News from AFT PSRP Archive

Celebrating PSRP Week

School and college support staff go by many names. At the AFT, we call them paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, or PSRPs. In other parts of the country, they are called classified employees, education support professionals or school-related professionals. Whatever names your school or college uses to describe support staff, one thing stays the same—the work you do is critically important. From the earliest moments of a child’s pre-K education all the way to postgraduate school, PSRPs make an impact. Download this guide to celebrating PSRPs today and year-round.

Tell us how you’re #PublicSchoolProud

We’re bringing back our Public School Proud campaign to celebrate the everyday moments that make public schools the heart of our communities. Whether it’s science fairs, literacy nights or football games under the lights, these moments remind us that public schools don’t just educate; they unite us and give every child a shot at a better life. Every week, we will highlight great things happening in public schools. You can share what makes you public school proud.

Trump spurs federal government shutdown

Carrying through on earlier threats, President Donald Trump has encouraged congressional Republicans not to negotiate with Democrats on a budget for the new fiscal year, prompting a shutdown of the federal government that began Oct. 1. At the heart of the funding fight, Republicans are trying to take away healthcare from 15 million Americans by making the largest cuts in history to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, while Democrats are trying to protect and extend Americans’ healthcare benefits. Find out more, watch the video on higher education staffing and use our shutdown watch page.

No Kings to return Oct. 18

AFT members will join with allies nationwide on Saturday, Oct. 18, for a “No Kings” day of action—rising up in every corner of America to defend our freedoms, our democracy and our future. Together, we will say loud and clear: No thrones. No crowns. No kings. We are building community, not division, and demanding dignity, affordability and opportunity for all. Find the “No Kings” toolkit and mobilization information.

Last call for our civil rights conference

As the threats of fascism, authoritarianism and political violence intensify across the United States, the urgency for action has never been clearer. In the face of book bans, anti-democratic policies and attacks on marginalized communities, educators and unions must once again rise as democracy’s first responders. At the 2025 AFT Civil, Human and Women’s Rights Conference in Detroit, Oct. 9-12, we will work together to reclaim public institutions, push back against the growing infrastructure of repression and equip AFT locals with the tools to meet the moment head-on—with strategy, solidarity and a commitment to long-term power-building. Register here.

Share My Lesson presents Jason Reynolds

Back by popular demand: Award-winning author Jason Reynolds returns to the AFT Book Club on Sunday, Oct. 19, at 6 p.m. EDT, joined by AFT President Randi Weingarten. Reynolds will share stories of truth-telling, empathy and hope, and how literature can help students find their voice and engage in critical thinking. This free, for-credit event ties into StoryCorps’ “The Great Thanksgiving Listen,” a movement to record and preserve intergenerational stories. Don’t miss this inspiring evening of storytelling, reflection and connection. Please share this invitation and sign up on Share My Lesson, Facebook or Threads.

Watch Randi Weingarten discuss her new book

In a recent AFT Book Club conversation, AFT President Randi Weingarten discussed what compelled her to write her new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, and why public education has become the target of relentless political attacks. Educators haven’t become targets because they’re doing something wrong, she writes, “but because they’re doing something very, very right.”