Members who receive letters of discontinuance should file an appeal through their borough office. See the hours and locations of UFT borough offices. 

Anyone who has been discontinued should ask to copy everything in their personnel file. Teachers are allowed to view their personnel files and make copies of any items.  In addition, gather documents that can be used to support your appeal, such as letters of commendation, observation reports, positive emails from parents, unit plans, lesson plans, parent outreach logs and any other materials that demonstrate your effectiveness. 

School-based DOE parking permits expire on November 1. Members can apply for parking permit renewals through the DOE’s parking permit self-service portal when it opens each September through early October (the portal works best in Google Chrome). UFT members are permitted to use on-street general parking (OSG) and itinerant on-street parking (OSI) if there are DOT-designated, on-street parking spaces at their school. 

Once you submit an application through the portal, the DOE will deliver parking permits to your school by November 1. You must turn in your expired permit in order to receive a new one.

For additional information, see the DOE's parking permit web page. 

Yes. Under state law governing public employees, the terms of an expired contract stay in effect until a new agreement is reached.

As of Sept. 28, 2022, the state Education Department created a new Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate that permits teachers to teach students with disabilities in pre-K through Grade 12 in New York State public schools. The Students with Disabilities (Grades 1-6) and Students with Disabilities (Grades 7-12) certificates will be phased out.  

Teachers who now hold a Students with Disabilities certificate in a particular grade band (Birth-Grade 2, Grades 1-6, Grades 5-9 or Grades 7-12) or the Permanent Special Education certificate will not be required to obtain the new Students with Disabilities (All Grades) certificate. But teachers with these certificates may want to consider obtaining the new certificate, since it will allow for greater flexibility to teach students with disabilities in all grades.

For requirements for this new certification see the NYSED website , and their FAQ for more information about the new certificate as well.

In addition to ASPDP courses, teachers may also qualify for A+ credit for coursework taken to achieve additional certification in one or more of the following designated areas:

• Special Education
• Health
• Bilingual extension
• TESOL certificate inclusive of additional content area certification
• Secondary Content Area Additional Certification for those who hold a Special Education or ESL Certificate
• *18 credits in content areas for those teachers with a SWD generalist seeking a content extension
• School Building Leader

For more information about ASPDP courses, see the FAQ on the DOE website. 

A Health Benefits Transfer Period for city employees, such as DOE staff, is held once each year, usually in November. During this period, all employees may transfer from their current health plan to any other plan for which they are eligible, or they may add or drop optional rider coverage to their present plan. 

If you do not wish to make any changes to your health plan, no action is required. All changes submitted during the open enrollment period will take effect as of Jan. 1. 

Download the form to make a change in your health benefits and then submit the form with all required documentation to your payroll/personnel department. See guidance from the Office of Labor Relations for more information about open enrollment. 

Following a title change (e.g., from paraprofessional to teacher or another role), employees may transfer days from their old bank to their new bank by filling out a CAR Transfer Request form . The school payroll secretary processes the form to transfer days to your new bank. 

The DOE provides eligible paraprofessionals with a 40-day paid leave of absence to complete student teaching requirements if paraprofessionals are enrolled in a program to earn credentials to become full-time teachers as there are instances when colleges and universities will not accept work as a paraprofessional in place of student teaching.

The number of student teaching leaves granted by the DOE per year will not exceed 100 (50 leaves for the fall and 50 leaves for the spring). These particular leaves of absence are by application only. Applicants must receive approval before they can begin their leave of absence.

For more information about the paraprofessional student teacher leave of absence program, or pathways to teaching programs for paraprofessionals, visit: Teach NYC Programs.

In-service DOE employees can access their W-2, 1127 waiver and 1095-C tax forms online on the NYCAPS Employee Self Service web page. DOE employees must choose the option for electronic delivery of their tax forms through NYCAPS and then will receive them via email by the end of January. The tax forms will be mailed to all other employees at the address on file at the DOE. Read the DOE Payroll Memorandum for instructions and guidance. 

CTE teachers can now apply for salary differentials through the DOE's salary application system (DOE login required). Learn more about how to qualify for CTE differentials and areas of specialization. »