UFT Solidarity Calls for a Deflation of DOE Bureaucratic Bloat NYC Department of Education Chancellor Richard Carranza sent staffers an email on July 1, 2020 that summarized the following budget cuts (the bolded text is our emphasis): While many important questions remain, I want to share what we know about… Read More

Happy First Monday of Summer Vacation! UFT Solidarity knows that our members really worked to earn this well-deserved summer break. We know that in these uncertain times our union should be a comfort to us. While we cannot guarantee what will happen over the next few weeks or months; you… Read More

     At a time when parents are being encouraged to rip their children away from screens and out into the fresh air, when hands-on learning is making a comeback, and teachers are asked to diversify their classrooms to meet the needs of their students beyond “chalk and talk” or… Read More

April 26, 2020 Michael Mulgrew Pesident United Federation of Teachers 52 Broadway  New York, NY 1004 Senator Dean G. Skelos Majority Leader and President Pro-Tempore New York State Senate 330 CAP Albany, New York 12247 Carl E. Heistie  Majority Leader New York State Assembly LOB 932 Albany, NY 12248 The… Read More

This week’s update is focused on how the City’s budget cuts are affecting us. The letter also focuses more on national politics than previous letters that only focused on DOE and NYC issues. But the root of the budget cuts problem is at the federal level, so please take time to consider the following…. Read More

Open Letter to Membership Good day members, Here are some points of information regarding our loss of Spring Recess. 1. Religious Observation Days If you are going to observe any of the upcoming holidays — Holy Thursday, Good Friday, or Passover — you should request to take a religious observation… Read More

The Department of Education, in consultation with the union, has issued new guidance to principals about issues facing our schools during this challenging time. The FAQ released by the DOE this week answers some of the pressing questions that have arisen since we entered the remote teaching and learning era on March… Read More

We heard your concerns about the original Special Education Remote Learning Plan and worked in collaboration with the city Department of Education to streamline the plan. The updated plan, which is being disseminated by the DOE today, is now directly accessible in SESIS. The IEP case manager (the special education… Read More

Op Ed: Chancellor Carranza Doesn’t Care About Volunteer Teachers: An Article About the Sloopy Roll-Out of the REC programs By Quinn Zannoni First Mayor DeBlasio wouldn’t shut the schools. He said it was about providing childcare for health and transit workers. He said a million children had to traverse the… Read More

Whose the Hero Now? To : UFT president Michael Mulgrew, On March 15, 2020 , this day will go down in history as the day All Educational systems closed down for Fear of the Pandemic CoVID 19. All but one in the entire city , Independent Family Childcare. You worked… Read More

De Blasio: Not our friend, but we knew that, and now UFT Leadership must act on itA joint statement from Lydia Howrilka, UFT Solidarity Presidential Candidate, and the UFT Solidarity Council Last night, the geniuses that run NY state and city finally made the call to cancel school today, without… Read More

Parents, we just received word that Governor Andrew Cuomo has declared that NYC Schools will close “imminetly” and that NYC schools must have a plan for childcare and food in place within the next 24 hours. While we still await word from Mayor DiBlasio when exactly schools will close, if… Read More

#Closetheschools: A Plea from the UFT Solidarity Council and Membership UFT Solidarity urges members to please sign and share this petition to close NYC Schools and protect members in Central Offices: https://www.change.org/p/andrew-m-cuomo-close-all-nyc-schools-because-of-coronavirus-outbreak-and-taking-classes-online     Over the weekend, Governor Cuomo declared a state of emergency across New York State and urged people… Read More

Disclaimer: The anecdotals and suggestions are offered freely by UFT members. We understand that all situations are different and similar results are not guaranteed if you follow all guidance listed below. Dear Member Support: I am trying to transfer out of my toxic school. I’ve been trying to get out… Read More

Seasoned ELA teacher Rebecca Paulson (not her real name) works in a co-located high school campus and posted this list of “tips” from the National Education Associate (NEA) and her own commentary on top. We all want to know, Where is the AFT’s statement? How out of touch is the… Read More

“Mayoral Control: An Idea Whose Time Hasn’t Come, Never Did, and Never Will” By Eric Severson, UFT Solidarity Council Member and Electoral Candidate Three term mayor Michael Bloomberg was trying to buy his way to the presidency by inundating us with misleading ads in an attempt to rewrite history. Those of… Read More

It’s almost job hunting season! Might be a good time to begin making lists of schools you plan to apply to, regardless if they are advertising an opening or not (lots of openings are unknown and principals like collecting resumes early). While you may not see many vacancies posted on… Read More

Thank you dear members for your patience and nominations. You all have surpassed our expectations with the number of nominations of administrators from across all five borough and across different grade bands. We have decided to call this list the CARE List (thank you to those who voted and the… Read More

Happy Mid-Winter Break to All! This post and initiative is not satire. This initiative is born from the suggestion of several of our members who wondered why UFT Solidarity didn’t use their knowledge of good, bad, and in-between schools to compile a list of decent DOE administrators to work for…. Read More

Disclaimer: The Content is for informational purposes only, you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. All Content on this site is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing… Read More

Union members win and lose cases all the time. From federal suits to grievances the courts and union offices are full of hearings. Sometimes members find themselves with a nice settlement. But what if you don’t have to go there? What if, for the first time, in a long time,… Read More

Discontinued teachers are banding together to fight back for their careers and dignity! A Solidarity member contacted Laura Barbieri from Advocates for Justice Chartered Attorneys. She is willing to represent discontinued teachers in a lawsuit against the DOE. We hope to see you then! Please email solidaritycaucus@gmail.com for more information… Read More

Tired? Get ignited! Join us on November 8th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm at the Liberty Diner! RSPV by Facebook or by emailing us at solidaritycaucus@gmail.com. Read More

Open Market is Open Season on Veteran Teachers By Bronx Chapter Leader* Every April until August, NYCDOE teachers have the opportunity to “transfer” via the Open Market. While this system was lauded as being a beacon of equality and equity when it was first introduced, veteran teachers wouldn’t use such… Read More