“As teachers in the biggest and most diverse school system in the world, what do we do?” asked UFT President Michael Mulgrew of the more than 1,000 UFT members at the union’s Spring Education Conference at the New York Hilton Midtown. “We get it done.”

Mulgrew celebrated educators’ resolve and hard work in the face of challenges, both present and past. “No matter what happens, we figure it out,” he said. “Nothing stops us. That’s what this union is about.”

Fifth-grader Lucas Manessis from PS 193 in Queens, speaking about the importance of diversity, and an orchestral performance by students from the same school kicked off the May 18 event, whose theme was “Our Hopes, Our Voices, Our Future,” followed by a town hall on literacy. Members then had the choice of five workshops and the chance to peruse an exhibit hall showcasing the skills of career and technical education students.

First lady Jill Biden was the keynote speaker at the gala luncheon. “I’m the first lady of the United States, and I’m a proud, card-carrying member of a teachers’ union!” she declared. Biden urged UFT members to fight for labor rights, education and American democracy by electing Joe Biden for a second term in November.

Tapped to introduce Biden was Teacher Center coach and UFT member Simone Rodney, who is now free of student debt thanks to the federal Public Student Loan Forgiveness program that President Biden reinvigorated and the help of the Student Debt Relief Program for UFT members.

“That was all because of the UFT and President Joe Biden,” said Rodney. “No one goes into teaching to get rich. But this profession shouldn’t mean a lifetime of crushing debt.”

UFT members also heard from U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, NYSUT President Melinda Person, AFT President Randi Weingarten and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

In an election year, speakers stressed the importance of voting for national and local candidates who support public education and workers’ rights.

Throughout the afternoon, the sounds of DJ Grandmaster Dee entertained the members and even inspired a conga line through the ballroom.

Weingarten spoke about how much joy plays a role in shaping political change. “People who are against us — they are haters. And what you do shows that we can actually make progress with joy.”

Hundreds of UFT members attended the morning workshops, which all conferred CTLE credits.

Dale Britton, a high school teacher at the School for Human Rights in Brooklyn, said he picked up new strategies to help his newcomer students become stronger writers in the workshop on literacy supports for English language learners. “You can use the visual tools to teach sentence structure and grammar in a fun and engaging way,” he said.

Syeda Ali, an ENL teacher in a self-contained 4th-grade classroom at PS 170 in Brooklyn, said the workshop on Illustrative Mathematics gave her new tools to spark math discourse among English language learners. “It’s more inclusive and provides a way for ENL students to participate,” she said. “UFT workshops always broaden my perception.”

Erica Berger

Teachers Syeda Ali of PS 170 in Brooklyn and Terry Fung Ching of the Academy of Medical Technology HS in Queens participate in a workshop on Illustrative Mathematics.

Helen Jason, a special education teacher at PS 36 in Manhattan, said she was going to use the task cards shown during the Science of Reading workshop in her self-contained 1st- and 2nd-grade classroom when she returned to school on Monday. “The ideas that they gave us in this workshop were phenomenal,” she said.

At the end of the workshop on graphic novels, Michelle Lowe-Calixte, the chapter leader and a paraprofessional at IS 392 in Brooklyn, said she would be advocating with her principal to use more graphic novels to teach the English language learners at her school. “Graphic novels will catch their attention more because it’s much more visual,” she said.

Noelia Rodriguez, who teaches 3rd grade at PS 214 in the Bronx, said the workshops were useful and the luncheon speakers were inspiring, but the real draw of the day was getting the chance to bond with her colleagues. “We come together,” she said, “so we can provide a unified front to best support the students.”