News from AFT Teachers Archive

In the recent fight over our country’s budget, Republicans weaponized hunger and healthcare for political leverage. Meanwhile, immigrants are being yanked off the streets, educational institutions are being attacked and millions of people are being pushed into deeper economic insecurity. But Americans are standing up—from the ballot box to the "No Kings" protests—to defend their future. In her latest column, AFT President Randi Weingarten describes why we must continue to fight against power-hungry elected officials and work to elect people who will lower the cost of living, treat people with dignity and strengthen public schools.

 

You may have heard it on the radio: StoryCorps takes tender, funny, or just plain interesting conversations between people who have close relationships with one another and records them as personal history. With the Great Thanksgiving Listen, that project expands, inviting students to record their own conversations with family members and upload them to the Library of Congress archive. Along the way, they get to practice listening skills, build empathy and deepen connections with loved ones. Share My Lesson shows you how to integrate this rich activity into your classroom. Image credit: StoryCorps.

Do your students love the Magic Tree House books? A combination of kid-inspired adventure, history lessons and accessible reading practice, Mary Pope Osborne’s beloved books are bestsellers for a reason. Now, through her generous Classroom Adventures/Gift of Books program, the AFT and First Book are giving away $80 worth of Magic Tree House books to educators, in Title I or Title I eligible schools, who want to incorporate them into their curriculum. To participate, register with First Book, then select which books you’d like. At check out, use the promo code AFTMTH80 for $80 off your order. This limited, first-come-first-served offer is valid for one use per educator on Magic Tree House titles only and cannot be combined with other promo codes. Happy reading!

When federal funding for the Charting My Path for Future Success program was cut just five weeks into implementation, Sunny Jerome’s special education students lost a vital avenue for building skills to help them advocate for themselves and make decisions about their futures. In the Fall 2025 issue of American Educator, Jerome shares how mentoring and goal-setting was transforming her students—and the real cost of dismantling education supports that empower young people to succeed. The article is especially relevant as we approach the 50th anniversary of the landmark Individuals with Disability Education Act on Nov. 29.

 

While Congress has failed to address the affordability crisis, the AFT has been earning wins across the country to improve the lives of working people: new contracts in Oregon, averted strikes and smaller class sizes in Minneapolis, powerful community and literacy programs in St. Louis and Puerto Rico, solidarity with New York City paraprofessionals and Starbucks baristas, defending higher education and addressing student debt. AFT President Randi Weingarten lays it all out in her new weekly update video. Above, Education Minnesota picketed to win a contract that puts students first.

 

For months, the Trump administration has illegally blocked people from accessing the student debt relief they are entitled to. The AFT took President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to court for their student loan lawlessness—and won! In this episode of "Union Talk," the AFT’s podcast, AFT President Randi Weingarten and other debt relief advocates discuss what this court victory means for borrowers, how people can access relief, and the union's continued fight to get people debt relief and make college affordable for all.

 

As our nation faces a terrifying crackdown on immigrant communities, many families turn to their schools as a refuge from persecution and danger. Educators can offer comfort and reassurance—and also serve as a crucial source of information to keep people safe. The AFT’s collection of guides and toolkits is now available in as many as seven languages, including English, Spanish, Chinese, Haitian, Korean, Tagalog and Armenian. Let’s help keep our communities safe.

 

This heartwarming video shows literacy in action as teachers in St. Louis, demonstrate their reading practice with children and show how they expand their reach by engaging families and giving them the tools they need—including free books and stipends—to build on what children learn in school, right at home. The program, which is part of the AFT’s Reading Opens the World, started in 2024 and has already expanded to five schools. Watch this video for more background on a real success story.