You must complete six hours of coursework from a provider approved by the New York State Education Department. You can find a list of approved providers at the NYSED website. The UFT is an approved provider and offers this course in its borough offices; see the UFT Courses page for dates, times and registration information.

Upon completion of the workshop, the provider will give you a copy of the Certification of Completion. In addition, the Certification of Completion form will be electronically reported to the State Education Department within 21 days of workshop completion by the provider. If you do not see that the workshop is recorded in TEACH after 21 days of the workshop date please contact us at (212) 701-9413.

Yes. If, for example, you are a professional certificate holder and want an additional certificate, you will need to complete DASA training for your additional certificate.

The deadline for completing DASA training depends on the expiration date of your certificate; you must complete your training before applying for a new certificate.

In either case, you should notify your immediate supervisor as soon as possible. If there was danger to you and/or other staff and students, also alert your UFT chapter leader and make sure to file a UFT incident report online so you can get needed support and assistance. Administrators must also report the violation or incident on the DOE’s online system, including, in some cases, the disciplinary action taken.

Every school must have a school safety plan and a crisis response plan that is updated annually and logged with the education, police and fire departments. Safety Plans are mandated by the SAVE Legislation, the UFT Contract, the Chancellor’s Regulation A-414 and the NYC Discipline Code.

• Make sure you are using the correct first and last name, birth date, Social Security number or 10-digit Welfare Fund ID number and zip code.
• Please use the first and last name that is shown on your paycheck, even if it differs from the name you used when you signed up for the website.
• If you have recently moved and have not yet updated your information with the Welfare Fund, please use the previous zip code where you resided.
• If you have not enrolled in the Welfare Fund, you will need to do so prior to updating your information.
• If you are adding a dependent after verifying your identity, use the birth date and SSN of the new dependent.

If you need further assistance, see our detailed instructions on changing your status. 

New state regulations mandating the testing for lead in water in all public New York schools went into effect on Sept. 6, 2016. To comply with these state laws, the DOE has been testing all water outlets in all New York City schools for lead. You can access your school’s results on the DOE's Water Safety website.

Because lead does not absorb through the skin, state regulations do not require sinks that can be used for handwashing to be shut off if a sign is posted to tell people that the water is NOT to be used for drinking but can be used for handwashing. Water service to outlets found to have elevated levels of lead that are for the express purpose of drinking or cooking (i.e., fountains and kitchen sinks) must be shut off. Notify us if this is not being followed.

Following findings of elevated levels, the DOE will remediate the problem by identifying and removing whatever the source of the lead may be (i.e., brass fixtures, valves, fittings, solder, etc). The water will be retested for lead afterward. If the lead levels are below the state standard of 15 parts per billion (ppb), it can be returned to service and the sign be removed. If not, further remediation is required until test results show that lead levels are below 15 ppb at that outlet.

The water we source from the city is rigorously tested to ensure that it is safe; however, it may pick up lead once it enters a school building with lead in its plumbing system and especially after the water sits for long periods of time in pipes that may contain lead.

Citywide water testing in schools has occurred three times in the past, and historically we have not yet had a case of lead poisoning among members (and students) that was linked back to the water in their school. Nonetheless, we still recommend that if members think they have been exposed to lead that they ask their doctors for a blood lead test. Do let the UFT Safety and Health Department know if you have a diagnosis of elevated blood lead levels in your school. 

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact your district representative, borough safety and health specialist or the UFT safety and health department. To access your school’s water testing result, use the “Find a school” search function on the DOE website for school’s DOE page, click on “Data and Reports” and look for the “Facilities” heading.

Services include but are not limited to: immediate access to a full-time social worker to assess the health and wellness needs of the caller, on-going support from the helpline social worker, assistance with planning a leave of absence, health benefits information, MSK Direct (cancer care program) inquiries, referrals to quality community resources, and caregiver information and support.