In Japanese schools, character instruction comes before or with academic training. As an example, students must clean up after themselves as there are no janitors. This sense of academic and social responsibility transcends the rush to impose...

I am in my 20th year with the DOE. Increasingly, we have assigned curricula for each subject. I am fine with teaching curricula chosen by my district, but it has to be sound and doable. One serious problem with many of these curricula is the...

While sitting around the table with my family this past Thanksgiving, we took turns telling each other what we were most thankful for. Well, I forgot to thank the United Federation of Teachers for your $4,000 Albert Shanker college scholarship.

This is a fantastic program and partnership with NYU. We need more programs and availability for our students on the autism spectrum. The DOE also needs to provide more in-person training for teachers and staff to support our kids not only within the...

Take principals out of play. A school counselor counsels the DOE about how best to address the paraprofessional shortage.

Regarding a Nov. 1 article about UFT Welfare Fund members having special access to the Hospital for Special Surgery, thanks to a new partnership between the UFT Welfare Fund and the hospital

I remember when we didn’t get any preps AND had lunch duty AND had to physically turn in a lesson plan book every Monday for principals to comment on and mark up in red AND many other since-rectified issues.

I am a retired senior citizen who searched for his 4th-grade teacher to say thank you for many years. I found your article (“At 100, still embracing the challenge,” Dec 21, 2023, issue), and there she was, Mrs. Miriam Krinick, at 100 years old — and...

After spending 12 years of my own education in conservative private schools, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I applied here. I was immediately welcomed by the warmest and most gracious staff I have ever had the pleasure of working with. One of the...

The Day of Wellness for Educators event in Queens on Sept. 14 was a great experience. We were able to practice yoga, pickleball and aqua Zumba, to name a few of the activities. Goldie Hawn was informative about her organization, MindUP.