Staten Island 2nd-graders learn about fire safety and about the history of firefighting during a class trip to the New York City Fire Museum in SoHo.

A First Book giveaway at PS 33 in Manhattan on Feb. 4, co-sponsored by the UFT and the AFT, distributed 5,000 free books to students who are asylum seekers, recent immigrants and newcomers to New York City public schools.

A unique new elective at Eleanor Roosevelt HS on Manhattan's Upper East Side designed by computer science teacher Susan Ettenheim and known as Patterns of the World, allows students to apply computer science principles to the visual arts.

Gov. Hochul’s full budget proposal on Feb. 1 hit all the right notes on school funding but was completely off key on charter schools.

Thanks to the union’s advocacy, the city Department of Education has agreed to take the reorganization of the Division of Early Childhood Education (DECE) off the table for this school year.

The city Department of Education’s high school admissions process this school year takes a step backward, reverting to pre-pandemic screening practices that rely too much on test scores and grades.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew scoffed at Mayor Adams' claim that the city is "almost broke," and said the union's main focus this year would be to negotiate a fair contract for DOE-employed members.

The New York State accidental death benefit for in-service UFT members and other public employees who have passed away due to COVID-19 has been extended through Dec. 31, 2024, thanks to the advocacy of the UFT and other public employee unions.

David Ephross secured much-needed bathroom repairs at PS/IS 308 in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, after repeated requests to the principal were unheeded.

With aggressive marketing, strong lobbying, perks like free rent and millions of dollars of contributions from billionaire investors and philanthropists, the number of Success Academy charter schools has expanded at the expense of traditional public...

Think about expanding your teaching beyond the walls of your classroom with a field trip. Here are some tips to help you plan a trip.

After a rough start to a teaching career during the pandemic, a thrid-year educator is happy to have stuck it out and stayed in the profession.

Teacher Orvil Boatswain’s heating, ventilation and air-conditioning program at the Bronx Design and Construction Academy is the only program of its kind in New York City public high schools, and it regularly wins an annual statewide competition.

Nichole Mills' special education classroom at MS 180 in the Bronx is a dynamic super-space that is simultaneously welcoming and inspiring.

The Broadway League on Feb. 2 kicked off the 2023 season of its Broadway Bridges program to offer $10 Broadway tickets to thousands of high school sophomores and their teachers. To mark the occasion, the league invited 500 educators to Teachers’...

UFT members, along with their families and friends, raced against the clock on the coldest day of the year to find the answers to these questions and others at the first-ever UFT Middle School Division’s Secrets of Grand Central Scavenger Hunt on Feb...

Social workers and school psychologists marked Clinicians Appreciation Day in person at UFT headquarters on Jan. 13 for the first time since the pandemic began.

Educators, family members and community partners attended the UFT's annual Career and Technical Education celebration on Feb. 3 at UFT headquarters in Manhattan, where 85 educators and community partners were honored.

The UFT African Heritage Committee Awards Dinner restored music and festivity to its 20th annual event on Feb. 3, reflected in its theme: “Thriving Into Our Future.”

A key factor in calculating your retirement allowance under the Qualified Pension Plan (QPP) is your Total Service Credit. It helps to determine whether you’re eligible to retire and the amount you’ll receive when you do.

The UFT will start a multifaceted campaign to convince the DOE and the city to limit the scope of discontinuance or denial of tenure of probationary high school teachers to the geographic district in which they teach.

The United Federation of Teachers condemns all forms of police violence, particularly against Black individuals, and we encourage ongoing education and dialogue within our schools and communities to raise awareness about the impact of police violence...

The UFT stands in solidarity with the “Unionize Amazon: Northern Kentucky KCVG” organizing committee and will render all possible mutual aid to these workers in their struggle.

The UFT resolves to convey the urgent need to support libraries to the City Council and other agencies, as they are a necessity for the children we serve. The union will work with NYSUT to influence legislation requiring adequate funding and staffing...

The UFT stands in solidarity with our labor siblings here and abroad, especially with the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers of Britain, offering support where possible. The UFT will educate our members on the labor struggles that...

The following notification was emailed to all members as part of the UFT Update on February 13, 2023.

UFT members and their families and friends raced against the clock to uncover the “secrets of Grand Central Terminal” at the Middle School Division’s first-ever scavenger hunt on Feb. 4, 2023.

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s plan to lift the state’s charter school cap is out of step with the wishes of state residents. A new poll of registered New York voters found that 79% oppose plans to increase the number of charter schools in New York City and...

Staten Island 2nd-graders learn about fire safety and about the history of firefighting during a class trip to the New York City Fire Museum in SoHo.

A standing room-only crowd packed Shanker Hall on Feb. 3 as 450 educators, community partners and family members gathered at UFT headquarters to celebrate career and technical education in New York City public schools. The annual event’s theme was "Rebirth and New Beginnings."

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford testified before the New York State Senate & Assembly Committees on Finance, Ways & Means and Education regarding the proposed FY24 Executive Budget.

Yes. Through Feb. 1, 2024, school counselors received provisional and permanent state certification. As of Feb. 2, 2024, school counselors will be issued initial and professional certification instead. Both certifications will continue to be...

The total number of years of experience hasn’t changed (two years for a permanent certificate and three for a professional one), but the state has changed its definition of a “year of experience.” A minimum of 180 days over a 12-month period in an...

Eligible educators can deduct from their federal income taxes up to $300 of unreimbursed expenses for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other equipment and supplementary materials they use in the classroom...

“Thriving Into Our Future” was the theme of the 20th annual UFT African Heritage Committee Awards Dinner Dance on Feb. 3 at Antun’s in Queens Village. The event coincides with Black History Month in what Chair Wendy Walker-Wilson has described as “a way for us to celebrate our culture.”