A message from your Middle Schools Division VP

June 2026

A note of thanks

As the school year winds down, I want to take a moment to sincerely thank you. What you give to this work every single day is something I don't take for granted, and I want to make sure I say so directly before we all head into summer.

Teaching middle school is its own thing. You've navigated the chaos and the breakthroughs, held the line on days that tested your patience and showed up with care and preparation even when no one seemed to care. You've carried more roles than any job description could capture — teacher, mentor, counselor, parent and friend. And all too often, you've done it in the same period. That matters, and it surely doesn't go unnoticed.

It wasn't the easiest year. It never is. There are always new pressures, shifting expectations and the ongoing weight of doing this work well in a system that doesn't always make it easy. Sometimes, it seems like the DOE goes out of its way to make our work more difficult than it already is. You have handled it with professionalism and grace, and that says something about you.

Representing you as your UFT vice president for middle schools is a responsibility I take seriously. The daily challenges you face, whether in your classrooms, programs or across your entire building, are the very issues that drive my work every single day. Your working conditions, well-being and right to be treated with professional respect are my absolute priorities. This newsletter touches on a few of the areas we are tackling right now, and I encourage you to read through to stay informed.

But for now, please use this summer to genuinely rest — not just decompress for a week and then start planning for the year ahead. Actually step away and recharge. You've more than earned it.

I wish you a peaceful, restorative and wonderful summer, and I will see you in September. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

In solidarity, Rich

We want to hear from you: Middle Schools Division survey

We've visited many middle schools this school year, and to say no two schools are the same would be an understatement. Those visits have been valuable, but there's no substitute for hearing directly from you.

We’ve created a brief survey to get an honest, clear picture of what life is really like in our classrooms and hallways. We want to hear your thoughts on:

Your environment: Working conditions and daily experiences
Your fulfillment: Overall job satisfaction and morale
Your leadership: Thoughts on school administration and support

There are no right or wrong answers here. Please share your candid feedback so we can work together to make our schools better places to work, teach and learn. We will share the results with everyone at a later date.

Your responses will be anonymous, and the feedback collected will directly inform the work we do on your behalf. Thank you for taking the time to complete it. What you have to say will help us help you.

Student transitions: a standing issue

A few months ago, I wrote a column for the VPerspective section of the New York Teacher on student passing and transitions, and it's a topic I keep coming back to because it touches on how we serve students as well as how we protect our rights. The short version: Students in middle school should be moving independently between classes, and schools that prevent that, for whatever reason, are getting it wrong on both counts.

Why independent transitions matter for students
Allowing students to move between classes on their own is a developmentally appropriate practice. It builds executive functioning, self-regulation and independence. These are the exact skills adolescents need to develop before high school. When schools instead keep students stationary and rotate teachers around them, they send an unintended message that undermines student autonomy at precisely the age when young people need more of it, not less.

Restricting movement doesn't fix behavior
One of the most common justifications for limiting transitions is student behavior. It doesn't hold up. Confining 11- to 14-year-olds for extended periods doesn't improve conduct. Rather, it tends to create more frustration and problems. Adolescents need movement, a change of scenery and some sort of independence. Removing those things in response to behavioral concerns is a cycle that simply doesn’t work.

The direct impact on teachers
Beyond what's good for students, this is a working conditions issue. You are entitled to a duty-free lunch period. Duty-free. That's not aspirational; it's contractual. But when schools require teachers to escort students to and from the cafeteria, that time disappears. The same is true for preparation periods. If you're walking students between classes, those minutes come directly out of the time you're supposed to have for planning, grading and professional work.

These “escort duties” aren't minor inconveniences. They represent a real erosion of protections the UFT has fought hard to secure. Trusting students to navigate their own transitions respects their development and our profession. It's an issue we'll continue to push on.

Know your rights: contract highlights

As the year ends and programs for next year take shape, it's a good time to revisit what the DOE-UFT contract guarantees you. Article 7C covers program guidelines for middle school teachers and Article 7D covers K–8 schools.

Scheduling and program preferences
Teachers have the right to submit program preferences by May 1 each year. Schools are required to notify you of your assignments — subjects, grades and session — at least 10 days before the end of the school year, with complete programs distributed no later than five days before the last day. If your school isn't following this timeline, that's worth raising.

Program entitlements:

At least one unassigned period per day
No more than three consecutive teaching periods or four consecutive working assignments
The number of different rooms used for assignments should be minimized as much as administratively possible.
A full duty-free lunch period

Teaching load:

Title I schools: Maximum 25 periods per week; Non-Title I: Maximum 26 periods per week
- Breakdown: 25 teaching, five prep, professional activities + five lunch periods
Class types and difficulty levels must be rotated equitably among teachers — no one teacher should carry a disproportionate load.
Non-teaching positions (e.g., dean, programmer, etc.) are filled through seniority-based selection with term limits of up to six years.
Teachers select from a menu of 16 activities for their professional period.

A note for K–8 schools
If you teach 7th or 8th grade in a K–8 setting, your program protections are the same as those of teachers in a dedicated middle school. Article 7D makes that explicit. You are covered by the same guidelines — don't let anyone suggest otherwise.

The full collective bargaining agreement is worth bookmarking and reviewing before September. Knowing your rights is the first step toward protecting them!

Review the DOE-UFT contract
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