Teachers News | June 2025

On a day when President Donald Trump was holding a military parade—and as arrests of protesters, including elected officials, made headlines—millions of people, including countless AFT members, took to the streets in peaceful protests to defend democracy and oppose deep cuts to public schools, healthcare and other vital services in Trump’s budget bill. "On this day, where we celebrate the flag, where we celebrate America, we are fighting for democracy,” said AFT President Randi Weingarten at a 150,000-person rally in Philadelphia. “The throughline in America is that the people are governed not by a king, not a tyrant, not nobility, but the people.” Watch this inspiring video that sums up the day.

 

While it’s easy (and fun!) to get caught up in rainbow glam and snapping fans, Pride is more than a party, “it is action,” as one of the AFT’s LGTBQIA+ task force members put it. So in addition to parades and protests, the task force spent several days this month lobbying on Capitol Hill, networking with other advocacy organizations and planning for continued action on behalf of LGBTQIA+ people and their communities. Here are their reflections on this moment of both celebration and fear, and here is the AFT’s Pride page of resources and inspiration.

 

Immigration policy is not just a hot-button issue, it is a life-threatening sea change for millions of people we work with. The urgency of the moment has crystalized in Los Angeles, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have threatened U.S. residents, where people have risen up to protest, and where the Trump administration has unlawfully sent in the National Guard. Meanwhile families continue to be torn apart, legal residents are being sent to prisons in foreign countries, and students are being arrested and deported for exercising their right to speak out. To help navigate it all, the AFT has created a three-part guide: a glossary, a list of threats and a list of the actions we have already taken to make this right. And our immigration hub has resources like Know Your Rights fliers to keep our immigrant communities safe.

 

Just 18 months into a bold career and technical education initiative in New York, students are already charting new paths. The Advanced Technology Framework—a partnership between educators, unions and Micron—is helping students gain the real-world skills they need for high-demand careers, right in their own communities. Watch this video to hear from students and organizers about how these connections are creating real-world opportunities for kids.

 

Because of the Trump administration’s attacks on freedom of thought, expression and information—and the increasing disinvestment in public schools and colleges—American democracy and education are at risk. In the Summer 2025 issue of American Educator, learn how we can reclaim education and renew our democracy. AFT President Randi Weingarten shares how we can fight collectively to protect academic freedom, and educators and researchers explain the problems with school voucher programs and the myth of the failing U.S. public school system. They also describe safe, inclusive schools that cultivate connection, deep learning and the social solidarity that can transform our society.

 

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 in this AFT Voices post.