Your base salary depends on three factors: your experience, your academic credits and your length of service in the city’s public schools. Experience determines what step you are on; your academic credits determine what differentials you receive; and your service in the city’s public schools determines your longevity payments.

A salary step is an increase in salary based on experience. With continuous service you move up a half-step twice a year — although there may be no monetary difference between the “A” and “B” levels within one year. These “steps” occur on your equated appointment date and on March 1. New teachers must complete an online salary step application. Most new teachers start at Step 1A, but you may start at a higher step if you taught outside the city’s public schools or did regular substitute or per diem service for the DOE or — for certain licenses — had non-teaching experience related to your teaching position. If you believe you qualify for additional salary credit, you must apply within six months of the date you are appointed to your current position. Once your previous experience is verified and your application is processed, you will receive a Certificate of Salary Status. You must be on payroll on March 1 to receive the respective step increase. If you are on an approved leave of absence without pay, your equated date will be recalculated. Those who have a separation of service must complete a new salary step placement application to be placed on the correct step.

Longevity increases are based on your years working as a pedagogue in the city’s public schools. You will automatically receive a longevity salary increase after you have completed five, 10, 13, 15, 18, 20 and 22 years in the system.

Pedagogues and paraprofessionals receive 24 semi-monthly checks — 20 for your service from September to June and four for July and August. To be eligible for full vacation pay, you need to have worked the entire school year. If you worked less than a full school year, your vacation pay will be prorated.

All active and continuously employed UFT-represented DOE employees who worked between Nov. 1, 2009 and April 30, 2018 without a separation from service, other than retirement, are eligible.

Employees hired after April 30, 2018 are not eligible for lump-sum payments.

Yes.

Yes. Those who worked during the contract period and retired prior to June 30, 2014 received one lump-sum payment for all monies owed in February 2015. (date changes are for consistency throughout document)

Those who retired effective July 1, 2014 or later receive payments on the same basic schedule as active employees.

UFT members who take an approved unpaid leave will get all of the rate increases that other employees will receive upon their return. In addition, they will receive all of their retroactive pay so long as they return from leave by Oct. 1, 2023, and remain active until they have received all of their payments. Employees who miss a scheduled lump-sum payment and are on payroll will be paid on the next Oct. 1 and each following Oct.1 through 2027 until all payments are made.

Retirees who receive their pension checks through direct deposit will have their lump-sum payments deposited into the same account as their pension checks.

Retirees who receive their pension checks through the mail will have their lump-sum checks mailed to the same address as their pension checks.