Waiting for the District 79 Meet the President event to get underway in Manhattan are (from left) Adult Education Chapter Leader Sarah Tyson and teachers Pat Johnson and Myrtle Armstrong.

UFT President Michael Mulgrew tells District 79 members, “We have more rights than we’ve ever had inside our contract,” and encourages them to use consultations. “Consultation is a big deal,” he said, “especially for you because each one of you is so unique.”

Patty Crispino (center), the UFT representative for District 79 alternative high schools and programs, with members (from left) Jeremy Borenstein of Queens Academy and Saji James, Antonia Prescia and Nurea Selami, all from Concord HS on Staten Island.

Chapter Leader Mark Weller (right) led a contingent from West Side HS in Manhattan.

Fran Meyers, an adult education teacher at the Grand Street Settlement in Manhattan, had a question about teacher evaluations.

Mulgrew talks to members from the School of Cooperative Technical Education, which has campuses in four boroughs and offers 17 different certification courses in a variety of careers.

Abdellatif Awadalla lobbies for special union emails for members.

Analiese Robinson (left), the chapter leader at Lower East Side Preparatory HS in Manhattan, attends the event with Fatima Ginocchio, a teacher at the school.

Sara Jackson (center), a teacher at the HS for Excellence and Innovation in Manhattan, asks Mulgrew about developing literacy assessments for multi-language learners.

Members from Olympus Academy in Brooklyn enjoy the shared information and camaraderie.

Chapter Leader Nathan Grondin and teacher Krystal Anello were representing Independence HS in Manhattan.

Miari Roberts, a teacher at Brooklyn Academy HS, discusses the shortage of special education teachers and asks what can be done to increase licensing and hiring.