Chapter 408 refers to state law and corresponding regulations requiring that: each provider responsible for implementing a student’s IEP (including general and special education teachers, related service providers, and other service providers), be...

In New York City, the maximum number of students with disabilities in an ICT class may not exceed 40% of the total class register. State regulations limit the total number of students with disabilities in an ICT class to 12. The 40% limit and total...

ICT is an instructional model that allows students with disabilities to be educated with age‐appropriate peers without disabilities in the general education classroom with the support of a special education teacher to deliver specially designed...

For special class, SETSS, ICT, and related services, students with disabilities must be grouped by similarity of individual needs, so that the provider may address the needs of each student in the group. Each student’s characteristics in the...

For all subjects for which a student’s IEP does not recommend special education services, the student must receive instruction in a general education class with his/her peers who do not have disabilities. See more information: http://www.uft.org...

In general, only minor changes in the IEP should be made without an IEP team meeting. Changes in the student’s program recommendations and changes that require the participation of the school psychologist on the IEP team cannot be made without a...

All special education program and service recommendations are made by the IEP team during the IEP meeting. All members of the IEP team, mandated or not, may participate in the meeting in full. IEP teams are expected to reach their decision through a...

Participation requirements differ based on the purpose of the meeting; refer to the IEP Team section of the DOE’s Special Education Standard Operating Procedures Manual (SOPM). When a general education teacher is a required participant in an IEP team...

A counseling memo is designed to advise you of a rule or policy. It cannot include or threaten disciplinary action, as a letter in the file can. Counseling memos can be used as part of a disciplinary process only to show that you were notified of the...

Material in your file can be grieved under two specific circumstances: if the letter was written outside the contractual time frame (time limits are specified in the contract) if the underlying substance of the letter violates a specific contractual...

Yes, your signature acknowledges that you have seen it, nothing more. It does not mean that you agree with the content of the letter.

You have the right to attach a response to material that is placed in your file. You do not have to attach your response right away. It is important that you take the time to carefully respond to what is written and review it with your chapter leader...

If you believe your contractual rights have been violated, you should contact your chapter leader for advice and assistance. The chapter leader will enter your grievance in the UFT grievance system and provide both you and your principal with a copy...

Not at all. Before filing a grievance, it is always a good idea to speak with your chapter leader about resolving the issue informally. Our contract also provides for a number of other ways to resolve issues including the operational process for...

The grievance procedure is there to protect your rights and ensure that the contract is adhered to. You can file a grievance in order to remedy a violation of the UFT/DOE contract or DOE regulation, circular or established practice. Your chapter...

No.

Yes.

The summative conference is a face-to-face conversation between teacher and evaluator conducted between the last Friday in April and the last Friday in June. This gives you an opportunity to talk about the observations that occurred throughout the...

It depends. They cannot observe you until you have received the required Fall observations. This means that if there were more than the required number, but you have not yet received the results for the additional observations, they can observe you.

Administrators can observe teachers for evaluative purposes at any time after the Initial Planning Conference and then through the first Friday in June. In addition, half the required minimum number of observations must take place in the fall term...

No, but you can, if you would like to discuss that with your evaluator. Teachers have sole discretion for setting goals and/or selecting an area of focus.

An IPC is an in-person conversation with an evaluator conducted at a mutually-agreed upon time no later than the last Friday in October. The IPC gives teachers an opportunity to discuss previous evaluations, current classes, and plans for the coming...

Feedback is non-evaluative information about an observation that you should receive within ten days of an observation. The feedback can be via email, written, or face-to-face. Teachers can indicate a preference for the format of their feedback during...

An evaluator cannot demand that a teacher provide a hard copy of the day’s lesson plan on the spot. When observing a lesson, a supervisor has the right to see the plan of the lesson being taught. The supervisor may take a photo of the plan or ask...

Formal observations are those that last a full period, are scheduled by mutual agreement between you and your evaluator, and involve individual pre- and post-observation conferences with your evaluator. Informal observations last a minimum of 15...

Only administrators may conduct observations for evaluative purposes. No more than one evaluator and two school-based observers should be present during your observations. The superintendent and deputy superintendent are considered school-based for...

Paraprofessionals can apply for a leave of absence using SOLAS (Self-Service Online Leave Application System). It is an online system where employees may easily apply for a leave of absence from their computers or smartphones. Eligible leaves include...

Paraprofessionals who have been arrested will no longer be automatically suspended without pay, under the DOE’s updated policy, to resolve the UFT’s union-initiated grievance that challenged the unfairness of automatic suspensions. Paraprofessionals...

Educational paraprofessionals who work in activities other than their regular assignments are paid a per session rate for the hours worked. Per session is a positive payment that is issued along with regular payments. Because per session is a...

The answer is NO! If the school wants you to accompany a teacher and a class on a school trip, then the school is responsible for your transportation, admission fees and expenses to be incurred as a result of the excursion.

In accordance with recent amendments to NYSED regulations, IEP teams must make certain considerations before determining that a student requires an IEP-assigned paraprofessional, and the student’s IEP must reflect those considerations in the relevant...

Paraprofessionals shall be retained in their school or work site in accordance with their seniority. If excessing occurs because of lack of work, the least senior employee will be excessed from the school or site. Unless a principal denies the...

To become a full-time paraprofessional for the New York City Department of Education (DOE), you must first become a substitute paraprofessional, and serve at least 25 days in that role. You must also have the New York State Teaching Assistant...

No. A principal cannot mandate meetings or administrative duties during your prep period. If you’re directed to do things like these on your prep, you should follow the directive to avoid being insubordinate. Then, you should speak to the Chapter...

The unavailability of a teacher to cover a class (i.e., a substitute teacher) constitutes an emergency.

Yes. Teachers can be assigned to cover one class in the fall and one class in the spring without compensation. In an emergency, teachers may be assigned a coverage during their prep, as per contractual rotation, and be compensated at the coverage...