Already known as a battleground state in the debate over school vouchers, Ohio has also become a hotbed of activity related to charter schools--and the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) is moving to play a bigger role in influencing the future direction of school choice.

Most immediately, the OFT and other public school advocates are working hard to amend or kill proposed state legislation that would drastically expand Ohio's charter school program. For now, the opponents of the legislation--HB 364--have gotten the state Senate to delay a vote on the bill until the fall, possibly after the November elections. "In effect, the bill gives private organizations the right to appropriate public funds," OFT president Tom Mooney says of the legislation, which would raise the cap on the number of charter schools and siphon local property tax revenues to charter schools.

The charter legislation has progressed despite a series of horror stories related to such schools in Ohio, including mismanagement and fraud, schools closing suddenly and dismal student academic performance.

The OFT's campaign to improve the charter legislation is the outgrowth of a new pilot program in the state--developed in conjunction with the AFT national office--called LEGS (Legislative Action Groups). Rather than simply gearing up every two years during elections, the idea behind LEGS is to develop a permanent infrastructure to monitor legislative activity and let elected officials know where OFT members throughout the state stand on crucial issues.

The state federation hired its first full-time legislative director. Legislative director Darrold Johnson coordinates LEGS, which involves a network of local coordinators and a similar network of building-level representatives. When an issue comes up, such as the charter legislation, the program is designed to spread word quickly throughout the network so that lots of members contact their representatives. Most of the activity is electronic, with activists going through the OFT Web site and sending e-mail messages.

The state federation also recently held its first lobby day at the capitol, along with a reception for state legislators. In addition, Johnson helped organize visits by legislators to some successful schools in Cleveland. Among the legislators was a conservative Republican who represents a suburban area and had little firsthand knowledge of urban schools. The legislator may not drastically change his views, but he came away impressed by the union's efforts to improve the schools, Johnson adds.
 

In 2000 alone, more than 700 members of the South African Democratic Teachers Union (SADTU) died of AIDS. That was the grim message delivered by SADTU president Willie Madisha to AFT leaders, members and staff who visited South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya and Botswana on behalf of the AFT-Africa AIDS Campaign.

Led by AFT executive vice president Nat LaCour and vice president Ann Twomey, the AFT delegation took part in a two-week fact-finding mission in June. Traveling at the invitation of the teacher unions of all four countries, as well as the Botswana Nurses Association, the delegation visited schools, hospitals, government ministries and orphanages where they witnessed firsthand the enormous challenge that the AIDS crisis poses to the future of Africa. The AFT delegation also met with teachers, nurses, government officials, union leaders, American diplomats and representatives of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Despite the gravity of the AIDS epidemic, the delegation was encouraged by the programs launched by African teacher unions and healthcare professionals.

In Zimbabwe, the AFT delegation invited U.S. Ambassador Joseph G. Sullivan to join in a "study circle" with teachers in a local school. The teachers demonstrated a peer-education program developed jointly by the AFT and the Zimbabwe Teachers Association (ZIMTA) that enables them to openly discuss issues related to HIV/AIDS. Using study circles, educators disseminate accurate information about HIV/AIDS and help identify the cultural, political and behavioral changes that are necessary to reduce the spread of AIDS and care for those who are already infected.

"The study circles are definitely breaking the silence," says ZIMTA AIDS coordinator Roseline Mangota.

The AFT, with assistance from the U.S. government, collaborated with ZIMTA to develop the groundbreaking program. "We are committed to providing the resources and educational support that African teachers need to address the HIV/AIDS crisis," LaCour told the group. "These are your programs, but where we can help, we will."

SADTU and the South African Ministry of Education, working with the AFT, have recently developed a strategic framework for addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS in education.

The AFT's collaborative effort with African teacher unions to combat the spread of HIV/AIDS has earned praise from officials in the United States and Africa, including supportive comments from Secretary of State Colin Powell, who highlighted the AFT's work in a July address on the international AIDS epidemic.

AFT members are invited to make a $10 contribution in exchange for a special AFT-Africa AIDS Campaign pin. Funds from the sale of these pins will go directly to our African partner unions to prepare materials and other as resources for AIDS education and prevention. Information about ordering additional pins, as well as resources for AFT leaders to promote the campaign in their locals, is available online at the AFT-Africa AIDS Campaign Web page at www.aft.org.africa_aids.