The New UFT Contract
This page organizes the writing on this website (and maybe some external links?) relating to the UFT / NYC Department of Education 2007 – 2009 contract.
Considering the new contract:
UFT 2007 Contract
New UFT / NYC DoE Teacher Pay Scale / Salary Charts
UFT Contract Agreement – First Thoughts
Next UFT contract? Coalition bargaining update
Writings on the Previous Contract (includes commentary, a link to the previous Memorandum of Agreement, a link to the teachers contract, links to the paras, guidance counselors, and secretaries contracts, salary chart, and applications for salary differential and Salary Step Placement.)
19 Responses
leave one →
The latest contract was disasterous for new, untenured teachers. The fact that teachers are unable to grieve letters in their files invites a situation where many young teachers will be shown the door. Even more important is that many young people and especially career changers, will not want to go into the teaching profession if this unbelieveably dangerous rule is not overturned.
I am myself a probationary teacher who has had the misfortune of being in the wrong school with the wrong principal. My case is currently being appealed, but as of today I cannot teach. My big fat “U” has made finding work virtually impossible. I spent years of my life and thousands of dollars to become a teacher and right now that is wasted.
Principals are not held up to strict standards when it comes to rating their teachers. This allows them to fabricate lies about the people in their staff that they want removed.
This is the biggest issue. Not class sizes. Not money. Teachers no longer have rights in the workplace.
The same thing happened to me just recently. You said it all in a nutshell. I am extremely upset that this goes on and no one is doing anything about it! If you try to defend yourself in court you are blacklisted from the profession. They target you, set you up, twist what you say and have cart blanche to fire you!!! Amazing. And of all professions, this is so twisted. The administrations are bigger bullies than the students! What kind of example is that setting? And the nepotism within the districts is another major factor as to why things are so corrupt. Something has to be done to protect the untenured teachers out there. I sunk $60,000 into student loans and worked very hard to get my certifications. In addition, now I am over-qualified. They replaced me with a student teacher just out of college! Despicable!
Protecting our newest teachers needs to become a much higher priority. But our union is so weak, that even if we made it our highest priority tomorrow, we could not immediately do much more, not yet.
Our chapters need to be stronger. Principals’ growing arbitrary authority needs to be checked, and needs to be checked in the schools, at the point where they are abusing it.
But how we do this, how we change, that is key. Wanting to be better does not make it so.
I am sorry about your job. I wish we had been able to do more. But maybe we will for the next new teacher in that position.
Thank you for taking the time to write, and thank you also for maintaining an interest,
I am a NYS state certified teacher in Reading and Education N-6 and have a NYC Common Branch license from 20 years ago.I have worked for NYC Bd. of Ed.as a per diem sub and half a year as maternity replacement in the late 1980’s.t.I have only about three years total in this respect.I have also since worked as a diocesan full-time teacher for 2 and a half years in Queens,NY before my children were born.I stayed at home for 14 years raising them with only an additional 2 and a half years as a daily sub for a public long island school district( in between children as they are many years apart) I have not taught or worked for 6 years now and need to return to work in 9/07.I have completed a Masters and Professional Diploma atleast 12 years ago but have no full time experience teaching for so long. My education is wonderful and I try to keep current and consider myself an intelligent,dedicated teacher.However, my experience and references are quite old (almost 15 years ).I am not sure where to begin my job search and if I have any real chance at returning to NYC or elsewhere to teach full time.Wondering if anyone has any helpful advice.I have so much more to offer and do not want to spend much more time subbing.Appreciate any help one can suggest! Thanks and hope to hear back!–K.–
I really don’t know much about how you get your first NYC DoE if you already have certification. At some point you need a NYC License, but I am not certain when. There are hiring fairs, but I neither know how they work, how they are advertised, or who they are open to. If there was an individual school that wanted you, they could answer some questions, maybe. Or if you were interested in a particular school, you could write a letter or walk in the door. And the NYC Department of Ed has a website at http://schools.nyc.gov with hiring information at Certified Teacher Overview. But they can be out of date, and hard to understand.
I don’t understand why I worked for a Title 1 very violent JHS and now for a city HS that is Title 1 and considered high crime, and I don’t receive any medical care coverage as I am on my partner’s plan, and yet I get no money back in my paycheck related to these things, and my pay decreased rather than increased with the new contract. Is that how teachers of one year of less are treated by the NYCBOE and or UFT? Is it because I am older or mostly White, or something else? Should I be paranoid about it? I was happy before I was excessed and love the HS where I had and am currently working. I like tha administrators and the other teachers and students. For once I felt at home and in the right place, and then I was excessed and now my paycheck is shrinking rather than growing.
