1. It is recommended that you apply using the DOE's self-service online leave application system (SOLAS) at least 15 days in advance of the anticipated date of birth or adoption. You’ll be asked if you intend to use your CAR day balance if you are the birth parent and if you plan to take an unpaid child care leave after your UFT parental leave ends. You will also be asked for the first day you anticipate being absent from work and the last day you anticipate being absent from work (not the date of your return).

2. After the birth, you must confirm the birth date in SOLAS within 10 days (except if there are extenuating circumstances). The actual date of birth or covered event will be used to determine the final start and end dates of your leave. During these 10 days, you can amend your application if you change your mind about using your CAR balance or taking an unpaid child care leave following your UFT parental leave.

3. If the baby arrives and you have not already submitted a leave application, you have 10 calendar days afterward to notify the DOE via SOLAS or you may forfeit your right to take the leave. In the case of extenuating circumstances, you should provide the reason the deadline was missed to ensure the leave can be granted.

4. Submit required documentation through SOLAS no more than 21 calendar days after the birth.

Cumulative Absence Reserve (CAR) is the formal name for UFT-represented pedagogical DOE employees’ “sick bank" of days. All titles earn one CAR day per month after serving 16 days on payroll. The day is added to the members CAR bank on the 30th of each month. Members who are on a sabbatical do not earn CAR days.

During a per-session summer activity, pedagogues and paraprofessionals accrue one sick day for each month of service. 

Members shouldn’t refuse a principal’s directive because they may be charged with insubordination. Members may file a grievance if discussion of concerns with administration (and with the chapter leader’s support) can’t solve the situation otherwise.

Mentors are experienced classroom teachers, instructional coaches or lead teachers who have been trained extensively in ways to best support new teachers (including doing demonstration lessons, co-teaching, offering suggestions about classroom management and helping plan lessons). Mentors provide a minimum of two periods a week of non-evaluative and nonjudgmental support for new teachers. Discussions are confidential and the mentor does not report back to your principal. 

If there is additional compensation offered (ie, for mentoring outside of regular school hours), the principal must post the position just as they would any other per session posting. Regular rules apply for any missed preps.

There are two different types of delegates: 

1. Delegate to the delegate assembly – These delegates are elected at their school or work site or can be elected by the members of a functional chapter. Each chapter is entitled to one delegate for each sixty (60) members, or major fraction thereof. This means that they are entitled to a second delegate with 91 members and so on.
2. Delegates to national conventions such as the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), and the National Association of Education (NEA) – these delegates are elected once every three (3) years and serve as representatives of members of the UFT to each convention listed.

Additionally, the delegate assembly meets once a month to discuss union policy at the UFT. It is comprised of chapter leaders and delegates from around the city.

Active status is defined as being on any one of the following: 

• on payroll, using CAR days or sick time, on an annual leave, on a paid leave, on Parental Leave
• on an unpaid leave for a pregnancy-related condition
• on an unpaid leave due to a medically-disputed Line of Duty Injury (LODI) for up to three months
• on a leave pursuant to the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA), FLMA, or other statutory leave

For non-birth parents, your UFT parental leave will start the next day, but still will end no later than six calendar weeks (eight weeks for a C-section) starting on the day of the event. For birth parents, parental leave will start after the use of any CAR/sick days towards a recovery period. 

Members are eligible for an additional UFT parental leave if they have been an eligible employee in active status for 10 calendar months following the initial covered event, exclusive of time on an unpaid leave other than parental leave. 

Multiple births from one pregnancy are considered to be a single covered event, so you will get the same six calendar weeks (eight weeks for a C-section). 

Read more about UFT parental leaves »

No. Individuals who work F-status are not eligible to take UFT parental leaves. Time worked F-status will also not count towards eligibility to take parental leave.