News from AFT PSRP Archive

Showing love to our paraprofessionals

Paraprofessional Appreciation Day is today, and if you know anything about public schools, you know that paraprofessionals—in the classroom, in the halls and on the school bus—do the work that keeps all the other work going. By supporting students’ learning, they support public education. To show our recognition of the caring and dedication that paraprofessionals bring to school, we asked several classroom paras around the country to describe their jobs.

Food service employee: You can’t fund schools and starve students

“Education won’t be affected? It will be.” Charlena Retkowski, a dedicated school food service worker and Florida union leader, delivers a stark warning: Budget cuts to federal food assistance and school meals won’t just mean hungry kids—the cuts directly undermine students’ ability to learn and thrive. When schools struggle to feed their students, the entire education system falters. We need to demand proper funding for the vital services our students rely on. Join the AFT’s Fight for Affordability and protect public education.

AFT sues over rule targeting immigrant school bus drivers

Together with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and two individual drivers, the AFT has filed a federal lawsuit challenging a Trump administration rule that would bar many immigrants—including asylum seekers, refugees, temporary protected status holders, and recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals who have work authorizations—from holding commercial driver’s licenses. This rule would apply to school and college campus bus drivers.

An educational assistant’s heartfelt mission to feed and clothe kids

Meet Tillie Velasquez, an incredible educational assistant from Valley High School in Albuquerque, N.M. She shares how her school’s “Viking Closet” provides essential resources—from food boxes to prom dresses—to ensure every student feels supported and important. It’s more than just a closet; it’s a space where students build confidence, de-escalate and know their stories truly matter. Watch how dedicated school staff are making a real difference.

Let’s stop the anti-voting SAVE Act

President Donald Trump and his allies in Congress are working to silence our voices with the SAVE America Act and the Make Elections Great Again Act—together known as SAVE 2.0. These bills would silence people’s voices at the ballot box through excessive paperwork, prohibitions, purges and punishments. Specific measures would abolish safe, reliable vote-by-mail systems; impose restrictive photo ID requirements to cast a ballot; and create a centralized voter surveillance system in every state to intimidate voters. We can’t let our vote be taken away. Tell your senators to vote no on SAVE 2.0.

Americans need relief, not war

Working-class Americans need a tax cut now, as AFT President Randi Weingarten writes in her latest column and as PSRP co-chair Carl Williams explains in this heart-wrenching video. Americans are paying at least 60 cents a gallon more to fill their gas tanks following President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, a war seemingly of choice, not necessity. What is of necessity is addressing the economic stress already reverberating across America. The AFT recently surveyed our members—educators and staff, healthcare professionals and public employees—about how they are coping with these rising costs. Read about what we found and how we’re proposing to deal with the affordability crisis.

How local control drove education gains in Alabama

When public education faced unprecedented challenges during a state takeover and the COVID-19 pandemic, educators and community leaders in Birmingham, Ala., refused to back down. Birmingham AFT President Richard Franklin highlights the public school pride and power of targeted support—like “intercession” for struggling students—in dramatically improving school performance. See how their collaborative effort built a thriving system and how students are now excited to come to school. Watch and share.

The people have spoken: Watch AFT’s ‘No Kings’ day of action

Across the country—from big cities to rural communities—AFT members showed up, loud, united, and ready to make one thing clear: There are no kings in America. Millions of Americans, including thousands of AFT members, joined forces across the nation for the largest protest in U.S. history. From Mississippi to Alaska, from New Hampshire to Hawaii and everywhere in between, our coalition grew because we know the future of our democracy and the well-being of our communities depend on it.