Teacher Union Day Honorees
Teacher Union Day takes place around the anniversary of the 1960 strike that forged our union. On this day, we honor the past leaders who inspire us and celebrate our present leaders who continue in their footsteps. Congratulations to this year's honorees!
2024 Honorees
Charles Cogen Award
- Tom Murphy, former UFT political director and Retired Teachers Chapter leader
Jules Kolodny Award
- Evelyn Edwards, UFT Teacher Center District Coach Liaison
David Wittes Award
- Zina Burton-Myrick, District 5 Representative
Audrey Chasen Awards
- Members at PS 627 & K140, Brooklyn
- Jouleni Cruz, teacher at East-West HS for International Studies, Queens
- Patricia Beresford, Matt Ruffini and Krystle Denorio, all from PS 42, Staten Island
Sidney Harris Award
- Elizabeth McGovern, UFT Liaison to the Division of Specialized Instruction and Student Support
Backer-Scheintaub Awards
- Cliff Hagen, IS 72, Staten Island
- Brad Alter, UFT Member Representative
Collective Action Awards
- Senaida Maldonado and the staff at Performing Arts & Technology HS, Brooklyn
- Members at Midwood HS, Brooklyn
- Members at East New York Family Academy, Brooklyn
- Members at PS 157, Bronx
- Kristin Golat-Defendis and the staff at MS 51, Brooklyn
- Moncef Righi, Federation of Nurses, NYU-Langone Brooklyn
Marsh/Raimo Awards
- Terrain Chambers-Reeves, Edward R. Murrow HS, Brooklyn
- Vincent Corletta, MS 137, Queens
- Carmen Romero Lee, MS 177, Manhattan
- Sandy Wong, PS 30, Bronx
- Christopher Alena, Curtis HS, Staten Island
- Michael Friedman, Pathways to Graduation
Richard Procida Award
- Patricia Crispino, District 79 Representative
Albert Lee Smallheiser Awards
- Chaitram Aklu, retired teacher and UFT Executive Board member
- Nancy Aromando, District 15 Representative
- Ariel Arroyo, District 20 Representative
- Jason Goldberg, UFT Special Representative and Brooklyn HS District Representative
- Lisa Highland
- Iradies Munet, District 14 Representative
- Tanya Rodriguez, UFT Welfare Fund Assistant Director
- Adam Shapiro, District 21 Representative
- Dario Shore, Bronx High Schools Representative
- Ualin Smith, District 23 Representative
Union Service Awards
| 10-Year Chapter Leaders | ||
|---|---|---|
| Maria D. Acedo | Jeanette Acevedo | Jesse S. Adelson |
| Salvatore J. Anzaldi | Wendi H. Aronson | Addie S. Auerbach |
| Elisa Balsamo | Melida A. Barbosa | Caryn S. Baron |
| Robin E. Barron-Lugo | Valeria R. Bell | Michelle L. Bellizzi |
| Darryl L. Browne | John M. Chiaravalotti | Melissa A. Connerly |
| Elizabeth Cortes | Sheila A. Cousins James | Joseph D'Amico |
| Josef Donnelly | Samantha J. Goldberg | Nazario C. Gonzalez |
| Janira C. Gonzalez | Jennifer M. Gorman-Stokes | Sharon V. Hamilton |
| Maureen J. Jackson | Marion A. James | Susan M. Justice |
| Lawrence O. Knight | Kathy R. Lafontant | Joshua S. Lapidus |
| Dan B. Lupkin | Cathy Jo E. Mackus | Gordon A. Marshall |
| Colin L. McDonald | Sheryl L. Mcquilkin | Veronica Montanez |
| Gloria M. Nicodemi | Maria C. Pascual | Alfredo A. Pelaez |
| Michelle A. Pepe | Deirdre M. Quinn | John Rini |
| Jessica E. Roach | Carmen Rodriguez | Tabatha D. Rolando |
| Stephanie Sangosse | Lance P. Schatzman | Paulette J. Scott |
| Michael P. Solo | Samantha J. Stanton | Tracy H. Tarter |
| Wichemonde Tremont | James K. Van Nort | Anell J. Veras |
| Ann M. Verderber | Raquel U. Webb Geddes | Dara J. Winkler |
| 15-Year Chapter Leaders | |
|---|---|
| Jeffrey P. Andrusin | Jessica L. Baity |
| Adam C. Bergstein | Kathleen C. Brown |
| Carolyn L. Champion | Theresa Diaz |
| Molly Dobkin | Kerry F. Eck |
| Denise M. Getchius-Staines | Michelle K. Grecco |
| Marquis A. Harrison | Thomas Hasler |
| Helena Johnson | Allister C. Johnson |
| Bonnie K. Katz | Susan H. Kavanagh |
| Leah S. Lewis | Marisa L. Maher |
| Natalie S. Meade | Vivian Mendez-Quintero |
