After days of nonstop negotiations and with the threat of a UFT strike looming, the mayor on Sept. 1 agreed to the demands of the union to postpone the start of in-person classes to ensure school buildings pass the UFT’s safety checklist.

Tom Brown, the UFT’s assistant treasurer, was re-elected last spring as a trustee on the Teachers’ Retirement System board and will serve a new three-year term.

The following was sent to all DOE-employed school counselors on Aug. 27, 2020.

With the beginning of the school year fast approaching, school counselors have many unanswered questions. The DOE and the UFT together released guidance on how related services counseling will be delivered if schools do open with a blended learning model.

School buildings cannot open on Sept. 10 unless they meet stringent coronavirus safety standards, UFT President Michael Mulgrew said at a press conference Aug. 19, and vowed to go to court or take a job action — including a strike — if the city attempts to reopen any school building that does not meet the criteria on a safety plan created by the union.

Questions and answers from the Speech Chapter Meeting on Aug. 4, 2020.