Contract 2023 FAQ: Workday

What are the workday changes in single-session schools?

The instructional day for students remains 6 hours and 20 minutes. The 80 minutes of weekly PD has been reduced to 60 minutes per week. Other Professional Work time has increased slightly, from 35 minutes per week to 40 minutes per week for teachers and from 30 minutes per week to 35 minutes per week for paraprofessionals.

Parent engagement time is now 55 minutes per week, up from 40 minutes previously. The parent engagement is self-directed and may be conducted remotely. It does not need to be performed in one block. Teachers and paras will create their own schedule for parent engagement work.

If less than the full time is taken up with parent engagement activities, the teacher or para can use the remaining time, remotely if they wish, on Other Professional Work (OPW).

What are the workday changes in multi-session schools?

The instructional day for students remains 6 hours and 20 minutes. The day can end no later than 4:20 on Mondays and Tuesdays. One professional activity period per week is converted to self-directed Other Professional Work time. In October, January, February, and April, one of the faculty or grade conferences is converted to parent engagement time, which can be performed remotely and does not need to be performed in one block.

Will District 75 schools be allowed to use the default workday that single-session schools use?

Yes, they may.

What can be done during parent engagement?

The following activities can be performed during parent engagement:

• face-to face meetings (individual or group) with parents or guardians;
• telephone conversations with parents or guardians;
• written correspondence including email with parents or guardians;
• creating newsletters;
• creating content for school/class websites and/or answering machines;
• preparing student report cards; preparing student progress reports;
• meetings with parents of English language learners (as per Commissioner’s Regulations Part 154);
• preparing for any of the parent engagement activities listed above.

What kind of documentation do I have to submit for my remote parent engagement time?

If you use a remote platform that records interactions with parents (emails, calls, etc.) such as Google Classroom, Gamma or Jupiter Grades, you will not need to submit any additional documentation. The platforms differ from school to school, but some examples are Google Classroom, Gamma and Jupiter Grades. Each school can confirm whether the parent engagement can be tracked using existing school platforms. Otherwise, you will need to submit a simple parent engagement log.

What DOE platforms that track time can members use to document their parent engagement work?

The platforms may be different for each school. Examples of platforms are Kinvo, Google Classroom, Gamma, and Jupiter Grades.

Is the remote parent engagement time self-scheduled? Can a principal set our times?

The time is self-scheduled. The principal cannot set the times.

Will I be expected to always be available for parent engagement?

When and where teachers do parent engagement work is at the discretion of the teacher. Teachers cannot be expected to be available at set times outside their school day. Meetings and communication with parents should be at a mutually agreeable time.

Does my principal have to agree that parent engagement can be conducted remotely?

No, this decision is up to the teacher. Principals can only rescind a UFT member’s right to work a portion of their time remotely if the member “fails to satisfactorily complete their remote work activities.”

Can the 40 minutes of Other Professional Work be done remotely as well?

No — OPW work must still be done in person. However, if you do not use all 55 minutes in a given week for parental engagement, you can use the balance of your 55 minutes for OPW and that OPW can be done remotely.

When do employees do Other Professional Work in the default work week in single-session schools?

On Tuesdays, immediately following the end of the school day.

What tasks are appropriate activities for Other Professional Work? 

• Collaborative planning
• Lesson Study
• Inquiry and review of student work
• MOSL-related work
• Work related to computer systems/data entry
• Preparing and grading student assessments
• Mentoring
• Responsibilities related to teacher leader duties for all individuals in teacher leadership positions
• IEP related work (which, as of the 2023 contract, includes IEP meetings)

How has the elementary school workday changed?

The instructional workday has changed in two important ways:

1. Elementary teachers should have no more than three consecutive teaching assignments and no more than four consecutive working assignments, wherever administratively possible, and
2. Elementary school dismissal must be structured in a way that allows for dismissal to be completed within the teachers’ workday.

What recourse does an elementary school teacher have if she is still programmed for four periods in a row?

Any teacher in this situation can file a reorganization grievance.

How have professional activities changed?

The menu of options has expanded to include 14 new activities, including office hours, advisory curriculum and preparation, and college recommendations.

Are parent-teacher conferences remote for the duration of the contract?

Yes.

How long are the parent-teacher conferences for September and May?

These evening conferences are three hours, as before.

What are the rules for remote work for related service providers?

School-based related service providers can create their own schedules based on students’ instructional programs and subject to supervisory approval. These schedules will include time for administrative tasks and paperwork. The schedule may include up to 55 minutes of remote time per week.

Did the instructional day increase to 6 hours and 45 minutes?

No, the length of the school day remains the same. School chapters can pass school-based options to modify the school day, including one that increases the instructional day to 6 hours and 45 minutes. But no school is required to do an SBO to modify the school day.

Can the 25 minutes that speech teachers do Mondays through Thursdays be done in the morning, as in prior years?

Yes, they can be done in the morning or afternoon, no SBO needed.

What other opportunities are there for remote work?

The Chancellor's Conference Day in June, also known as Anniversary Day or Brooklyn Queens Day, is now remote every year, for teachers, mandated related service providers, staff in central titles and all UFT-represented DOE staff.

In general, UFT members who work in DOE offices may be eligible to work remotely up to two days per week.