PSRP enews | April 2025

Support for students, communities and each other

With a warm welcome from Oregon activists, the PSRP conference earlier this month offered hundreds of members three days of learning, solidarity and fun. Sarah Wofford, PSRP co-chair, an AFT vice president and president of the Oregon School Employees Association, acknowledged the challenges facing paraprofessionals and school-related personnel and reaffirmed their solidarity, saying: “We will not agonize. We will organize.” PSRP co-chair Carl Williams, also an AFT vice president and president of the Lawndale (Calif.) Federation of Classified Employees, reflected on PSRPs’ resilience and how they get the job done. Want some motivation? Read the story, scan our leaders' pro tips and watch the video.

Weingarten on tariffs, tax cuts for billionaires, and attacks on education and workers

President Donald Trump has announced the highest and most wide-ranging tariffs—taxes on the goods we buy—since President Herbert Hoover’s Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which made the Great Depression worse. Trump’s tariffs apply to every one of our nation’s trading partners. And the chaos has come quickly: higher prices for Americans, stock markets in freefall, business confidence at the lowest level since the 2008 financial crisis, and respected economists who only weeks ago were celebrating the strength of the economy warning that a recession is likely. What explains this self-destructive attack on our nation’s economy? Read this AFT Voices post by AFT President Randi Weingarten and Damon Silvers for understanding and a way forward.

Paraeducator: Schools urgently need federal dollars

Kentucky paraeducator Dennis Wheatley has been thinking about what it would mean for schoolkids if the president of the United States is allowed to do what he wants and take an ax to federal funding for special education, preschool, after-school and anti-poverty education programs—not to mention Medicaid. As a special education para who works with elementary school students, Wheatley has a close-up view of how cuts to these programs would hurt children. To put it simply, they would be devastating. Every one of these programs exists because there’s a real need.

Higher education under attack

President Donald Trump has declared war on America’s colleges and universities, demanding they bow to his demands on what they can teach and whom they can admit or hire. Trump’s illegal and autocratic actions are tantamount to a war on knowledge intended to make schools bend the knee to his ideology, chill free speech and stifle learning. In her latest column, AFT President Randi Weingarten debunks the lie that Trump’s punitive behavior toward universities and students has anything to do with antisemitism. Read it here.

Supporting students to reduce chronic absences

Rates of chronic absence—defined as missing 10 percent or more of school days for any reason—skyrocketed during the pandemic and are still high. This has serious implications for all students, but especially for those who are most reliant on schools to meet their academic, social, emotional and nutritional needs. In this Q&A from the new spring edition of American Educator, school leaders share how chronic absences negatively impact the entire school community and how schools can reengage students and address systemic barriers to attendance.

Expand your mind with AFT Professional Learning

Can dreaming about our goals actually make them harder to reach? Tomorrow, April 23, it’s “W.O.O.P. Your Well-Being: How Reflecting on Obstacles Brings Our Dreams to Life.” Join Share My Lesson for a thought-provoking session to explore how the WOOP method—Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan—can transform your approach to personal and professional growth. You’ll leave with a practical framework proven to boost well-being, plus insights into how WOOP has helped students improve behavior, attendance and GPA. Sign up now.

A ‘cup of joe’ for democracy

A good cup of coffee can fill your soul with warmth, comfort and security. It helps start the day on the right foot. Coffee also can bring a community together. Neighbors can meet with their lawmakers over a cup of joe, PSRP leader Jeff Whittle writes in AFT Voices. These meetups aim to pass along information to constituents, field questions and discuss any plans or bills coming up. They are a great opportunity to meet your representatives and talk with other activists. Where can you learn more about your community and advocate for your profession? At your legislator’s coffee hour. Grab a cup right here.