News from AFT PSRP Archive

Current Issue - January 2026

Standing with Minnesota

AFT President Randi Weingarten joined educators, faith leaders and families in Minnesota last Friday calling for an end to Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions that are terrorizing communities and threatening the safety of schools. In her weekly video report, Weingarten also shares news of a major court win protecting federal education funding for public schools. From marching in the streets to victories in the courtroom, this is what solidarity looks like.

TONIGHT: Immigration Enforcement

Share My Lesson is hosting a webinar tonight at 6 p.m. on why schools, hospitals and communities must remain places of care, not fear, in the face of intensified immigration enforcement. The webinar will examine the current state of immigration enforcement and the implications of policy shifts like revoking protections for sensitive locations, and it will highlight the AFT’s response and the resources available to help keep schools, healthcare facilities and community spaces free from trauma. Register and share here.

We are #PublicSchoolProud

Public schools are the heart of our communities, from band concerts to Friday night football. Public School Proud is a celebration of those moments, big and small, that make our schools special. It is about reminding people that public schools are worth protecting and investing in. Join us in sharing the stories, photos and memories that make you #PublicSchoolProud.

The march to autocracy

In her latest column, AFT President Randi Weingarten warns that our democracy is under serious strain as elected officials test the limits of power and threaten fundamental rights. She highlights troubling reports from members about aggressive immigration enforcement and the undermining of civil liberties. Americans are pushing back through protests and by breaking with leaders when necessary, she writes. Weingarten frames this moment as a critical test of our democratic traditions, and she calls on people to defend freedoms and act before it’s too late.

Trump administration quits legal fight against DEI

Last week marked the final defeat of the Trump administration’s attempt to silence real history lessons, abandon student support programs and force compliance with its warped interpretation of civil rights. In 2025, a federal court ruled in favor of a coalition of educators and a public school district that had challenged the administration in American Federation of Teachers et al v. U.S. Department of Education et al. Then on Jan. 21, the government withdrew its appeal of that decision. “This is a huge victory for kids,” says AFT President Randi Weingarten. “The administration tried to take a hatchet to 60 years of civil rights laws that were meant to create educational opportunity for all kids. They attempted to … eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion and threatened schools and districts with penalties if they failed to comply. … When you fight you don’t always win, but you never win without a fight.”

AFT contributes $11,000 to local food pantry

From its earliest beginnings in Chicago, the AFT has been known for stepping in and lifting up our students, patients and the wider community when they are in need. So, when word came that the federally funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program would run out of money late last year, AFT members sprang into action, donating more than $11,400 in both shelf-stable food and cash to a food pantry, So Others Might Eat, which operates out of Washington, D.C. The nonprofit group provides nonperishable items such as high-protein canned food and vegetables, along with pasta, rice, peanut butter, cereal and baby formula. These necessities help SOME’s neighbors break the cycle of poverty and homelessness.