Chapter Leader UpdateMarch 13, 2025
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Jonathan Fickies
READY TO LOBBY: A busload of members from Districts 27 and 30 in Queens disembark at Albany's Empire State Plaza, primed for a full day of persuading state lawmakers to fix Tier 6, ensure strong funding for city public schools and support other union legislative priorities on March 10.
This Week's Focus
Our voices are being heard in Albany
Between UFT Lobby Day in Albany on Monday and the many virtual Lobby Days organized in schools, our state representatives have been hearing all week about the importance of fixing Tier 6, ensuring adequate funding for city public schools and other union legislative priorities. Nearly 1,000 UFT members and public school parents converged on the state capitol for UFT Lobby Day. The members heard from union and political leaders at the Albany Convention Center before meeting in groups with their state legislators. Meanwhile, in scores of schools across the city this week, UFT members have gathered to send emails to their state legislators (nearly 2,000 have been sent so far) and to tag them in social media posts. Just as negotiations on the new state budget are shifting into high gear, we came together as a union to say to state lawmakers that union legislative priorities must be given serious consideration. Because we speak up, we are a force in Albany. See photos from the day and our UFT Lobby Day video on Facebook.
ACTIONS YOU CAN STILL TAKE:
Send an email: Encourage members to send our prewritten email message about our 2025 legislative priorities to their state reps.
Post on social media: In social media posts tagging your state reps, share why our legislative priorities matter to you and your students. Also tag the UFT.
UFT invites mayoral candidates to spend a day in our schools
We have established a new prerequisite for mayoral candidates who want to be considered for the UFT endorsement: spend a day teaching — alongside our members — in a public school. "If you want our endorsement, you have to understand the work we do," said UFT President Michael Mulgrew. For mayoral candidates to be eligible for the UFT endorsement, they will need to spend at least seven periods in a public school classroom, helping the teacher and paraprofessional with lessons, classroom management and whatever needs to be done to keep the students engaged. "If elected officials are going to speak about education, they should visit schools and listen to the educators and students," said UFT Chapter Leader Nicole Keaster, a middle school English teacher in Queens. "True understanding takes time, and commitment. But a day in a classroom could be the first step." So far, seven candidates have said they will walk in our shoes for a day. No word yet from Mayor Eric Adams or Andrew Cuomo.
Get ready for the April 2 Paraprofessional Day of Action
Wednesday, April 2, is national Paraprofessional Appreciation Day, and we are turning it into a citywide Day of Action! We need the City Council to pass legislation that will give paraprofessionals an annual $10,000 RESPECT check. To show our solidarity with paraprofessionals in their fight for more pay, we are organizing coordinated actions in our schools and coming together from across the city for a rally at City Hall and a celebration at union headquarters to follow. The more we post on social media and the larger the crowd we have at the rally, the more support we can get in the City Council for this critical legislation. Let's get this done!
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE:
Register for the Chapter Action Team meeting next Tuesday to help you prepare for the Day of Action. Hold a teach-in at your school in the next two weeks to educate your members about the RESPECT check legislation and provide a space for you and your chapter to plan how to honor your school's paraprofessionals on April 2.
On April 2, ask your members to wear blue and organize a school-level celebration or union meeting where all members sign the petition. Organize a group of members from your school to attend the after-school rally outside City Hall.
April 1 deadline to take new child abuse workshop
New York State law was recently amended to require that all DOE employees who are mandated reporters, including all classroom teachers, take additional training by April 1 in the area of identifying and reporting child abuse and maltreatment/neglect. The New York State Education Department is not extending the deadline. Every mandated reporter, regardless of certification type or years of service, must take the updated two-hour workshop by April 1. The UFT Teacher Center is holding free online workshops to enable UFT members to fulfill this new state requirement. You can also take a free two-hour self-directed online course from the state Education Department to satisfy the new requirement.
ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE: Remind the mandated reporters in your school about the approaching deadline. If your school has many members who have not yet taken the new state-mandated training, speak with the principal or school professional development committee about the possibility of setting aside a PD block.
'Know Your Rights' cards for immigrant families available
As the new administration targets undocumented immigrants for mass deportation, it's important to know that everyone in the United States, regardless of immigration status, has certain constitutional rights that they can exercise if confronted by ICE agents. The Immigrant Legal Resource Center has created a "know your rights" card to share this crucial information. Printed cards will be available at our March 19 Delegate Assembly, and you can also access this English-language template to print cards at home. You can find print-at-home cards in scores of other languages, too. Note that these cards, sometimes known as "red cards," do not constitute individualized legal advice.
