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Sandy Scragg

New York Teacher Reporter

Achieving Tenure

Achieving tenure

Achieving tenure is an important milestone in a teacher’s career. In this Q&A, probationary teachers can learn more about the benefits of tenure, becoming eligible and how to prepare for your tenure decision.
digital teaching portfolio

Creating a digital teaching portfolio

Whether you are preparing for tenure or applying for a transfer to a new school through the Open Market Transfer system, compiling a digital teaching portfolio can be a wise move.

Trips provide a real-world education

Trips provide a real-world education

With spring’s arrival, we enter field trip season in schools. But planning a field trip in New York City is no easy feat.
President Obama speech

Tech tools for public speaking

Educators know that speech is integral to fluency so it's no wonder many classroom assignments and projects revolve around public speaking. Here are some tech tools to help practice and perfect speeches.


Tech tools to bring the arts to class

Tech tools to bring the arts to class

While technology tools cannot and should not replace hands-on art making, these digital resources can be used to bring the arts, which may be otherwise lacking in your students’ school day, into your curriculum in meaningful ways.
Don't count out summer

Don’t count out summer learning options

For some teachers, summer is the time to take teacher institutes offered by notable organizations across the country that provide practical and unique learning experiences expressly designed for educators. 

Parental Leave

UFT parental leave

The UFT in 2018 was the first municipal union in New York City to secure paid parental leave for its members. Parents of any gender may be eligible to take UFT parental leave following the birth, adoption or foster care placement of a child under the age of 6. This leave can be coupled with CAR days to extend the time new mothers have with a new baby. The following FAQ provides answers to the most-asked questions from members.
Hispanic in class

Career advancement opportunities for paraprofessionals

By accumulating college credits, paraprofessionals can significantly increase their pay. Whether your career path as a paraprofessional leads you to earn a bachelor’s degree or to earn a master’s degree and become a certified teacher, several UFT-backed programs provide professional and financial support. Read our FAQ to learn more about these career advancement opportunities.

tools to aid speaking

Tools to aid speaking and listening

There are excellent online audio and visual resources that speech improvement teachers and classroom teachers alike can use to help students develop their listening and speaking skills. These media-rich resources provide ways to listen to language and isolate specific sounds and words that may need attention.
Therapists’ strategies that teachers can use

Therapists’ strategies that teachers can use

Incorporating strategies used by occupational, physical and speech therapists into classroom teaching can not only greatly benefit students with disabilities, but can also improve learning for all students. And the more teachers normalize using these strategies, the more special needs students will feel included and supported.