We Stand With Kindergarten Teachers
At the November 5, 2018 Board Meeting 7 teachers and 2 community allies implored the BOE to allow Kindergarten teachers time to meet to redo the Kindergarten assessment calendar.
Never again
“A majority of American teens say they are worried about a shooting happening at their school. Let that sink in,” AFT President Randi Weingarten writes in her latest column for the New York Times. “Young people are demanding meaningful action beyond ‘thoughts and prayers.’ They know, as do law enforcement officers and educators, that there are effective ways to address gun violence.” Read more about the proven strategies that would enhance school safety and reduce gun violence.
We can fight back against the private prison operators that fuel mass incarceration
It’s time to divest from private prisons: The US incarcerates more prisoners than any other nation in the world - and private prisons profit. Our new report details how AFT members can encourage their pension funds to divest from private prison corporations.
A Community at Risk
Labor, business and community leaders are working hard to convince General Motors to reverse its decision to close its plant in Lordstown, Ohio. The community, including many AFT members and their families, fear what this closure could mean for their town.
Strikes and shutdowns
In Los Angeles, UTLA members took to the picket lines because their schools are starved of resources. In Washington, D.C., President Trump has shut down the government to secure his border wall. In her monthly New York Times column, AFT President Randi Weingarten writes that when our elected leaders fail, whether by not funding public schools or by shutting down services that provide for our safety, they strike at the very heart of what makes us a democratic republic. Read the full column.
A Decade of Neglect
“A Decade of Neglect: Public Education Funding in the Aftermath of the Great Recession” details for the first time the devastating impact on schools, classrooms and students when states choose to pursue an austerity agenda in the false belief that tax cuts will pay for themselves. The comprehensive report offers a deep dive into the long-term austerity agendas and historic disinvestment that sparked the wave of nationwide walkouts this spring.
After Janus, we’re in it to win it
In a decision that surprised no one, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 27 ruled against working people and in favor of billionaires and corporate interests in Janus v. AFSCME Council 31, holding that requiring fair-share fees in public sector workplaces violates the First Amendment of the Constitution.