Chapter Leader Checklist
To Do #1
Nominate your chapter for a Trachtenberg Award
The UFT's Ely Trachtenberg Award honors UFT chapters and their leaders who show strong member engagement and advocacy. The award is named for a founding member whose organizing skills were crucial to building the union during its tenuous early years. Hallmarks of award-winning chapters include holding regularly scheduled chapter meetings, empowering members to ensure contractual rights are respected, and having a high or growing proportion of members who contribute to COPE. We will honor winning chapters and present them with their Trachtenberg plaques at the 2025 Teacher Union Day ceremony in November. See the online nomination form for more information about the selection criteria. Please note: Chapters that received a Trachtenberg Award in the past three years are ineligible this year.
To Do #2
Help members find union dues for taxes
Now that tax season is upon us, many members will be looking for how much they paid in union dues in 2024. Information about the 2024 union dues is available on the UFT website.
To Do #3
Mark the UFT's 65th anniversary at your March chapter meeting
Sixty-five years ago — on March 16, 1960 — the UFT was founded. It's an important moment to reflect on where we came from, how the union's founders bravely fought for the rights we have today, and how we are part of a historical continuum of struggle for dignity and respect in the workplace. If you celebrate this milestone in the union's history with a cake or card, please send a photo to uftphotos@gmail.com so we can share it on social media.
To Do #4
Post "All Are Welcome" placards at your school
As educators, we want to make sure our immigrant students feel safe when they are with us in school. The UFT has designed placards that incorporate the monarch butterfly, a common symbol of migration. Placards can be printed and posted in classrooms and other spaces to let all students know that they belong. Both color and black-and-white versions are now available.
To Do #5
Purchase order available for our Spring Education Conference
Our Spring Education Conference will take place this year on Saturday, May 17, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. at the New York Hilton. School chapter leaders, in conjunction with their school leadership team, can use this school purchase order to buy a table for members at their school. Regular registration will open shortly. The purchase order deadline is Wednesday, April 30.
To Do #6
Flyers to share with your members
Here are flyers you can print and distribute in member mailboxes or post on your school's UFT bulletin board:
Hub Highlights
Request a visit to your school from a UFT representative
UFT officers and union reps from various departments are available to visit your school and speak with the members of your chapter. You can request a school visit from any of the UFT's vice presidents, the UFT's Certification, Contract Empowerment, Grievance and Safety and Health departments, or the UFT Welfare Fund. Request a visit today through the Chapter Leader Hub. Remember: You access the hub using your UFT website username and password.
Work in progress
The UFT is tackling the following issues with the DOE and other city, state and federal-level entities as appropriate:
- Working to confirm the upcoming payroll dates for this year's $700 retention bonus
- Working with the DOE to figure out how high schools can share remote learning opportunities as part of the DOE's new virtual learning program.
- Working to renew DOE-UFT agreements on remote grievance hearings, medically necessary instruction and integrated co-teaching/SETSS
You Should Know
Instruction
Teachers should confirm the accuracy of their MOSL selections
The DOE will send its email about teacher-level MOSL selections on or around Friday, March 14. Teachers should use the last column in the chart to verify that their grade/subject connections are correct and ensure that the associated assessments match their school MOSL committee's recommendations. As a reminder, in most instances, all K–5 common branch teachers should be connected to both math and ELA.
Are classroom issues overwhelming your tenured teachers?
Partners in Progress: Peer Intervention Program (PIP) is a collaborative program between the UFT and the DOE to provide pedagogical and professional support to tenured teachers who want assistance. PIP is a voluntary program that offers confidential one-to-one support from experienced, specially selected educators who will create and implement an individualized professional development plan for each teacher. Tell teachers they can find more information, including an online application to request assistance, in the PIP section of the UFT website. If interested teachers have questions, they can call 212-844-0600. Chapter leaders can request a presentation about the program for their members.
Shine a spotlight on an impressive new educator
We want to showcase the great things happening in New York City public schools and honor our members' accomplishments. Does your school have a teacher or related service provider in their first three years on the job who is already leaving their mark on your school? Is one of your new educators using skills they honed in a prior career to benefit New York City students? We are looking for dynamic new members to feature in the Building Your Career section of the New York Teacher.
Remembering the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
Let teachers in your chapter know that they are invited to bring their students to the annual remembrance ceremony for the 146 garment workers who died in the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911. Public outrage over the fire, which was one of the deadliest workplace disasters in U.S. history, led to new workplace safety laws, the growth of unions and a surge of political action around labor issues. The UFT is among the sponsors of the commemoration, which runs from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, March 25, at the corner of Washington Place and Greene Street in Lower Manhattan. No registration is required. Interpretation at the ceremony will be provided in Spanish, Mandarin and American Sign Language. Visit the Remember the Triangle Fire Coalition website for more information.
Medical & Wellness
A podcast about our 24/7 mental health helpline
March can feel like the longest month of the school year for educators. That's why we're taking a moment to revisit our August conversation with Carleton Archer, the vice president of operations at Vibrant Emotional Health, to discuss the UFT's partnership with Vibrant to launch the union's 24/7, year-round mental health support line. UFT members can call or text 866-UFT-FOR-U. Help is also available via chat on the UFT website. Tune in as we discuss the importance of this initiative and answer frequently asked questions about the helpline.