| Kenneth L. Mengani | Keith A. Miller |
| Witold J. Mogielnicki | Thomas V. Murphy |
| Shani A. Perez-Anthony | Gordon J. Prostick |
| James P. Regan | Vanessa A. Rozon |
| Kris R. Sieminski | Deborah A. Strack Cregan |
| Stephanie L. Sussman | Rosemarie Thompson |
| David P. Varenne | Beth P. Wilkow |
| Gloria Winograd | Sergio Zamora |
| 20-Year Chapter Leaders | |
|---|---|
| Elaine E. Forrest | Beth Levy |
| Hans Marryshow | Dino D. Sferrazza |
| 30-Year Chapter Leader |
|---|
| Michael Friedman |
Ely Trachtenberg Awards
Elementary Schools
| School | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| PS 48M | Jose Pena |
| PS 64M | James Illi |
| PS 132M | Luis Guerrero |
| PS 134M | Amanda Dutton |
| PS/MS 108M | Amanda Walsh |
| PS 154M | Cheryl Moss |
| PS/IS 217M | Corey Luce |
| PS 242M | Janeat Brown |
| Peck Slip School (M) | Michael Vitrano |
| PS 8K | Julie Schultz |
| PS 24K | Emile Fici |
| PS 89K | Amanda McCullough |
| PS 104K | Alisse Braccia-Silverman |
| PS 123K | Arlana Hutchinson |
| PS 158K | Yvescarmel Plaisimond-Louis |
| PS 177K | Antonella Lombardo |
| PS 200K | Katherine Lameras |
| PS 215K | Michelle Grecco |
| PS 230K | Robert Scott |
| PS 236K | Natalie Rana |
| PS 241K | Deborah Beare |
| PS 244K | Noreen Oliver |
| PS 284K | Kimberly Villafane |
| PS 335K | Coffey McMillan |
| PS 376K | Catrina Como |
| PS 627K | Jimella Fraser |
| PS 50Q | Jennifer Jagodnik |
| PS 63Q | Martha Nelson |
| PS 94Q | Wendi Aronson |
| PS 100Q | Deborah Fiallo |
| PS 163Q | Jennifer Magnusson |
| PS 182Q | Brian Mawyer |
| PS 221Q | Judy Kriegsman |
| PS 242Q | Joanna Panagiotopoulos |
| PS 273Q | Irene Lopez |
| PS 1X | Sarah Carruba |
| PS 5X | Isabel Calderon |
| PS 11X | Kelly Cheek-Powell |
| PS 76X | Anne Carolan |
| PS 175X | Danielle Minor |
| PS 195X | Justin Vallarelli |
| PS 19R | Christina Valic |
| PS 54R | Anne P. Green |
Junior High/Middle Schools
| School | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| School of Earth Exploration & Discovery, Harlem (SEED) (M) | Shahid Wright |
| West Prep Academy (M) | Tracy Ruffin |
| IS 239K | Jason Batus |
| IS 259K | Jonathan Lustberg |
| IS 381K | Andrica Donaldson |
| IS 394K | Afiya Callender |
| John Ericsson Middle School 126K | Sergio Zamora |
| Mott Hall Bridges Academy MS 671K | Natasha Seabrook |
| IS 235Q | Barbara Algarin |
| IS 391X | Dermott Myrie |
High Schools
| School | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| Little Red School House & Elizabeth Irwin HS (M) | Jesse Karp |
| Fiorello LaGuardia HS (M) | John Hamilton |
| Enterprise, Business & Technology HS (K) | Christine Ognibene |
| El Puente Academy for Peace & Justice HS (K) | Norma McCarthy |
| Teachers' Preparatory HS (K) | Shereen Springer |
| Edward R. Murrow HS (K) | Terrian Chambers-Reeves |
| Performing Arts & Technology HS (K) | Senaida Maldonado |
| Brooklyn Community HS for Excellence & Equity (K) | Dana Aloisio |
| Benjamin Banneker Academy HS (K) | Staci Vaughn |
| Queens Technical HS (Q) | Jessica Ferrara Faubion |
| Maspeth High School (Q) | Keith Powell |
| Wings Academy HS (X) | Charles Goasdoue |
| Herbert H. Lehman HS (X) | Stephen Swieciki |
| In-Tech Academy MS/HS 368 (X) | Marie Baker |
| Curtis High School (R) | Christopher Alena |
| CSI HS of International Studies (R) | Bridgette Francis |
District 75
| School | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| Jeffrey M. Rapport School for Career Development (X) | Fain Shepherd |
District 79
| School | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| East Brooklyn Community HS (K) | Mark Rentflejs |
| Jill Chaifetz Transfer HS (X) | Michael Wolach |
| School of Cooperative Technical Education HS (M) | Laurel Parker |
Functional Chapters
| Chapter | Chapter leader |
|---|---|
| Occupational & Physical Therapists | Thomas Ayrovainen |