Store your DOE file/EIS number and your employee ID number in a safe place and make sure you can log in to your employee self-service account on the DOE website. You’ll also need your employee identification number or your EIS number to log in to the DOE’s payroll portal, where you can enroll in direct deposit, see your pay stubs and more.
Be sure to carefully review and save the email you received from the DOE’s Department of Human Resources, which records all your current information concerning your New York City license/appointment and New York State certification. Most important, check that it is accurate. If not, be sure to follow the DOE’s instructions right away to correct any errors in the record.
Make note of your UFT member ID number located on your UFT membership card or in your UFT.org account. You'll need it when you call the union or sign up for union events and services.
Start your personal professional file, either in hard copy or a digital folder, that includes your official DOE appointment/placement email, your fingerprint clearance and your state certification email. Any official emails or records sent to your DOE account should be forwarded to your personal email in case you are ever locked out of your DOE account.
Especially for related service providers
Did you know that in addition to being represented by their building's chapter leader, school-related professionals in a DOE functional chapter — the colleagues who share their job title across the city — are also represented by a chapter leader? The UFT functional chapter leader is an invaluable source of information and support throughout a member's career.
Members in job titles other than teacher also receive Teacher’s Choice funds. If your title is eligible, you should have received the funds in your last November or first December paycheck. To use your funds, you must save your receipts for educational purchases you made or make between Aug. 1 and mid-January. These receipts must accompany a DOE statement of purpose/ accountability form that you return to your administrator by Jan. 17, 2025. If you receive Teacher's Choice funds in your paycheck and do not submit an accountability form with required receipts by the January deadline, the DOE will take back the money.
Staying connected with the union
It’s easy to stay on top of the latest UFT news. Sign up to receive UFT emails. Throughout the year, we send email to members about important information, including breaking news and alerts about union campaigns. You’ll also begin to receive the monthly New Teacher Bulletin by email.
Sign up for a UFT website account to receive emails about important information, including alerts about union campaigns and your rights and benefits.
Sign up for UFT text messages and be among the first to be notified about key information such as pivoting to remote in the event of inclement weather or breaking news. Text: "UFT" to 86366 from your mobile phone (standard messaging and data rates apply) or sign up online.
It’s important that the UFT has your up-to-date mailing address, email address and phone number so you receive important information about your union rights and benefits. You can update your address on the “My Account” tab on the UFT website or in the UFT Member Hub.
Certification and licensing for new teachers
The welcome email you received as a new DOE employee included your license code and what it means. Your New York State certificate must match your DOE license appointment code. New York State certification allows you to continue working in the New York City public school system.
Make sure you’re on track with your certification requirements. If you have fulfilled your state certification requirements or are close to doing so, remember to apply online for your certificate as soon as possible. Processing your certificate will take at least 16 weeks. Log in to your TEACH account on the New York State Education Department website to check on the status of your application and to see if NYSED has requested additional documentation from you. Read more about teacher certification requirements.
If you have fulfilled your state certification requirements or are close to doing so, remember to apply online for your professional certificate. No certificate is issued automatically! Check your TEACH online account for the documents you need to submit together with your application fee (which may be reduced if you have a college recommendation). Make copies of everything before you send it in. Mail your packet "Return Receipt Requested" to the New York State Education Department and file the receipt with the copies of your paperwork. Since it takes time to process your application, it's a good idea to complete all your requirements early and apply at least six months before your time-limited certificate expires. Read more about teacher certification.
If you have any questions about keeping your certificate valid or want to know what you need to do to complete state certification requirements for your permanent or professional certificate, you can call the union at 212-331-6311 and ask for a certification specialist or read more about teacher certification. You can also speak with your chapter leader about scheduling an appointment with a UFT educational liaison to visit your school to speak to staff about certification.
Rights and benefits
If you want to change your city health plan, you can enroll in a new plan during the fall transfer period from Nov. 1 to Nov. 30. To enroll in a new plan, log in to your employee self-service account at www.nyc.gov/ess. Health plan changes requested during the transfer period will take effect on Jan. 1, 2025.
Are you covered by a New York City health benefits plan but also covered by the noncity health insurance plan of your parent, spouse or domestic partner? During the fall transfer period, you may enroll in the Health Benefits Buy-Out Waiver Program, which allows eligible city employees to receive an incentive payment for waiving their city health coverage. To enroll, log in to your employee self-service account at www.nyc.gov/ess.
Have you enrolled in the UFT Welfare Fund? The UFT Welfare Fund provides your prescription drug, dental, optical and other benefits that supplement your New York City health plan — but this is separate from your health plan enrollment. Enroll in the UFT Welfare Fund online and upload the required documentation. Save receipts for any prescription drugs you purchase so you can be reimbursed once your enrollment is processed. You can also view benefit information, related forms and lists of participating providers.
All teachers have five preparation periods a week and a duty-free lunch period each day. You should be scheduled for no more than three consecutive teaching periods and four consecutive working assignments in a day. Speak to your chapter leader if your program does not follow contractual guidelines to try to informally resolve the issue or determine if a grievance should be pursued. Learn more about teacher programs.
