Frequently Asked Questions
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A list of the most commonly asked questions.
According to the UFT/DOE contract, you must be informed in writing by June 15 if you are at risk of being excessed for the next school year, but it is still possible to be excessed after that date due to changes in enrollment or the budget.
Excessing is not a layoff. A person in excess is not out of a job. You will continue to work and receive your full pay and benefits. You can check your status (Excessed or Not Excessed) on the online Open Market Transfer system. This is helpful, because receiving an excess letter from your principal does not guarantee that you are excessed. After the letter is written, the DOE will review and either approve or rescind the excess.
As of the summer of 2021, in most cases, the DOE no longer places newly excessed staff in the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool. If a staff member does not find a position via Open Market, they will be placed in a school in their district and remain there until they transfer or leave the system.
When a teacher is notified that she is in excess, she should register on the Open Market System for purposes of providing updated contact information. She will also have access to a list of current vacancies throughout the city and the right to apply to of them in her license area.
As of the summer of 2021, in most cases, the DOE no longer places newly excessed staff in the Absent Teacher Reserve (ATR) pool. Staff members who do not find a position via Open Market will be placed in a school in their district and remain there until they transfer or leave the system.
Collaborative Team Teaching is now referred to as Integrated Co-Teaching. The number of students with disabilities in an Integrated Co-Teaching class may not exceed 40 percent of the total class register with a maximum of 12 students with disabilities. The class as a whole must adhere to general education class size limits.
If you find damaged or disturbed building materials such as plaster or floor tiles, assume these materials contain potentially hazardous materials until otherwise noted and contact your UFT borough health and safety representative. Similarly, damaged or disturbed exterior caulk may contain PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). Contact the health and safety representative at your UFT borough office.
Yes, there must be a protocol meeting prior to the commencement of an SCA construction and renovation project and the UFT chapter leader must be present. There also must be a protocol meeting prior to the commencement of DOE Division of School Facilities (DSF) repair, renovation and/or construction work that will disturb/involve more than 100 square feet of building materials.
More details about the protocols that must be followed can be found in the UFT Protocol Checklist for SCA Construction Projects in Schools or the UFT/DSF Pre-Construction Protocol Checklist. For PCB-containing light fixture removal and replacement projects, you should consult the UFT/DSF/NYPA Pre-Construction Protocol Checklist. If you have questions or concerns about a construction project in your building, please contact the health and safety representative at your UFT borough office.
No, the regular class size limits apply.
In order to change a license/appointment, you must have the certificate needed for the new appointment and a principal’s recommendation to fill a vacancy in the new area. Teachers who change their license/appointment area go back on probation for at least three years if they are tenured in the previous area and four years if they were not tenured. There is also an effect on seniority for excessing and layoff. Be very careful about making this kind of change, especially when budgets may necessitate layoffs and excessing. Speak to your UFT chapter leader or borough office before deciding.
State regulations permit teachers to be assigned no more than one period a day outside their certification, license/appointment area when no certified or qualified teacher is available. This is called incidental teaching.
However, a superintendent of schools may assign certified teachers to teach a subject not covered by their certificate for a period not to exceed ten classroom hours a week when no certified or qualified teacher is available after extensive and documented recruitment. Please note that teachers who do not hold special education certification cannot have incidental teaching assignments where special education certification is required.
Additional information about incidental teaching can be found on the NYSED website.
The requirements for New York State certificates can be found at www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert. There are no separate requirements for a New York City license other than the availability of a vacancy in the certificate area and the recommendation of a principal to hire the person for the vacancy.