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AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos: Get Ready for a Big Push on Major Education Bill

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An education bill filed on January 20, 2023, has the potential to transform the educational landscape for generations to come, bettering the lives of students and harnessing the knowledge and assets of local communities to improve schools, according to AFT Massachusetts President Beth Kontos and other education leaders. 

The bill, An Act Empowering Students and Schools To Thrive (or the Thrive Act, for short), would equip local communities with the tools and resources that students and schools need to succeed, and dramatically reduce the harm caused by the high-stakes, punitive use of

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LTU members attend AFT TEACH 2023 Conference

LTU members at the AFT TEACH 2023 conference

On July 20-23, members of the LTU attended TEACH 2023 in Washington, D.C. It was packed with information and "Real Solutions for Kids & Communities”. We can't wait to roll-out and share all we've learned in September. #Teach23 #ReadingOpensTheWorld


Secretary of Education's Speech at the AFT TEACH Convention

 

Trish Woolley at the AFT TEACH Convention

Kim at AFT TEACH Convention

Mindy at the AFT TEACH Convention

Mindy, Randy Weingarten, and Kim

Mindy, Trish, Kim, and Natalia
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Weingarten launches new campaign: ‘Real Solutions for Kids and Communities’

Photo of AFT President Randi Weingarten addressing TEACH 2023

The AFT has always been a solutions-driven union, and our new campaign, launched during TEACH on July 21, proves it once again with a fresh, practical approach to strengthening public education. As AFT President Randi Weingarten pointed out during her keynote speech, the $5 million, yearlong campaign, “Real Solutions for Kids and Communities,” stands up against attacks on public schools and offers real-world solutions to build up, rather than break down, our communities.

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Smears vs. solutions

Randi Weingarten at a Massachusetts high school

Summer is upon us, and parents, children and teachers are winding down from what has been an exhausting and fully operational school year—the first since the devastating pandemic. The long-lasting impact of COVID-19 has affected our students’ and families’ well-being and ignited the politics surrounding public schools. All signs point to the coming school year unfolding with the same sound and fury, and if extremist culture warriors have their way, being even more divisive and stressful.

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What unions do

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In AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest New York Times  column, she describes what it is exactly that unions do. Though unions are the most popular they have been in decades, anti-union sentiment still thrives in red states and across the nation. “Several years ago, The Atlantic ran a story whose headline made even me, a labor leader, scratch my head: ‘Union Membership: Very Sexy,’” Weingarten writes in the column. “The gist was that higher wages, health benefits and job security—all associated with union membership—boost one’s chances of getting married. Belonging to a union doesn’t actually guarantee happily ever after, but it does help working people have a better life in the here and now.” Click through to read the full column.

AFT Massachusetts Joins New Higher Ed for All Campaign

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In November, Massachusetts voters passed the Fair Share Amendment, generating a permanent revenue source for investment in transportation and public education. Now, a statewide public higher education coalition is emerging to advocate that a significant portion of the funds generated from the Fair Share Amendment be invested in an affordable, high-quality public higher education system.
 
This month, the AFT Massachusetts Executive Board voted to support the Higher Ed for All campaign.
 
“With the passage of the Fair Share Amendment, Massachusetts has an opportunity to build a public higher

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A Call for Nominations

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Help AFT Massachusetts celebrate the service of an educator, librarian, nurse, or school related personnel whose leadership has made our union stronger. Nominations are now being accepted for our 2023 Distinguished Service Awards!
 
The AFT Massachusetts Distinguished Service Awards are presented annually to AFT Massachusetts members who have demonstrated an outstanding level of service and dedication to their local union. The 2023 Distinguished Service Award Winners will be honored at the AFT Massachusetts Convention Awards Dinner on Friday, April 28, 2023 at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for

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