Very depressed
I am a Paraprofessional with the NYCDOE for 19 years. During the 19 years I managed to complete a BFA in art and I am now working on a Masters in Creative Arts Therapy. Everyday that I go to work I am depressed and the pay really stinks. I cant afford anything and I have two children that need more and more everyday. I don’t want to waste my 19 years in service. What can I do in the DOE once I graduate? Help!
SLOAN KETTERING HOSPITAL IN NYC WOULD LOVE TO HAVE YOU! I HEARD THAT
THEY ARE LOOKING FOR SOME ONE WITH THIS TYPE OF EXPERTISE. IT MAY EVEN HELP YOU IF YOU WANT TO EVENTUALLY BE A SPECIAL EDU TEACHER!
Moving to NJ
I am a teacher in Springfield, Missouri. I have been teaching Spanish for the same district for 18 years. Does any one know how many years of experience NJ districts recognize for out district employees, for the purpose of the salary schedule? On what step would I come in?
I can’t seem to find that info any where. Thanks.
ADD 3 THOUSAND DOLLARS TO WHAT NYC OFFERS, THIS IS WHAT JERSEY CITY OFFERS, I DO NOT KNOW ABOUT THE OTHER PARTS OF NJ, I THINK IT DEPENDS ON TAXES ON THE HOMES IN THAT AREA, HOWEVER, THE CITY SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ABOUT 3 THOUSAND MORE THAN NYC TEACHERS IN ANY GIVEN CATEGORY.
I know a few teacher’s in NJ, they have a top salary of approx. 75,000.00. NYC has 102,000.00 and may soon be receiving a new contract worth 4% per year for two years..
Salaries differ from district to district in New Jersey. You can browse some (slightly dated) salary schedules here. They include pointers to the NJ state website where many more are posted.
In general the scales in Jersey close to NY are close.
I think it varies district by district. In some cases they may actually negotiate the number of years of credit.
Good luck.
from the time immemorial,
the contract from 2007 was disastrous for psychs and social workers. Having to put in time and clustering for a school based on seniority was the only device that protected us from age-discrimination, from crazy principals who want to fire more experienced teachers (who, in fact, have paid Union dues for longer periods), mostly seniority transfer and cluster protected us from cronyism. As is, the new contract only protects new teachers, but new teachers will become old and targeted — not because they are getting more money, we know it isn’t that much more money. It is because principals and administrators want to bend the rules and regulations based on their interests, budgets, and their salary (which is a rather large amount) plus bonus. In the process of these principals and administrators protecting their interests, the students, children of a low socio-economic class will never get the education to compete in the market. Indeed these children will fail. They will drop out. We may see them on the news in increasing numbers. Teachers, we psychologists and social workers need your help in bringing back seniority transfers as a means of controlling the nepotism and force bullying principals to adjust their posture or be left with a high turn over.
I have worked first as per diem teacher for five years and then as a math teacher for four and half years for the New York City Board of Education (1992-2002) In June 2002, I was awarded Disability by the Social Security Administration. I believe I am entitled to a pension from the Board of Education. I would appreciate your response. Thank you.
I cannot answer your question. I would contact TRS, BERS, the Board of Ed, or the UFT (in that order).
What are class size limits in NYC?
You must appeal a U rating within the first 15 days at the end of the school year, or as close to that date as possible. You are suppose to
contact a U-rating officer at your district UFT office and file the
necessary paperwork during this time. As soon as school, or the last day of school is over, preferably July 5th,. Keep copies of all papers filed. Then by the end of the following October near
the beginning of the following school year you will get your chance
to appear at a U rating hearing. The Office of Appeals and Reviews within the NYCDOE will send you a notice indicating a date. YOu will meet with a U rating hearing officer, and an arbitrator who has the power to overturn it, and your principal, or the one who gave you a U rating. If you do not follow this process you have lost your right to appeal this annual rating. This is extremely important. YOU MUST ALWAYS CONTACT YOUR DISTRICT OFFICE AS SOON AS YOU ARE GIVEN ANY TYPE OF ADVERSE RATING, EVEN IF IT IS JUST ON A CLASS OBSERVATION, AND ASK FOR DIRECTION IN HOW TO DISPUTE IT. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!!