Search

Make your views known to those in Congress and state legislatures who represent you on the issues that affect working families every day. Click here to visit the AFT's Legislative Action Center. Read More

Federal immigration actions are rapidly expanding, with deadly consequences. The killings of poet Renee Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Minneapolis have brought intense focus on the use of excessive force. An AFT webinar, co-hosted by AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang on Jan. 28, featured experts on immigration and the law. It highlighted AFT resources and showcased how our locals are showing up to minimize fear and trauma. Read More

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. Read More

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it. Read More

Read More

AFT PLUS is the name of the member benefit programs available to AFT members and their families. Many of the programs are provided through Union Privilege, the benefit arm of the AFL-CIO; others are unique to AFT and are coordinated directly through AFT PLUS. Explore the site and learn more about the savings and services available to you as a union member. Click here to learn more about AFT PLUS Member Benefits. Read More

LFT will host a series of self-care professional development courses open to members of LFT across the state of Louisiana. These courses will provide self-care tips to educators. Please use this link to register: http://bit.ly/selfcare_PD Handling Stress - October 17 th, 9:00 AM Taking Care of Your Well-Being - November 14 th, 9:00 AM Read More

COVID-19 RELIEF FUNDING Louisiana school districts are poised to receive nearly 4x more COVID-19 relief funding under the latest federal relief plan. This aid does come with restrictions in how districts may allocate the funds, but it is a much needed and long overdue step towards a reprieve for our educators and students who have been ‘making it work’ for far too long. We are excited about the possibilities this funding presents, but it is vital that teachers Read More

This week we conclude the second week in the ongoing Special Legislative Session, bringing us to nearly the half way point. Due to the oncoming Hurricane Delta, some meetings were moved up until earlier in the week, most notably both the House Education and Senate Education Committees conducted their weekly meetings at the same time on Wednesday morning. They both considered important legislation, but here are some of the highlights: Read More

One of the most important bills that we will hear in this abbreviated legislation is Senate Bill 31 by Senator Cleo Fields. If passed, this bill would prohibit the use of statewide student assessments conducted during the 2020-2021 school year from being used to evaluate teacher performance. Essentially, schools could (and likely would) still have testing this year, but the scores couldn't count against a teacher's performance evaluation. Read More

School buildings cannot open for in-person instruction until the below conditions are met: - Community transmission of COVID-19 is under control in the region; - There is a public health infrastructure to support effective disease surveillance, tracing and isolation in schools; - Staff who are at high risk have access to special accommodations; - The district and school have funded safeguards and implemented protocols, including physical distancing, face coverings, access to hand-washing facilities, cleaning supplies, and updates to ventilation and; - AFT members and leaders, families and community partners are included in the reopening planning process. Read More

LFT has conducted a comprehensive survey to evaluate the concerns of educators and community members with regards to schools reopening later this summer. LFT received responses from nearly 15,000 teachers, support staff, parents, students and concerned community members regarding the reopening of schools. The survey was conducted electronically between June 30-July 10, 2020 and distributed widely through various online platforms. Read More

PPE FOR LFT MEMBERS LFT has partnered with our national affiliate, American Federation of Teachers to bring 30,000 masks to Louisiana teachers and school staff. These masks were donated to LFT by the United States Heartland China Association and the Wanxiang Group. Inadequate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) has plagued frontline workers throughout the pandemic, which is why LFT and our partners are making these free masks available to any member who needs one. Please contact your local affiliate to get your mask or learn about their individual distribution plan. DON’T FORFEIT OUR FUTURE: PASS THE HEROES ACT Read More

Until a vaccine is developed for COVID-19, each community is going to need support in charting a path to safely and responsibly reopen school buildings and other institutions crucial to the well-being and economic vitality of our communities. The AFT’s detailed, science-based “Plan to Safely Reopen America’s Schools and Communities” features five core pillars based on the science as well as educator and healthcare expertise—not on politics or wishful thinking. Read More

Today is the beginning of Teacher Appreciation Week! I hope you and your family are safe and healthy. Even though we’re physically distant, it’s important that we recognize the remarkable work our teachers and support staff do every day. On March 13th our world changed in an unprecedented way – every public school in the state shut down and we were given little time to prepare for remote learning. Under immense pressure, you worked around the clock Read More