News from AFT PSRP Archive

We’re suing (again) and the truth on affordability

We don’t just talk about strengthening public education; we go to court for it. In her latest weekly report, AFT President Randi Weingarten breaks down our lawsuit to protect billions in funding for students amid the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. Plus, we’re calling out the lie that “affordability is a con job.” Working families are hurting, and we need real solutions, not insults.

How is debt affecting your financial situation and your everyday life?

Workers are being crushed by the soaring costs of basics—housing, healthcare, child care, college, even the cost of keeping up with credit cards or medical bills. This survey will help us identify the most urgent affordability issues and shape the resources we build to help members get the relief they need. Please fill out this confidential AFT Debt Survey and share it with other members.

When data and reality diverge on student behavior

Maybe you’ve heard the cliché about “damned lies and statistics.” In this column for AFT Voices, special education paraprofessional Jeff Whittle describes the widening gap between what statistics are recorded at the school level and what’s really going on with student behavior. It’s not just a crisis for paras and teachers, either. When students act out with no consequences, their behavior gets worse, the school district fails them, and this snowballing issue erodes the recruitment and retention of educators. Come along as Whittle lays out the problem and offers practical solutions.

A milestone and a mandate: 50 years of IDEA

It’s been 50 years since Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act—the landmark 1975 law that would later become the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Before IDEA, students with disabilities were routinely excluded from neighborhood schools, denied basic services or sent to separate institutions that offered little learning and even less dignity. On this 50th anniversary, the AFT recommits to securing full funding, strengthening inclusive practices, supporting the educators who make this work possible and ensuring that all students with a disability receive the high-quality, individual education they deserve. Learn more here.

New twists on reading, math, ESL

In the new American Educator, learn how the AFT is committing to creating safe, relevant and engaging public schools and highlighting core concepts that support all students. Find out from educators and researchers how reading whole books develops students’ comprehension, curiosity and joy; how to make elementary math less scary and more enjoyable; how to boost English learners’ academic language proficiency; and much more.

School bus driver shortage persists

The school bus driver shortage continues across the country, making it more challenging for students to get to school and placing extra burdens on drivers and schools. Typical of recent years, the beginning of this school year brought difficulties in hiring drivers. The Economic Policy Institute finds that school bus driver employment remains 9.5 percent below 2019 staffing levels, but there are positive signs that school systems are taking steps to address the shortage. School bus driver employment overall increased modestly over the past year, with growth for public K-12 schools most likely the result of higher hourly wages.

Child welfare reform, from playtime to family supports

What if the systems we work in could be reimagined for healing, not harm? In this blog, AFT trauma-informed trainer and social-emotional learning coach Kim Ochs shares key insights from the 2025 Kempe Call to Action Conference, spotlighting how educators can draw inspiration from national and international efforts to transform child welfare. From bias-free decision-making to play as therapy, Ochs explores practical strategies that center dignity, not punishment.