PSRP enews | June 2025

AFT Connecticut raises alarm on para shortfall

Hartford, Conn., is brimming with potential—a place where dreams are nurtured in classrooms across every neighborhood. Despite limited resources, the city’s paraprofessionals believe every student deserves a great education. But Hartford is short nearly 80 paraeducators, a staggering number caused by one devastating truth: The wages are not livable. Read this commentary in the Hartford Courant by Shellye Davis, president of the Hartford Federation of Paraeducators, who works as a paraeducator in Hartford’s Expeditionary Learning Academy at Moylan School.

AFT town hall on Tuesday: No kings, just us

In America, we don’t do kings—and that was by design. From the start, this country rejected monarchy and embraced the idea that power belongs to the people, not to one person or party. As we face attacks on public education, healthcare, civil rights and working families, we’re not just resisting—we’re organizing for something better. Join AFT President Randi Weingarten on Tuesday, June 10, at 6 p.m. ET for a special town hall to prepare for No Kings Day on June 14. Together, we’ll mobilize for strong public schools, vibrant communities and a democracy that works for all of us. Register now and spread the word.

AFT Voices: RFK Jr. has it all wrong on autism

Beyond stripping money away from special education, one of the worst threats to kids with autism by the Trump administration is a profound misunderstanding of autism itself. In recent public appearances, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has blamed parents for causing autism, has said it “destroys families” and has made other wild claims. Two AFT members who work in special education, a teacher and a paraprofessional, have some thoughts on RFK Jr.’s remarks.

Our campaign to fight cuts in Medicaid, education

The AFT, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the National Education Association and the Service Employees International Union have joined together to launch Put Families First—a new campaign aimed at fighting billionaires’ plans to gut public services and give massive tax breaks to the ultrarich. “Our unions represent the people who make a difference in the lives of others—and the public services they provide are in grave danger because of the reckless and chaotic cuts of Elon Musk and the Trump administration,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten. Learn more about the campaign.

Stop the voucher loophole

The verdict is universal: Vouchers are a failure. Even worse, they have decimated public school budgets, leading to the complete dissolution of an entire school district in Iowa and the loss of 147 teachers, school counselors and support staff in one Arizona school district. But buried in President Donald Trump’s bill is a tax loophole that essentially pays billionaires to give their money to vouchers. The Educational Choice for Children Act is a tax shelter for the rich, letting the wealthy turn a profit by diverting public funds to private school vouchers. Tell your lawmakers in Congress to reject any voucher provisions.

Don’t miss our town hall on wellness

Wellness isn’t a buzzword—it’s essential. But for too many school and college employees, wellness is overshadowed by burnout, stress and unsupportive systems. Join AFT President Randi Weingarten, Dr. Vin Gupta and Dr. Mandy Cohen for a Vital Lessons town hall June 23 on what wellness means today—and how we can better care for our health. We’ll explore the science behind stress, what we’ve learned since the pandemic, and how to build lasting routines for health and resilience. Register and share.

June is Gun Violence Awareness Month

It’s National Gun Violence Awareness Month, where we mourn the friends, family and community members we’ve lost to gun violence. As we remember our loved ones, we remain committed to ending gun violence with commonsense solutions and policies, and demand our lawmakers take action. Learn more and share this graphic to spread the word.