Did you recently get married, have a baby or add or drop eligible dependents? To cover new dependents, update your personal information. Both the UFT and the DOE require you to submit supporting documentation (such as a marriage license) if you are adding beneficiaries. Notify the UFT Welfare Fund by filing a Change of Status Form electronically within 30 days of the event. To notify the DOE, log on to your Employee Self-Service account.
Make sure you have designated beneficiaries with the DOE, your pension system and the UFT Welfare Fund. Your beneficiaries are entitled to benefits if you die. Review your beneficiaries on record with the DOE by logging in to your employee self-service account. You can add or remove beneficiaries or change the percentage you leave to each beneficiary by logging in to either the Teachers’ Retirement System at www.trsnyc.org, or the Board of Education Retirement System (BERS) at www.bers.nyc.gov. Lastly, you can make necessary changes to your beneficiaries on record with the UFT Welfare Fund by scrolling down and selecting “update your information.” If you do nothing, your beneficiaries will remain the same as your last designation.
If you or your partner is about to give birth or you are planning to adopt, you can attend one of the union's free, virtual Pathways to Parenthood workshops to learn about your paid parental leave benefits. Visit our Parental Leave section of the website to learn more about this benefit and to register for an upcoming workshop.
If you are a new teacher without prior teaching experience, you are entitled to school-based mentoring by an experienced teacher so you get the support you need, ideally from the first day of school. The mentor should be an experienced classroom teacher, coach or lead teacher, ideally in your subject area. The mentor will provide a minimum of two periods a week of confidential, nonevaluative and nonjudgmental support. If you have not been assigned a mentor, speak with your chapter leader or UFT district representative. If you have any questions or concerns, contact your chapter leader.
New teachers should be thinking about tenure. First, be sure you know your tenure date by asking your payroll secretary or principal. Next, confirm that your license code matches the subject and level in which you are teaching. In New York City, tenure is granted in your license appointment area, and those pieces of information must match. Learn about the tenure timeline and how to prepare your portfolio at a tenure workshop, which you can find on the UFT events calendar. Read more about tenure or call the UFT at 212-331-6311 and ask to speak with an educational liaison.
Check the Know Your Rights section of the UFT website for more information about union rights and protections.
Salary and finances
All pedagogues who are eligible for salary steps and differentials must apply using the online salary application portal for DOE employees. Pedagogues have two applications: one for salary steps (credit for previous qualifying professional experience with the DOE or elsewhere) and one for differentials (credit for additional education). New hires applying for credit for previous qualifying professional experience must also use the portal. All new pedagogues should fill out a salary-step placement application even if they do not have prior experience to establish their “equate date,” which is the date from which future steps can be computed. Without an equate date, members will only go up one step each year instead of two. Transcripts must be original, and a watermark must be visible. All prior work experience must have a verification letter from former employees; verification of employment (VOE) forms from the state will not be accepted.
Paraprofessionals who are eligible for salary upgrades should apply using the online salary application portal for DOE employees.
See the salary section of the UFT website for DOE salary schedules, the current payroll calendar and more.
Observation and evaluation for new teachers
If you have not yet been granted tenure, you can expect to receive one formal observation and three informal observations this school year. (If you received a rating of Ineffective or Unsatisfactory for the last school year, you will receive one formal and four informal observations.) Half of the required minimum number of observations must be conducted by Jan. 30. See other important dates and deadlines regarding teacher evaluation. Learn more about teacher observations.
Feedback (in the form of in-person conversations, writing, email or other forms of communication) for any teacher observation that will be used for evaluative purposes must be provided within 10 school days. You should expect to receive a teacher observation report within 30 days of the observation. If you have any questions or concerns about observations, contact your UFT chapter leader.
See the Teacher Evaluation section of the UFT website for additional information about observation and evaluation.
Professional development
LearnUFT courses for Continuing Teacher and Leader Education (CTLE) credit are available in the UFT's borough offices and online. Browse the course listings and register. (Remember that you need to begin collecting CTLE hours only once you have earned your professional certificate.)
The UFT has a partnership with local colleges and universities to offer reduced-cost master’s degree programs and graduate coursework that can be applied toward a salary differential. Registration information is available at www.uft.org/courses.
More union benefits
Did you know that the UFT’s Member Assistance Program (MAP) provides short-term counseling at no cost to in-service UFT members by professionally trained mental health staff? MAP is confidential, professional and supportive. For more information, call MAP at 212-701-9620 or email mapinfo [at] uft [dot] org (mapinfo[at]uft[dot]org); services are provided by appointment only. MAP also has a 24/7 helpline for UFT members. If you are in crisis, experiencing distress, need resources or a referral, our counselors are available for UFT members 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-866-UFT-FOR-U.
Miscellaneous
If you work in a high school, the spring term begins on Tuesday, Jan. 28. High school teachers should receive their tentative schedule 10 days before—and their final program two days before—the start of the term. Teachers should be assigned to no more than three consecutive teaching assignments and no more than four consecutive working assignments (including professional activities). If you have any questions or concerns about your spring term schedule, contact your UFT chapter leader.
Need a form or application? The UFT website has a wealth of useful forms — UFT, DOE and even New York State forms and applications. Go to UFT Forms to access or print forms pertaining to leaves, salary, Workers’ Comp, special education and much more.