Teachers News | March 2025

President Donald Trump’s deep cuts to essential services threaten millions of Americans—from students and veterans to the elderly and people with disabilities—all to fund tax breaks for billionaires like Elon Musk. In her latest column, AFT President Randi Weingarten shares how the Trump administration is slashing education funding; weakening Social Security and Medicaid; and gutting agencies that ensure food safety, disease prevention and national security. Americans are fighting back, as we saw on the AFT’s Protect Our Kids Day of Action, when thousands protested these reckless policies. We must reject this betrayal of working people and demand a government that serves everyone—not just the wealthy.

 

Educators, students, parents and community allies participated in more than 2,000 actions throughout the country March 4 as part of the AFT’s Protect Our Kids Day of Action to fight President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s cruel and irresponsible attacks on public schools. Participants called on lawmakers to protect our kids and take a stand against funding cuts that will hurt millions of students. From rallies and walk-ins to press events and legislative visits, you can see from this video that the energy was unstoppable. Above, teachers in New York City join the fight.

 

Each year during Women’s History Month, we look back to honor the women who have helped shape this country with integrity, determination and righteous persistence—but we must also look forward to build on that legacy. Our Women’s History Month page honors the AFT women who fight for just policy, build up our communities and create inclusive learning environments for our children. And in this AFT Voices post, we consider five looming threats to women’s rights today, brought to us by the current administration.

 

The AFT Share My Lesson Virtual Conference, March 25-27, provides educators with practical strategies to support student engagement, critical thinking and well-being with more than 35 free, for-credit webinars covering civic education, digital literacy, STEM innovation and more. Keynotes include AFT President Randi Weingarten, Magic Tree House author Mary Pope Osborne and a special session on artificial intelligence. With a focus on mental health, resilience and instructional leadership, educators will refine their own practice and gain tools to foster students’ real-world knowledge for future success. Register now!

 

For too many educators, the idea of a morally centered school may seem like a fantasy—or be so novel a concept that it is hard to grasp. In the new American Educator, psychiatrist Wendy Dean, who studies moral injury, and educator Rachel Schaffer describe such schools, which truly serve students’ best interests by following a set of shared professional values. The authors also explore how educators and unions can help create them.

 

We have all heard the alarming news that education funding will be cut and education policy changed in dangerous ways, but what does that mean on the ground? Kids who need assistance developing speech will lose therapists; teenagers struggling with anxiety and depression will lose counselors; some children will stop coming to school for fear of family deportation; others will give up their college dreams because they can’t afford them. AFT members describe the direct harm the Trump administration is bringing to their students in this collection of blog posts from AFT Voices.

 

The destruction of vital federal services for millions of Americans has begun. President Donald Trump has launched a vindictive, erratic and often illegal series of moves intended to demolish the federal government. He and Elon Musk have locked some workers out of their offices and fired others. In the middle of this mess stand 5,500 members of the Federation of Indian Service Employees, an AFT affiliate representing workers at four federal agencies serving Native Americans. They include teachers, school staff and faculty at Indian schools as well as firefighters, IT specialists, social workers and other government employees. Read about their mobilization to stop this insanity.

 

Plan now to join us July 25-27 in Washington, D.C., for the AFT TEACH conference, an inspiring and engaging professional learning event. This member-engagement opportunity brings together members and union leaders from around the country for high-quality professional learning led by AFT members and other experts. With more than 70 workshops to choose from, attendees will leave with timely strategies and practical resources to take back to their schools, recharged and ready for a successful year ahead. Early bird pricing ends May 15. Register now.