Organize a Day of Action at your school

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it clear: Class size is a public health issue. We are holding Days of Action on Wednesday, Dec. 1, and Thursday, Dec. 2, as part of our major push to put pressure on city elected officials to make sure the City Council bill to limit classroom occupancy is brought to a vote. Our kids deserve smaller class sizes, and now is the time to pass the legislation to make it happen. Please start thinking about what you would like to do at your school; we know our individual chapters always come up with powerful and creative organizing strategies that work for their school communities. Reach out to your school’s PTA president, parent coordinator and the parent members on the School Leadership Team to engage your school’s parents, too. Distribute this flier in staff mailboxes. Also please put this campaign as a top agenda item at your next chapter meeting. At that meeting, encourage members to sign and share the petition and facilitate a conversation about what smaller class sizes would mean for your school.  

Learn more

See Special Education Recovery Services funds for your school

The DOE’s school allocation memo provides detailed information about funding for all aspects of Special Education Recovery Services (SERS) in your school. It’s important for chapter leaders to familiarize themselves with their school’s Special Education Recovery Plan to support students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) and monitor any issues with providing these students with the appropriate services. Keep an eye on how this money is spent in your school; your principal should prioritize funding for school staff to provide recovery services over outside organizations. See the Special Education Recovery Plan FAQ that addresses the most common questions about how SERS may be implemented at the school level.

See your school's allotment

Donate a new toy for a deserving child

Bring the joy of the holiday season to New York City public school students in need. Donate an unwrapped, brand-new toy for children, newborn to 16 years of age. There are three options to make it easier for you to donate to make sure no deserving child goes without a gift this holiday season: 

• Donate an unwrapped, brand-new toy at one of our UFT borough offices through Dec. 16
• Make a monetary donation via PayPal
• Select an item online while shopping and have it shipped to the UFT at:
  
  Elementary Schools Division
  52 Broadway, 14th Floor
  New York, NY 10004

Thank you for your generosity. 

Donate now

Teacher Union Day was a success

We want to thank the 234 honorees and their families who came in person and the 600 UFT members who joined virtually via Zoom for Teacher Union Day, which each year celebrates the members who built the UFT and recognizes the members who are leading the union and our schools into the future. It was an uplifting event that reminded us of the importance of union membership, especially in these challenging times. Teacher Union Day this year had a special focus: honoring those in our UFT family who stepped up to protect and support our members and students during this pandemic. We want to give a special shoutout to our 89 chapter leaders who received Ely Trachtenberg Awards on Nov. 7. Read the story about the event and see photos of this year’s honorees on the UFT website.