Paraprofessionals play an instrumental role in schools as part of a team providing educational and support services to children. Here are some of the rights and responsibilities that paraprofessionals should know about.


Among the many meaningful contractual rights UFT members have is time carved out for teachers to do unassigned professional work. Whether they teach elementary, middle or high school, teachers are generally entitled to five preparation periods per...

Increasing member autonomy was a priority in the negotiations leading up to the 2023 DOE-UFT contract. That’s why in all single-session schools as well as District 75 schools that choose to use the default workday in the contract, teachers and...

You are entitled to be absent from work but still get paid without using your sick bank for bereavement, jury duty, graduations, screenings and blood donations, and some health-related absences.

Spring is the time for school chapter leaders to discuss with their chapter’s members and then with their principal the school-based options they want to create, re-create or allow to sunset for the next school year. SBOs allow UFT members the...

Teachers, paraprofessionals, and school social workers and psychologists can apply for these “per-session” activities that are done either before or after school, on the weekend or holidays, or during the summer. This Know Your Rights column details...

The DOE-UFT contract gives educators an expedited process for addressing many workplace problems: the operational issues resolution process. In the 2023 contract, the paperwork and operational issues process was expanded to address even more...

In addition to the regular pay increases negotiated in each DOE-UFT contract, UFT-represented teachers and other pedagogues receive differentials, step payments and longevity increases based on their level of education and years of service.

If you are a paraprofessional, the DOE-UFT contract establishes rights and obligations in terms of when you can be absent from work. Learn about how you accumulate and can use sick days and about excused absences.

Cumulative Absence Reserve (CAR) is the formal name for the bank of “sick days” earned by UFT-represented employees who work for the city Department of Education (DOE). All full-time, school-based UFT members may earn up to 10 CAR days for the full...