Testimony from the United Federation of Teachers before the City Council Committee on Finance

Testimony from Priscilla Castro, chair of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter

My name is Priscilla Castro, and I am the chair of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter. We have been loud and clear for the past year: We must make the paraprofessional RESPECT check — Int. 0692-2026 — a reality. This is an issue of affordability. Due to the harm that pattern bargaining has caused, our members struggle to live in the city that they serve. Paraprofessionals cannot afford to go without additional pay, and students cannot afford to be without their paraprofessionals for one day longer.

Without paraprofessionals, students do not receive the necessary special education services. Next year, the city is projected to spend $1.5 billion on Carter cases because public school students are not receiving the support they not only need but are legally entitled to. It’s time to direct this money toward the people actually doing the work.

I want to thank all the City Council members before us who have shown their support for the paraprofessionals in this city and the RESPECT check legislation. We will not stop until the hardworking, caring and dedicated paraprofessionals of New York City receive the respect and recognition they deserve.

Testimony from John Kamps, member representative of the Paraprofessionals Chapter

My name is John Kamps, and I am a representative of the UFT Paraprofessionals Chapter. I am here to express my strong support for the RESPECT check legislation and to urge you to continue advancing this important measure.

This legislation represents a critical step toward addressing longstanding inequities affecting paraprofessionals, who are among the most essential yet undercompensated members of our school communities. Every day, paraprofessionals provide indispensable support to students, particularly those with disabilities and complex needs, helping to ensure safe, inclusive and effective learning environments.

Paraprofessionals are always there when they are needed. In every crisis, and every time the Department of Education or our school system has relied on them, they have been there and served admirably. During the reopening of schools after COVID, paraprofessionals sat side-by-side with students because you cannot guide a student’s pencil from six feet away. Many stepped up when teachers were unavailable, managing classrooms to keep schools running.

The passage of this bill would send a powerful message that those sacrifices were not in vain. It would show that the city recognizes the dedication, resilience and commitment paraprofessionals have demonstrated time and time again. The RESPECT check would also provide meaningful financial relief and help stabilize a workforce that schools depend on by improving recruitment and retention. It is both a practical solution and a long-overdue acknowledgment of the role paraprofessionals play.

We simply want to be seen as the essential members of the school community and educational system that we truly are.  Paraprofessionals make the difference every single day. Thank you for your leadership and attention to this issue. I respectfully urge you to support the passage of the RESPECT check legislation.

Testimony from Michael Sill, secretary of the UFT

Good morning. My name is Michael Sill, and I am the secretary of the United Federation of Teachers, which represents over 200,000 members. 

You heard the leaders of our paraprofessional chapter. It is time to pass Int. 0692-2026 and get this RESPECT check to all our paraprofessionals. We have paraprofessionals working two to three jobs and living in homeless shelters because the job they love does not allow them to keep the lights on and pay their rent. This injustice must stop. Enough is enough.

Thank you to Chair Linda Lee and the rest of the City Council Committee on Finance for the opportunity to testify and advocate for the UFT’s impactful programs. When you invest in UFT programs, you can be sure that education dollars go directly into the classroom to improve educational outcomes for students and working conditions for teachers. This year we submitted funding applications for six programs that we ask the City Council to support. You have all been wonderful partners in the past, and we look forward to continuing to serve our city’s students, educators and families together.

Testimony from Mary Vaccaro, vice president for education and executive director of the UFT Teacher Center

Good morning. My name is Mary Vaccaro, and I am the UFT’s vice president for education and the executive director of the UFT Teacher Center. Thank you for the opportunity to speak about several initiatives that are making a meaningful impact on educators, students and school communities across New York City.

I’d like to begin with the UFT Teacher Center, which promotes teacher excellence and academic achievement for all students through high-quality professional development tailored to the unique needs of each school. The Teacher Center’s work is grounded in the belief that when educators are supported, students thrive.

Last year alone, the Teacher Center provided more than 126,000 hours of professional learning to over 341,000 educators, principals and parents across the city. These learning opportunities range from instructional coaching and curriculum support to leadership development and collaborative planning. The impact is clear: Ninety-nine percent of participating educators reported that the professional learning they received significantly improved their practice.

