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October 2026 newsletter

October 2026

Can you believe we're already a month in? I hope your summer, which feels like a lifetime ago, gave you plenty of time to rest, recharge and soak up some fun. The school year is officially in full swing, and your new middle schoolers are settling into their routines. By now, they're past testing the waters — and let's be honest, they're probably testing your patience, too!

First, I want to genuinely thank you. What you bring to this work every day doesn't go unnoticed. Middle school is its own challenge. Think about it – you can have everything from academic breakthroughs to social drama in a span of 10 minutes. On any given day, you might be explaining a fraction, calming a nervous student before an exam and quietly noticing when someone needs a check-in, and all this is before second period. No job title fully covers what you do, and there is certainly no description that captures the patience it takes to do this work. 

Last year wasn't easy. Expectations kept shifting and new demands kept coming, and let's just say that the DOE didn't always make your job simple. Shocking, I know. Nevertheless, you did it and continue to do it with professionalism and heart. There’s a frequently quoted line from “Dead Poets Society” that is so fitting: “No matter what anybody tells you, words and ideas can change the world.” That's work you do every day — even when it doesn’t seem that way.

I don't take the job of representing you as your UFT vice president lightly. The real day-to-day stuff that happens in your classrooms, offices and buildings is what I am focused on.

As you settle back in, take it one week at a time. With middle school, take it one day at a time. You deserve a great year and the middle school team and I will do all we can to help make that happen. 

I wish you a great school year and look forward to seeing you soon.

In solidarity,
Rich

Latest news

Middle Schools Division team 

I am fortunate to have some great, dedicated and knowledgeable people working with me in the Middle Schools Division. If you have any issues, problems or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to any one of us.

  • balter [at] uft [dot] org (Bradley Alter)
  • vcorletta [at] uft [dot] org (Vincent Corletta)
  • nkeaster [at] uft [dot] org (Nicole Keaster)
Division survey results

This June, I sent an end-of-year survey so members could tell me what is and isn’t working in your schools. We received results from middle school staff across almost every title, including classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, school counselors and related service providers. The findings will help us prioritize the issues that matter most to middle school educators moving forward.

If you had to bet on one thing everyone in the building would agree on, it's the fact that discipline appears to be a mess. Roughly three-quarters of respondents called discipline and lack of consequences a problem, making it the single most agreed-upon issue in the entire survey. Most respondents feel that consequences have lost their teeth, and as a result, incidents often get brushed aside instead of being addressed by administration.

The bottom line: This isn't any one group's issue; it cuts across every title. It's a citywide issue and it needs to be addressed at that level, with real consequences, not another email or memo from a principal about "protocols."

Lack of trust in administration is another hotbed issue. Around half of respondents identified it as a major problem, and many say they don't trust their principal to follow through on what they say. Turnover concerns are up as well. Let's face it, who wants to work for am uncooperative principal?

You can read the full survey results to see how your fellow members responded.

Cheers and jeers

Each month, this column of the Middle Schools Division newsletter will look at the good, the bad and the administrative. We’ll spotlight the DOE’s best and worst calls with a special focus on middle school leadership, applaud the decisions that uplift our school communities and call out those that do not. 

Have a suggestion for the column? Feel free to reach out to any Middle Schools Division team member or me. 

Cheers: Principal Emily Paige, Urban Assembly Unison School in Brooklyn 
I visited the school just the other day and witnessed firsthand the collaborative atmosphere and how much the staff values their principal. They are truly a tight-knit community. Dr. Johanna Josaphat, the school’s chapter leader, could not say enough positive things about her: 

  • Collaborative union partnership: Paige works closely with Josaphat and supports the chapter's PROSE initiatives, modeling trust, active listening and shared problem-solving. 
  • Distributed leadership: Paige shares leadership across the school, recognizing teacher potential and supporting staff as they grow into instructional leaders, mentors and program developers. 
  • Professional voice and autonomy: Staff are trusted to bring forward new ideas, own school initiatives and help shape school practices. 
  • Holistic school culture: Paige prioritizes the whole community through a strong advisory program, enrichment electives, hands-on CTE courses and a heart centered community school model that prioritizes partnering with families. 

Jeers: Principal Dionne Williams, IS 217, School of Performing Arts in the Bronx 
On the other side of the coin, the survey results expose the complete and persistent failure of Principal Dionne Williams' leadership at IS 217 in the Bronx. Staff confidence has utterly collapsed, leaving the school as a glaring, toxic outlier compared with both District 12 and the broader Bronx. 

The numbers are damning: At a score of 36 for the 2025-26 school year, IS 217’s teacher-principal trust scores are dead last among all nine District 12 middle schools and 63rd out of 63 Bronx middle schools. The district average sits at 81.4, so IS 217's score is more than 45 points below the other middle schools! With an 85% teacher response rate, Williams cannot hide behind excuses or write these findings off as a vocal minority. This is a definitive vote of no confidence from the very educators tasked with keeping the school running. 

  • Toxic school environment: Safety has crumbled under Williams’ watch. Student responses reflect a deteriorating school climate with rampant bullying and frequent physical altercations. The gap between the principal's promises on bullying and what students experience shows an out-of-touch and out-of-control administration. 
  • Staff turnover: Under Williams, IS 217 suffers an astonishing annual staff turnover rate of nearly 80%. Teachers are fleeing in droves, destroying any hope of building culture, stability or community. No school can thrive when its leader drives away four out of five staff members every single year. 

We need more principals like Paige in our system because they collaborate with their staff and actively build community. Unfortunately, principals like Williams are far too common. 

You can review the rest of the 2026 NYC School Survey results on the DOE's website. These numbers speak for themselves, and the DOE should take the data seriously and address these ongoing issues instead of just pretending they do not exist.

Upcoming events

UFT Middle Schools Division's Thanksgiving Coat Drive

Help take the chill out of winter for New York City students in need by participating in the UFT Middle Schools Division's annual coat drive. Your online donation will go toward the purchase of new winter coats and accessories (scarves, mittens, gloves and hats) for New York City public school students living in temporary housing. You can also drop off new coats or other winter apparel in the lobby of UFT headquarters in Manhattan or at any borough office.

We will send an email soon about how to get involved in the coat drive. We will also have a luncheon for students on Saturday, Nov. 21, to distribute the coats and other winter apparel.