Teacher Union Day Honorees
Teacher Union Day is our annual commemoration of the strike that put the newly formed UFT on the path to becoming the activist organization it is today. Each year the UFT honors past leaders who continue to inspire us and recognize current members who are leading us into the future. The power of our union is in all of its members.
Congratulations to this year's honorees who will be recognized on Nov. 1, 2026. Join us at this year's Teacher Union Day!
Charles Cogen Award
- Anne Goldman
Jules Kolodny Award
- Khiera Peña
Audrey Chasen Award
- Shirley Gavidia, Carolyn Sullivan and Eva Cerverizzo from PS 10, Staten Island
David Wittes Award
- Christina McGrath
- Tier 6 team
Sidney Harris Award
- Mark Collins
- Madeline Velez
Backer-Scheintaub Awards
- Tracy Ivanic
- Katherine Kurjakovic
Marsh/Raimo Awards
- Fernando Alvarez
- Anthony Barnes
- Betty Checo
- Bridgette Francis
- Edgar Irizarry Jr.
- Diana Judge
- John Kamps
- Undrea Polite
- Robert Roszkowski
- Peter Saccoccio
Albert Lee Smallheiser Awards
- Hedin Bernard
- Dr. Renee Freeman
- Eric Marquez
- Steven Mintzer
- Thomas Pascarella
- Shawn Ramos
- David Waltzer
- Amy Craine & Richmond Pre-K Center, Staten Island Cohort B
- District 21 chapter leaders
Plus, a special tribute to Ilyana Frias
Richard Procida Award
Bruce Zihal
Ely Trachtenberg Awards
(School: Chapter Leader)
Elementary Schools
- PS 15M: Wesley Moody Jr.
- PS 33M: Karlene Foster
- PS 63M: Lindsay Ferrone
- PS 129M: Lakisha Brooks
- PS 155M: Talia Chico
- PS 166M: Emily Chan
- PS 171M: Kelly Kim
- PS 180M: Velda Cambronne
- PS 281M: Lauren Askinasi
- PS 311M: Karla Franco
- PS 12K: Tayesha Cadore
- PS 21K: Donna Johnson
- PS 75K: Debra Elhadri
- PS 94K: Alfredo Pelaez
- PS 130K: Patricia Ippolito
- PS 132K: Heather De Koning Foley
- PS 139K: Megan Jonynas
- PS 151K: Susana Garcia
- PS 161K: Sonji Bent
- PS 184K: Noemi Alers
- PS 188K: Steven McGrath
- PS 207K: Nicole Humphrey
- PS 224K: Cassandra Bogan
- PS 257K: Lisa Berman
- PS 346K: Belinda Lopez
- PS 264K: Lis Castano
- PS 446K: Ashanti Shaheed
- District 20 Pre-K Center (Q): Caitlin Hickey
- PS 35Q: Jonathan Licata
- PS 120Q: Bridget Dyzenhaus
- PS 123Q: Virginia Nunez
- PS 131Q: Lisa Lamagra
- PS 139Q: Barbara Robinson
- PS 151Q: Sandra Electra Rodriguez
- PS 153Q: Tracy Ivanic
- PS 201Q: Elaina Dasaro-Mandel
- PS 290Q: Tabitha Auricchio
- PS 303Q: Candice Hilton
- PS 361Q: Dina Hassan
- Ezra Jack Keats Pre-K Centers (Q): Medina Forbes
- PS 4X: Janelle Rudder
- PS/MS 20X: Jessica Satin
- PS 78X: Tara Waters
- PS 91X: Annette Sukhwa
- PS 103X: Erin Dietz
- PS 146X: Foziya Khan
- PS 157X: Jessica McDonnell
- PS 333X: Chiffon Wells
- Cultivating Hearts and Minds Pre-K Center (X): Laura Solano
- PS 13R: Szeyen Soto
- PS 41R: Tina Miller
Junior High/Middle Schools
- IS 68K: Jeff Michel
- JHS 223K: Elena Piazza
- MS 267K: Colin McDonald
- IS 281K: Tamika Hardwick-Miller
- JHS 286M: Renee Jones
- MS 366K: Annastacia Harrison-Ribot
- MS 407K: Jennifer Ward
- IS 528M: Lourdes Milian
- MS 664K: Joseph Mahler
- JHS 67Q: Mariann Scoufaras
- JHS 194Q: John Fazakas
- JHS 226Q: Lugenia Wright
- IS 219X: Zanette Joseph
- IS 27R: Melanie Sepulveda
High Schools
- HS of Fashion Industries (M): James Trapani
- Stuyvesant HS (M): Melissa Protass
- Captain Vernon A. Richard HS for Fire and Life Safety (K): Stephanie Isidore
- Progress HS for Professional Careers (K): Kenneth Kaufman
- A-Tech HS (K): Rachel King
- Franklin Delano Roosevelt HS (K): Leena Dave
- William H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education HS (K): Rudolph Bastien
- Academy for Conservation and the Environment (K): Ryan Wozniak
- Flushing HS (Q): Amy Wolf
- Long Island City HS (Q): Theodora Kapodistrias
- Queens HS for the Sciences at York College (Q): Richard Thornhill
- Bronx Center for Science and Mathematics (X): Adhim Deveaux
- Riverdale Kingsbridge Academy (X): Ariana Concepcion
- Brooklyn West Alternative Learning Center (R): Jennifer Pacifici
District 75
- P4Q: Jennifer Williams
- P168X: Sage Calfe
- P811X: Kareem Simmons
District 79
- Brooklyn Academy HS (K): Miari Roberts
- New Direction Secondary School (X): Kristie Keener
- English Language Learners and International Support Preparatory Academy (X): Caridad Bubbico
Functional Chapters
- School Nurses: Cynthia Bennett
- Education Officers: Kacy Francis
Union Service Awards
10-Year Chapter Leaders
- Jocelyn V. Aponte-Chicoy
- Steven Blum
- Aasine Cassara
- Hector M. Colon
- Angelique Dones
- Aileen O. Edwards
- Evan S. Enden
- James C. Enny
- Alexandra D. Fischer
- Mary Ann Keighron
- Jaime H. Kurtzman
- Cindy B. Lerner
- Georgia Lignou
- Abby J. Marcus
- Chevelle R. McKeever
- Nicholle M. Montecalvo
- Dermott S. Myrie
- Noreen Oliver
- John Perez
- Sherwin N. Persaud
- Wesley A. Ramsey
- Shantanu Saha
- Kirk Schneider
- Kristie Sesny
- Israel G. Soto-Duprey
- Camille Toma
- Teresa Valerio
- Edward C. Wang
- Eric Wilson
15-Year Chapter Leaders
- Jason A. Batus
- Ivan A. Borras
- Matthew G. Brown
- Juanita D. Claxton
- Michael R. Loeb
- Hamesh A. Massay
- Jeffery R. Picca
- Mark A. Rentflejs
- Meredith A. Saladis
- Annmarie Schuh
- Jason M. Varon
20-Year Chapter Leaders
- Bernadette A. Alexander
- Maria Bucca
- Patricia Calvo
- Francine Cornelius
- Gary S. Gonzalez
- Pierre L. Labissiere
- Kristian A. Lisowski
- Richard P. Martello
- Shannon A. Mathis
- Melissa E. Musman
- Melissa B. Nathan
- Douglas R. Novak
- Charles M. Rabbach
- Troy D. Sill
- Felicia A. Turner
- Jocelyn K. Witherell
- Janet G. Zysberg