Substitutes and per diem teachers cannot join the Teachers’ Retirement System, but they may be eligible for pension coverage with the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS). Contact BERS at 65 Court Street, Brooklyn, New York 11201, or call 929-305-3800 or your UFT borough office. When you are a regularly appointed teacher, you are eligible to enroll in and transfer your pension to the Teachers' Retirement System.