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Many studies over the years have documented the need for smoother transitions from prekindergarten to the elementary level. A new AFT report reinforces that conclusion—and does it in a manner that puts frontline voices at the heart of the dialogue.
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In her latest "What Matters Most" column, which appears in the New York Times, AFT president Randi Weingarten discusses the importance of the Ohio vote, as well as results in other states that showed voters are fed up with politicians who thought they could exploit a tough economy to advance extremist agendas. Those results are sending a message that legislators need to heed.
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The citizens of Ohio took back their state with a historic vote on Nov. 8 to repeal Senate Bill 5. The vote, which marks the first time that the collective bargaining rights of public employees have been upheld on a statewide ballot, sends a clear signal that Ohioans will not sit idly by while politicians scapegoat hard-working public employees for an economic crisis they did not create.
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President Obama's bold plan—the American Jobs Act—is the right antidote to help solve our persistent economic problems, AFT president Randi Weingarten says.
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Two longtime union activists and education reformers are assuming new roles in AFT's leadership, AFT president Randi Weingarten announced on Sept. 9.
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Every day, educators and other public employees, and the services they provide our communities, are being attacked. From challenging collective bargaining rights, to undermining the quality of public education and higher education, to decimating pensions and trying to put healthcare coverage further out of reach, working men and women across the country are under assault. And if this has taught us one thing, it's that Elections Matter.
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Calling Young Teachers
The AFT is looking for young teachers to join our Generation Y online community. This supportive network of young professionals is a place to discuss issues that affect you and your work. You can interact with other members through the forums and member pages, learn more about what is going on in schools across the nation, and find out about upcoming events and activities you can attend.
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Generation Y teachers—those in their mid-30s or younger—say that to keep them in teaching, schools should be transformed into workplaces that support high-quality teaching and learning, so eager but nearly overwhelmed novices will stay in the profession and can become highly effective, according to a new report by the AFT and the American Institutes for Research.
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In a March 28 speech sponsored by the Commonwealth Club, AFT president Randi Weingarten challenged those who have blamed public employees and their right to collectively bargain as a cause of their states' fiscal problems.
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AFT Members Will Stand Together for 'We Are One' Week of Action
Workers' fundamental rights are under attack in a growing number of states. But as we have seen in Wisconsin, Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere, those attacks have inspired and motivated tens of thousands of union members to stand together for their rights. The challenge now, as AFT president Randi Weingarten put it in a recent e-mail to more than 1.5 million AFT members and allies, is to take this moment and turn it into a movement. One step in that direction is a "We Are One" Week of Action, starting April 4, that will bring together members from the AFT and other unions, along with our allies, to participate in events around the country. First, take the pledge to help make a difference. Once you take the pledge, you'll see lots of ideas for how to join in the week of action.
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March 2, The House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee heard HB 628. (Scott Dieckhaus).
This bill repeals teacher tenure. The bill also has teacher and administrators evaluations tied to student test scores, and would determine how long a teachers contract is and the teachers pay. AFT Missouri strongly opposes the bill. Below is a list of the Committee, please contact them to vote no on HB 628. |
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AFT president Randi Weingarten on Feb. 24 proposed a new way to align teacher development and evaluation to due process for tenured teachers. Weingarten laid out a three-step process consisting of clear standards for what teachers should know and be able to do, a time-limited improvement and support plan for teachers deemed to be unsatisfactory according to the evaluation standards, and a hearing process that can take no longer than 100 days, which in many cases would be even more expedient.
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On Jan. 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy captured and crystallized a moment in history when he told America, "the torch has been passed to a new generation." To mark the 50th anniversary of this landmark inaugural address, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum has created a new website filled with groundbreaking multimedia that invites young visitors to explore the JFK legacy through such core themes as public service, civil rights and innovation.
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If you need assistance with a membership update or help with one of our membership programs, please let us know by contacting SASDesk@aft.org or phone 1/800/238-1133, ext. 4504. We are here and happy to assist you! Another reminder will be sent to you at the end of the summer and again prior to our actual mailing. Thank you and have a wonderful summer! |
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A May 5 webinar put out the welcome mat to AFT affiliates and urged them to turn their biggest dreams into action by applying for grants under the union's new Innovation Fund. This $2.8 million joint venture is designed to put the resources of some the nation's largest foundations behind "bottom-up" approaches developed by teachers and the unions that support them—and, in doing so, to underscore how the best ideas in education begin with frontline buy-in. |
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State And National Dues Increases Go Into Effect September 1, 2008
AFT and AFT-Missouri have both passed dues increases in July. Please see the AFT Missouri Dues Structure inside the Join AFT-Missouri tab to the left in order to see the new rates. If you have any questions, please contact us at 1-800 238-1133. |
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The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) released the state MAP scores on August 17, 2007. Click here to view the DESE news release of the results of 2006-07.
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In a historic decision on May 29, the Missouri Supreme Court gave public employees, including teachers, the right to bargain collectively with employers.
The ruling supports Article 1, Section 29 in the Missouri Constitution, which provides “That employees shall have the right to organize and bargain collectively through representatives of their own choosing.”
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The American Federation of Teachers has just released a report, titled "The 'Faculty Bias' Studies: Science or Propaganda?" which examines eight "studies" that purport to demonstrate how the political beliefs of faculty are disproportionately liberal and influence what is taught, learned and professed on college campuses. The report concludes that these studies are severely flawed in their methodology, and make sweeping assumptions that invalidate the "findings."
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In the March 22nd meeting of the Missouri State Board of Education, the St Louis School District was stripped of its accreditation. The hard-working teachers, staff and students of the district were present to hear the decision.
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Mold, extreme temperatures, overcrowding, poor air quality, vermin infestation and other deplorable conditions in too many public schools throughout the United States must be addressed immediately as a top educational priority, the American Federation of Teachers concludes in a report released December 4, 2006. Click here to watch an important video.
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Contact AFT Missouri
AFT Missouri |
