The school year countdown stands at 175 days.
Minutes Approved: June 15 Executive Board minutes, September 9 AdCom minutes.
1. Compensation & Contract Negotiations
3.5% Raise Effective Today: Today marks official “Raise Day”. Pedagogical staff (Q-Bank) will see the raise along with retroactive pay on their September 30 check. Other staff (H-Bank) will see it on September 25. Per diem and per session retroactive pay will appear on the October 1 check.
Negotiations Committee Launch: The full in-service Executive Board (~750 members) joins the first in-person meeting on Thursday, September 17 to review member survey results, outline participation strategies, and establish subcommittees.
2. Policy, Instruction & Working Conditions
Class Size Consultations (Deadline: Sept 30): Joint UFT/CSA/DOE guidance went out via P-Weekly. Chapter leaders must insist on formal compliance conversations with principals before September 30. District reps will remind all chapters this week.
AI Moratorium Clarified: Mary Vaccaro confirmed that the DOE’s student screen-time reduction and AI moratorium apply solely to student-facing AI tools—not back-end administrative support. Curricula must retain non-digital components. (Note: LOCI CTE schools are exempt).
Intervention Schedules (WIN): Verbal agreements limit teachers on Tier 1 curricula (HMH, Expeditionary Learning, Wit & Wisdom, Illustrative Math, Envisions) to one intervention prep maximum. Younger students should not be swapped between classes for intervention.
Special Education Red Flag: Mary Jo Genese reported that three districts improperly modified IEPs—wiping out social studies to free teachers for MTSS coverage. Action: File immediate special education complaints if this pattern appears in your building.
Weather & Flood Protocols: Prompted by District 21’s Adam Shapiro regarding severe transit hazards in Zone A coastal areas like Coney Island, the union is petitioning the DOE for formal flood-day emergency and attendance guidelines.
Paycheck Respect Legal Battle: Following the Mayor’s lawsuit to invalidate the City Council’s unanimously passed Paycheck Respect law, the UFT has formally petitioned to intervene as a co-defendant.
3. Legal Victories & Grievance Payouts
Bonuses Won: The union won arbitrations securing ratification bonuses and delivering 2024–2026 retention bonuses to terminal leave retirees eligible as of April 1.
Anti-Union Animus at PS 35 (D29): Following an extensive grievance campaign led by chapter leader John Licata and the grievance department, the arbitrator ruled against the administration, resulting in the removal of Principal Jacko.
Arbitration Panel: Susan Panepento and Rosemary Townley join/return to the panel. Jack Tillam (arbitrator from 2002–2006+) recently passed away.
4. Organizing & Field Reports
New Teacher Week Surge: Over 150 volunteers welcomed incoming educators. The union enrolled 1,713 members in a single day, lifting total new-hire membership to 3,484 (with 890 non-pedagogical targets remaining).
Paraprofessional Training: District 73 (Brooklyn HS) hosted hundreds of paras at Edward R. Murrow HS for the union’s first large-scale paraprofessional professional learning day.
Family Day Success: Over 1,500 attended the 4th Queens Family Day, raising $9,800 for disaster relief and placing 11 rescue dogs into member homes. Family Day #5 is set for June 12, 2027.
5. Upcoming Dates & Committee Events
Sept 15: Virtual screening of Buena Risa Social Club (Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff).
Sept 15: 57th Annual African American Day Parade in Harlem (first-ever official UFT contingent).
Sept 18: Classroom Funding & DonorsChoose workshop (District 5 office).
Sept 18 (4–6 PM): Queens UFT Wellness Series (Queens Borough Office).
Sept 22: Virtual MOSL compliance & inquiry training.
Sept 26: Lunar Harvest Festival at 52 Broadway (19th Floor).
Sept 27: Tunnel to Towers 5K run.
Sept 28: Next UFT Executive Board Meeting (no meeting on Sept 21).
In Memoriam
The Executive Board observed a moment of silence for three dedicated colleagues:
Ji Jang
From @uftny
Today, a coalition of civil rights organizations, labor, parents, school boards, superintendents and elected officials filled UFT HQ with one message: New York should opt out of Trump’s private school voucher scheme.
In New York State, 90% of our kids are in public schools. And vouchers pull public dollars into private schools that can turn away students with disabilities, LGBTQ+ students and multilingual learners. Public schools take every child who walks through the door.
Gov. Hochul has said she intends to opt in.
Sign the petition to tell her to choose public schools now!
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Gov. Hochul plans to opt New York in starting in 2027. But most New Yorkers haven’t even heard of this program or know how it will affect New York.
Florida couldn’t account for $270 million in voucher funds in a single year.
Arizona’s $65M plan became a $1.4 billion budget hole — cutting water, highways, and community colleges.
Your tax dollars would help pay private tuition for families who never used public schools.