Political Action
March to stop the cuts this Saturday
Join the UFT contingent and our allies across the city labor movement at Foley Square this Saturday, March 15, at 11 a.m. to say, "No cuts to working people to fund tax breaks for billionaires and corporations!" This administration, together with Republicans in Congress, is planning to make deep cuts to Medicaid, food assistance and other safety-net programs in order to finance $4.1 trillion in tax cuts for the rich.
Salary & Personnel
2024 tax deduction for educators
Eligible educators can deduct from their federal income taxes up to $300 of unreimbursed expenses from 2024 for books, supplies, computer equipment (including related software and services), other equipment and supplementary classroom materials. If you are married, filing jointly and both spouses are educators, you can deduct up to $600, but not more than $300 each. The educator-expense deduction is an "adjustment to gross income," so you can use it whether you use the standard deduction or itemize on your tax return. You should keep documentation, such as receipts or canceled checks, for any deductions you take.
Union members in New York State can deduct the full amount of union dues from their state taxes if they itemize deductions on their state tax return. New York State and New York City unions lobbied together to make sure union dues payments remained tax deductible at the state level after that deduction was eliminated at the federal level in the 2017 tax overhaul during Donald Trump's first term as president.
April workshops for BERS members to learn about pension transfer to TRS
UFT members enrolled in the Board of Education Retirement System pension plan now have the option to switch to the Teachers' Retirement System pension plan. The state law granting this choice was the culmination of a years-long union fight led by the UFT's Occupational and Physical Therapists Chapter. The UFT Pension Department is holding its second round of in-person information sessions in all five boroughs in April to guide members through the decision-making and transfer process. The union advises BERS members not to take any action until they have attended a UFT information session and understand how a transfer may affect them. UFT members currently enrolled in BERS have until Dec. 10 to request a transfer. Please read the Q&A for details.
Registration is open for spring pension workshops
This spring, the UFT Pension Department is offering both virtual and in-person workshops to help members understand their pension benefits.
The Pension Department is offering the following two-hour in-person workshops on pension milestones, final average salary calculations and CAR days at retirement:
- Workshop for Tier 4 members on Tuesday, April 8, at UFT headquarters
- Workshop for Tier 6 members on Tuesday, April 22, at UFT headquarters
- Combined workshop for Tiers 4 & 6 members on Wednesday, April 23, at the UFT's Bronx borough office
- Combined workshop for Tiers 4 & 6 members on Tuesday, April 29, at the UFT's Queens borough office
The Pension Department will continue offering online workshops from 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. on specific topics. Upcoming workshops include Medicare and Turning 65 on Tuesday, March 25; Paraprofessional Retirement on Thursday, April 3 and TDA & Options at Retirement on Thursday, April 24.
Regents approve waiver process for content knowledge certification exam requirement
The state Board of Regents at its February meeting approved the establishment of a waiver process for the content knowledge certification exam requirement for New York State teacher certification. Candidates who score within 0.5 standard error of measurement (SEM) of the passing score on a required Content Speciality Test (see the qualifying scores at the bottom of this webpage) may apply for a waiver if they achieve at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA or its equivalent in the college program leading to their education degree at an accredited institution. A second option, still in development, would allow these candidates to apply for a waiver if they achieve a satisfactory level of performance on a portfolio assessment to demonstrate their depth of subject matter knowledge on the Content Speciality Test they did not pass. Members who want to avail themselves of this new opportunity can call the union at 212-331-6311 and ask to speak to a UFT certification specialist.
UFT Elections
Mailbox access for UFT elections campaign materials
As a reminder, retired DOE employees and in-service DOE employees should be allowed access to disseminate union election material in member mailboxes in accordance with the DOE policy memo outlining allowed election activities.
UFT election candidate petitions due on March 17
Monday, March 17, at 5 p.m. is the deadline to submit completed candidate petitions for the upcoming UFT elections. Nominating petitions are available on the UFT Elections 2025 section of the UFT website. Electronic signatures are not accepted.
Everything Else
UFT School Counselors Conference on March 22
Please encourage the school counselors at your school to attend the 21st annual UFT School Counselors Conference at union headquarters on Saturday, March 22, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The theme of this year's conference is Unlocking Potential: One Student at a Time. The day will focus on the support that school counselors provide to students. The conference is an excellent opportunity for school counselors to network and take workshops to develop their skills. Rebecca Branstetter, Ph.D., a school psychologist, international speaker and author, will be the keynote speaker.
Recent Guidance and Agreements
Key Events & Deadlines
- Apply for a fall sabbatical leave
- Apply for a teacher leader position
- UFT Family Day 2025 Register
Contact the UFT
- DOE members, call 212‑331‑6311.
- DOE functional chapter members, call 212‑331‑6312.
- A health benefit question? Call the Welfare Fund at 212‑539‑0500.
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