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Beware of larger classes

Getting it all done

Anyone who works in a demanding setting knows that effective time management is a key to success. Here are some ways to set yourself up for a more productive and better year ahead.

Elizabeth Rivera, Lorge School teacher

Elizabeth Rivera has been teaching for 17 years at the Lorge School, a UFT-represented nonpublic, year-round school where teachers are represented by the UFT. The school serves students ages 5-21 who are diagnosed with learning disabilities...

Your union is here for you

UFT Vice President for Elementary Schools Karen Alford writes that we are excited to return to our classrooms to do what we do best after recharging over the summer. And we won’t let budget cuts or layoffs stop us from providing our public school...

Site for sore eyes

The UFT chapter leader of Vision Education Services revamped the program's website for the Department of Education.

Teacher’s Choice for 2022-23 school year

Thanks to the union’s advocacy, UFT-represented educators will be reimbursed for some out-of-pocket expenses through Teacher’s Choice at the same levels as the previous school year. Teachers will once again receive about $250.

Inspiring students to write their stories

My students can express their voices through journal writing, poetry and narrative story writing. I want my students to know their stories don’t have to be confined to their hearts.

S.I. debuts bigger borough office

A new Staten Island borough office that can accommodate more in-house activities had its grand opening on Aug. 31, with UFT President Michael Mulgrew and other union officials on hand.

Termination pay requires address

Checks for termination pay are mailed to the address on file with the city Department of Education. If you have moved since you retired, you must update your address with the DOE.

On Staten Island, it’s game on

The return of in-person card games is one of the most eagerly anticipated fall activities for retirees at the UFT Staten Island borough office, which has reopened in a new barrier-free location on South Avenue that has larger rooms for classes than...

It’s never too late to soar

After 28 years in the New York City public school system, retired teacher Jo-Ann Marks' childhood dream takes flight when she begins a second career with Frontier Airlines.

In unity, transformed

As we measure our own behavior, we are apt to see patterns and motivations. We also see that the role of the human individual is intertwined with others. Sociologists call it group dynamics. In the labor movement, we call it solidarity.

2022 COLA increase is 3%

Based on current Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures, the September 2022 COLA, which retired members will see in their September pension checks, is 3.0%.

‘A shining light’

PS 20 in Flushing, Queens, paid tribute to beloved physical education teacher Scott Brower, 42, who died March 20 after being struck by a speeding motorcyclist on Long Island.

The challenges ahead

The most pressing issues facing us this school year are the mayor’s needless budget cuts that we fought against throughout the summer, a class size bill that requires the governor’s signature to become law, and contract negotiations that we are eager...

A real page-turner

Heaping pallets of high-interest books greeted new teachers on Aug. 13 at the United Federation of Teachers’ Bronx borough office, where they were able to choose 50 volumes each from among the thousands offered to build their classroom libraries as...

Who will teach the kids?

Wage gaps, lack of public support, burnout, a strong emphasis on testing, and cultural and political wars are all factors in a nationwide teacher shortage that has many school systems struggling.

Workers vote “yes” in union elections

Unions prevailed in 641 National Labor Relations Board elections during the first half of the year, the largest number of victories for those six months in almost two decades, according to Bloomberg Law’s NLRB Election Statistics: Midyear 2022 report...

Report: Teachers’ salaries not keeping up

The Miami-Dade County School Board on July 28 accepted two health and sexual education textbooks for use in middle and high schools, reversing a decision from just the previous week to reject the curriculum over fears it could violate the state’s...

Sex-ed clash in Miami-Dade

Teaching salaries have not kept pace with wages in professions where workers have similar education levels, according to a new Economic Policy Institute (EPI) report.


Tech tools for parent outreach

Parent outreach doesn’t have to mean making individual phone calls one by one the old school way. By using tech tools, you can streamline your process for contacting families and make those connections more successful.

Gateway to the world

Arts programs may be on the chopping block this fall as school principals look for ways to cut costs in the face of Mayor Adams’ school budget cuts. But for many educators, the pandemic has proven that arts instruction is more important than ever.

Leaving no stone unturned at Green-Wood

A tour about pollinators and another that focuses on architecture are just two of the many educational tours that can serve as class trips at The Green-Wood Cemetery, a 478-acre National Historic Landmark chartered in 1838 in western Brooklyn.

Unfair funding

It's time for the Department of Education’s Fair Student Funding formula to live up to its name and provide New York City public schools with the resources to help all our children succeed. The per-pupil funding formula that has determined the...

Mulgrew: We won’t swap time for money

UFT President Michael Mulgrew told members at a virtual union town hall on Aug. 22 that one item that would not be on the bargaining table in contract talks expected to begin sometime this fall would be longer workdays in return for larger pay raises...

Fostering success

New York City has taken the first steps to support students in the foster care system by beginning to establish a government team dedicated to that purpose. It must go the rest of the way and help these kids get everything they need to thrive.

Hopeful sign for class-size bill

The landmark class size bill passed by both houses of the state Legislature in June has not yet become law because it still lacks the governor’s signature.

Stepping up to support families

The UFT doubled down this year on its customary end-of-summer initiatives to support students and teachers with school supply giveaways, information, resources and plain old fun.

Tips for preparing your classroom

Your classroom is more than a physical space. Here are some ideas to consider as you begin a new school year, whether you’re setting up a classroom for the first time or looking at one with fresh eyes after the summer.

Blooming with pride

Fourth-year teacher and sustainability coordinator Amanda Cleary launched a garden club at P 37, a District 75 school on Staten Island, and along with vegetables and flowers, pride and a sense of responsibility are nurtured there.

A 'get to know you' activity

Second-grade teachers Linda Querni and Patricia Greco used Play-Doh as a "get to know you" activity at the start of school. Students used the Play-Doh to answer the prompts and then discussed with their classmates to learn about each other.

RTC at AFT convention

Kudos to David Smoke, PS 315, and Cindy Lerner, PS 19, in Manhattan

When PS 315, the East Village Community School, moves on Sept. 8 into the First Avenue building that houses PS 19, the chapter leaders for the two Manhattan schools can take a bow for their work in ensuring a smooth merger that meets the needs of...

Back to School 2022

It was a day of greetings and learning for educators and students across the city as they headed back to school on Sept. 8, 2022.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Staten Island borough office

A new Staten Island borough office that can accommodate more in-house activities had its grand opening on Aug. 31.

UFT media advisory for Thursday, Sept. 8

The UFT is launching a September radio ad campaign welcoming students and staff back to school and pledging to keep fighting for the funding New York City schools need.