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Unions and the community are 'a natural coalition'
Solution-driven unionism may have been the overarching theme of the 2013 joint conference of the AFT Healthcare and AFT Public Employees divisions, but the importance of community engagement was the biggest takeaway message for the 450 AFT members and guests who gathered in Baltimore, April 25-27. Read more.
2013 Legislative Weekly Update
Legislative Update From Last Week At The Capitol
Common Core: Do What It Takes Before High Stakes
In her latest column appearing in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten writes about the promise—and the possible pitfalls—of the new Common Core State Standards. If implemented properly—namely, by ensuring that frontline educators are prepared to teach these rigorous new standards—we can provide all children with the problem-solving, critical-thinking and teamwork skills they need to compete in today’s changing world. If not, they will end up in the dustbin of abandoned reforms. Read her full column.
Teachers support Common Core and moratorium on stakes
Three-quarters of public school teachers surveyed support the Common Core State Standards, yet just 27 percent said their district has provided them with the tools and resources necessary to teach the standards, according to the results of a new AFT poll.
New Resource Invites Students To Explore JFK's Legacy
On Jan. 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy captured and crystallized a moment in history when he told America, "the torch has been passed to a new generation." To mark the 50th anniversary of this landmark inaugural address, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has created a new website filled with groundbreaking multimedia that invites young visitors to explore the JFK legacy through such core themes as public service, civil rights and innovation.
Weingarten Proposes Aligning Evaluation and Due Process
AFT president Randi Weingarten on Feb. 24 proposed a new way to align teacher development and evaluation to due process for tenured teachers. Weingarten laid out a three-step process consisting of clear standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, a time-limited improvement and support plan for teachers deemed to be unsatisfactory according to the evaluation standards, and a hearing process that can take no longer than 100 days, which in many cases would be even more expedient.