Don’t Forget Teacher’s Choice

As the first week of school comes to a close, don’t forget about the Teacher’s Choice program!

Teachers typically spend hundreds of dollars of their own money on classroom supplies and materials each year. The UFT conceived of the Teacher’s Choice program to help defray that cost.

This year, at the UFT’s urging, the Teacher’s Choice program received a $1.2 million increase in funding from the City Council. That translates into the following allocations for UFT members for this school year:

• $260 for general education teachers
• $230 for special ed and speech teachers
• $200 for guidance counselors, social workers and school psychologists
• $100 for lab specialists
• $50 for all school secretaries (not just high school secretaries as in the past)

So remember to save your receipts!

The purchase period for instructional material runs from Aug. 1, 2007, to March 15, 2008. You’ll need to submit your receipts by March 28. Everyone eligible to participate in the Teacher’s Choice program will receive a check from the DOE in December to cover purchases made anywhere, as long as the purchases are for appropriate educational materials for use in a classroom or other professional assignment.

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