We have expanded our reach by opening 11 new Teacher Center sites this school year. We now have well over 200 site coaches embedded directly in schools, working shoulder to shoulder with educators to strengthen instruction, address challenges in real time and support student success. These coaches help schools implement evidence-based practices and build sustainable systems that continue to benefit educators and students long after a workshop ends.

The Teacher Center has also played an essential role in supporting major citywide instructional initiatives, including the development and rollout of NYC Reads. By providing ongoing training, coaching and implementation support, the Teacher Center helps ensure that educators have the tools and confidence they need to deliver high-quality instruction in every classroom.

The UFT Teacher Center has also teamed with nonprofit partners to provide social-emotional supports for our school communities, including joining with the Goldie Hawn Foundation to introduce MindUP to over 300 schools, Think Equal to support social-emotional learning in pre-K to over 500 educators and CommonPoint to host wellness days. These partnerships have given us the ability to make connections and to expand our reach to educators, students and families. This is all while we continue to be a certified provider of TCIS (Therapeutic Crisis Intervention). This year, a record number of educators took advantage of this training.

I also want to briefly highlight the PROSE initiative, which empowers district schools to develop innovative approaches that better serve their students and families. Interest in PROSE continues to grow as more educators seek opportunities to implement creative solutions and share successful practices with colleagues across the system.

Finally, I would like to discuss the importance of supporting educators’ well-being. Sixteen years ago, the UFT recognized that educators in crisis had limited places to turn for support. In response, we created MAP, which has become the supplemental mental health program for DOE employees. Today, more than 50,000 educators use MAP’s counseling services, support groups and wellness workshops. It is a trusted resource that provides critical support to the people who dedicate their lives to serving our students.

Together, these initiatives demonstrate the power of investing in education. By supporting professional growth, encouraging innovation and prioritizing well-being, we strengthen our schools and create better outcomes for all students.

Testimony from Karen Alford, vice president for elementary schools and executive director of United Community Schools

Good morning, my name is Karen Alford. I am the UFT vice president for elementary schools and the point person for the UFT’s nonprofit United Community Schools. The City Council has supported the UFT’s community schools initiative from the program’s start in 2012.  In 2025, support from the City Council helped UCS schools feed over 71,000 families and provide over 48,000 health and wellness exams, screenings and check-ins. 

These supports translate to increased test scores, attendance and student engagement at our UCS schools. We found that:

• 46.3% of UCS students met ELA standards, compared to 36.2% of the comparison group, showcasing a 10.2 percentage point advantage for middle and elementary school students
• High school students at UCS schools accumulated roughly one more credit than similarly situated noncommunity-school students 

Teachers too feel the impact of working in a UCS school, and we often hear our UCS teachers say they feel more supported, secure and engaged in their work. 

We hope to continue to expand upon this work in the upcoming year with a particular focus on building a dedicated UCS mental health team to deliver mental health services to schools, to increase academic enrichment programming and attendance-improvement activities, and to provide staff and educators with targeted technical assistance and instructional support to ensure they are well-equipped to meet students’ needs.

Additionally, the UFT is eager to partner with the mayor and the City Council to fulfill the promise of truly universal 3-K and to ensure the successful rollout of 2-K for families across New York City. To ensure the success of these critical initiatives the UFT asks that:

• Providers are paid in a timely manner without delays.
  • Independent, nonnetwork-affiliated and home-based providers are included in the expansion of 3-K and the rollout of 2-K. 
  • Our youngest learners are provided with the appropriate special education services.

Finally, I want to touch on two of our union’s programs that greatly affect students and families. The first is our BRAVE hotline, an immediate, compassionate resource for any child experiencing bullying. The hotline is staffed by licensed counselors and trained professionals who provide confidential support, guidance and crisis intervention to students and families in need. The hotline is available from 2–9:30 p.m. on weekdays by phone, chat or text. If we can save just one child from the anguish of bullying, protect one family from the heartbreak of a preventable tragedy and shield one school community from the ripple effects of these incidents, then we as a community will have done our jobs.

The second program is Dial-A-Teacher. The UFT’s Dial-A-Teacher homework hotline (212-777-3380) answered tens of thousands of calls last school year from students and parents looking for homework help. It operates Mondays through Thursday from 4 to 7 p.m. and offers homework help in nine languages, including Spanish, Mandarin and Bengali. With your continued support, we can expand our outreach and keep serving students and families.

All of these programs change lives, and we are grateful for your continuous investment in and support of them.