Chapter Leader UpdateMay 16, 2024

Educate and activate around class size

We had a productive Chapter Action Team meeting on May 14 on educating and organizing our chapters and families around implementing the class size law. We want to change the negative narrative around lowering class size and make sure the staff and families at our schools are ready to be involved in this process so our students can benefit from this important law. 

Please schedule a consultation committee meeting with your principal in the next week to talk about the issues that your school faces in its journey to implement the new class size caps. How many more rooms would you need to come into compliance? What are your specific staffing needs? On Friday, chapter leaders will receive an email with a link to a class size consultation survey in the Chapter Leader Hub, where they can report on the results of that conversation with the principal. The survey questions can help you frame the conversation.

Step two is to educate the staff and families a t your school about the class size law. Please take the PowerPoint presentation shown at the CAT meeting and present it at a class s ize teach-in for staff and families before the end of the school year. Please send photos of your teach-in to UFTphotos@gmail.com. Also consider testifying on class size at the Contracts for Excellence hearing for your borough in late May. 

See the class size resources

Important SBO update

The UFT and the DOE have agreed to four new pre-approved school-based options for the 2024–25 school year. The DOE has also released its session time memo and city guidance on the contractual workday and all 14 pre-approved SBOs. Now you have everything you need to move forward with the SBO process at your school.

The four new SBOs are:

1. A six-hour-and-45-minute instructional day with additional professional development and another remote parent-teacher conference.
2. In-person PD (no students) paired with half-day afternoon parent-teacher conferences.
3. Departmentalization of core subjects in 4th and 5th grades.
4. In-person September and/or May parent teacher conferences in exchange for additional remote Other Professional Work.

Your school’s vote for all proposed SBOs must be conducted on the same day, using the online platform Election Buddy. Schools with session time SBOs should hold their SBO vote before June 11, the deadline that the DOE set for principals to submit their session times. The SBO vote deadline for schools that are not conducting session time SBO votes remains June 26. 

You should only conduct an SBO vote for a modification that your members want and has been approved by the UFT district representative. For an SBO to pass at the school level, at least 55% of the UFT members who vote must support the modification.

Find comprehensive information about the SBO process, including an updated SBO manual, an updated PowerPoint presentation, all pre-approved ballot templates and other sample SBO ballots. If you have questions, reach out to your district representative.

Full-time employees receive retention bonus this Thursday

All UFT-represented employees who worked full-time during the 12 months leading up to April 1, 2024, and were on payroll that day are receiving $400 this Thursday, May 16, as a supplemental check in their bank account. Supplemental checks always take time to post, and the amount of time is different depending on the person’s bank. The DOE has confirmed that the transfer of the retention bonuses deposits happened early Thursday morning, as expected, and most people should have seen the money in their accounts by the end of the day, though a handful may not see it until Friday. Per diem or other part-time employees who worked a minimum of 30 days during the 12 months leading up to April 1, 2024, will receive a pro-rated bonus on June 3. The UFT was furious with this year's delay in payment — the contract stipulates "on or about May 1" — and extracted a commitment from the DOE that it would make next year's payment before May 5. The bonus will increase to $700 in 2025; $1,000 in 2026; and $1,035 in 2027. Read more information about the bonus.

Honor your high school colleagues at a prom-themed celebration 

All academic high school members are invited to celebrate their phenomenal colleagues at the Academic High School Division’s annual awards ceremony and celebration at UFT headquarters on Friday, May 31, starting at 4 p.m. This year's theme is senior prom! Whether you had a ball at your high school prom or chose not to attend, we hope you'll join us for a second chance at all the glitz, glamour and dancing. We invite high school members to share photos from their own prom from yesteryear for the event. Send those vintage photos to Angel Valentin at avalentin@uft.org. Honor your outstanding high school colleagues, enjoy refreshments and party with your fellow union members.

Register