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.
If you are new to the Department of Education, this fall you should have received a welcome enrollment email from the Teachers' Retirement System of the City of New York, which will provide you with a guaranteed retirement allowance upon meeting certain age and service requirements. You must complete the enrollment form and a designation of beneficiary form and return them to TRS. You must include proof of your date of birth when you file the forms. You can complete the forms online at the TRS website.
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.
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.
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. The 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.
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.
As a new teacher, you 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.
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.
Check the Know Your Rights section of the UFT website for more information about union rights and protections.
Salary and finances
All new teachers are required to file a salary step application. If you have previous paid, full-time teaching experience and/or related nonteaching experience, you may qualify for salary credit, which can raise your wages significantly — up to 7.5 years of salary credit — bringing you to Step 8B. All newly appointed teachers must supply this information to the DOE using their online salary step application. You will be assigned an “equated date” once the DOE's Office of Salary Services processes your application for the salary step. This equated date allows you to move up on the salary schedule twice a year. You will automatically advance to the next salary step each year: once on your equated date, and again on March 1. If you do not submit the salary step application, you will automatically be placed on the lowest salary step, 1A, and move only on March 1 each year. You must fill out the salary step application within six months of your appointment date in order to receive any retroactive salary step payment. After your application is processed, the DOE will send you a certificate of salary status via email informing you of your salary step and equate (anniversary) date.
Enroll in the Tax-Deferred Annuity (TDA) program. It’s a good idea early in your career to start making voluntary contributions to a Tax-Deferred Annuity, which allows you to save additional money for your retirement. Taxes are deferred on your TDA contributions until you withdraw the money as income.
Are you concerned about paying back your student loans? The Student Debt Relief Program, an exclusive member benefit brought to you by the UFT, runs webinars every month to inform you about federal loan forgiveness programs and help you navigate your options. The Student Debt Relief Program is exclusively for UFT members to help guide you every step of the way. Register for an introductory webinar to learn more.
See the salary section of the UFT website for DOE salary schedules, the current payroll calendar and more.
Observation and evaluation
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.) Learn more about teacher observations.
You should have had your initial planning conference with your supervisor by the end of October. There are several important steps you’ll need to take before Thanksgiving to be prepared for the observation cycle. See other important dates and deadlines regarding teacher evaluation.
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
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.