Prepare to hold school chapter elections this spring

UFT members in your school will vote this spring to determine who will represent them for chapter leader, delegate and paraprofessional representative in your chapter for the next three years, starting July 1, 2024. Elections for these school-based positions will once again be held in school buildings. Only UFT members have a right to run for office, nominate other members and vote for candidates. All UFT members in your school vote for school chapter leader; only teachers vote for delegates; and only paraprofessionals vote for paraprofessional rep. We are mailing an election packet to your school. When you receive it, please read the materials carefully and post the Notice of Election on your school's UFT bulletin board. The school chapter leader should assemble an election committee to oversee the chapter's elections. Candidates for chapter leader, delegate and para rep may not serve on the election committee. Give the election packet to the election committee once it is in place.

Please inform UFT members who are also members of functional chapters that they will also vote by mail for their functional chapter leadership this spring.

We appreciate your help in ensuring a smooth and fair election process. You'll find detailed information about the elections in the special Chapter Elections 2024 section of the UFT website. If you have questions about the procedures or if any questions arise during the election process, please call the UFT election hotline at 212-331-6310.

Our voices were heard on Lobby Day

Nearly 1,000 UFT members and public school parents converged on Albany this past Monday for UFT Lobby Day to tell state lawmakers to revamp mayoral control, fix Tier 6 and increase state foundation aid for New York City schools. The members heard from union and political leaders at the Albany Convention Center before meeting in small groups with their state representatives. Meanwhile, in scores of schools across the city this week, UFT members have gathered to send emails to their state legislators (nearly 2,000 sent so far) and are tagging them in social media posts for the union's first Virtual Lobby Day. Just as negotiations on the new state budget shifted into high gear, we came together as a union to show lawmakers that union legislative priorities must be taken seriously. We are nothing without our participation, and because we choose to show up, we are a force in Albany. See photos from the day and our Facebook and Instagram reel.

SBO process, timelines and Election Buddy voting

It's time to begin discussing possible school-based options (SBOs) for next school year with your chapter and your principal. To determine if your chapter would like to recreate an SBO or implement a new SBO, you should discuss options at your next chapter meeting and conduct surveys to gauge interest. Chapter leaders can view last year's SBO ballots and the ballots from the 2022-23 school year in the Chapter Leader Hub.

All SBO voting is conducted only through the secure Election Buddy online voting system. Schools must vote on all modifications on ONE day. SBO voting opens this year on April 8. If one of your school SBO modifications includes a ballot on your school's session time, the SBO vote must be conducted no later than June 14. Schools with proposed modifications that do not include session time have until June 26 to conduct the vote. An SBO allows UFT members at a school to collaboratively modify certain contractual work rules, such as the dates of parent-teacher conferences, or create positions not included under the contract. The principal or the chapter leader may propose an SBO. However, a principal cannot force the chapter leader to modify the contract and hold an SBO vote. Chapter leaders 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 the SBO manual, a PowerPoint presentation, pre-approved ballot templates and other sample SBO ballots. If you have questions, reach out to your district representative.

UFT spotlights the DOE's remote learning failures

In testimony submitted for a New York City Council Education Committee oversight hearing on March 6, UFT President Michael Mulgrew lambasted the DOE for its failure to plan for and properly execute a pivot to remote instruction on Feb. 13. "It was the virtual equivalent of children and educators showing up at a physical school building only to find the doors locked, the lights off and no information about where to go or what to do," he said. To avoid a repeat of that day's meltdown, the union made these recommendations:

• Make the decision to go remote as early as possible to give families and school communities the maximum amount of time to prepare.
• Immediately create and share a crisis remote learning management plan.
• Run at least one true stress test of the system before a remote day is needed, including a full simulation.

"We need the flexibility of short-term remote instruction for emergencies," Mulgrew concluded. "It is the DOE's responsibility to make the transition as seamless as possible."

Read the testimony