within 24 business hours of any accident or injury on school grounds or while on school business. Complete the DOE’s Comprehensive Injury Report and return it to your principal. Inform your chapter leader as soon...

School nurse is swamped with cases of 'cellphone withdrawal'!