AFT President Randi Weingarten
It is May and Memorial Day weekend! HallPassBreak honors those heroes who have served and continue to serve in our Military and Armed forces. We also celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month! We recognize the many contributions our brothers and sisters of Asian and Pacific Islander descent who have been instrumental in the formation of our nation and continue to do so today. This is the time of the year for many educators when the school year comes to an end. For others, like myself, we still have a way to go. Unfortunately, our anticipation for summer is mixed with anxiety and a lot of uncertainty due to COVID-19. HallPassBreak is here to help you get through it.
Last year, educators were having a different conversation about education: school shootings, nationwide strikes, and the mounting student loan debt educators carried. The emotions were real and justified. Luckily for us, The American Federation of Teachers understood our issues and protested with us. They also understood the importance of bringing teachers together through a conference.
This episode and the next few episodes, will showcase The American Federation of Teachers 2019 TEACH Conference, a three-day event for AFT members to network, gain insight into the latest educational practices, and learn from various leading experts in the field of education. TEACH stands for Together Educating America’s Children. The conference is held in our nation’s capital and begins with an opening prayer by Reverend Mark Kelly Tyler. Followed by welcome remarks from the President of the Washington Teachers Union Elizabeth Davis. A story of triumph from the president of the St. Croix Federation of Teachers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Rosa Soto-Thomas. Then, a lesson of courage by Bronx educator, Kathryn Highland, who with the help of the AFT, filed a lawsuit against student loan servicer, Navient. If their words do not inspire you, the edited speech by AFT President Randi Weingarten surely will. Take a moment to listen to the stories our fellow educators share about the efforts the AFT has made in fighting for schools. And become aware of the issues we continue to face through Randi Weingarten’s powerful message of advocacy. Hopefully, it will inspire you to join the AFT and/or become more active in your union.
Randi Weingarten with the pilot UFT Teacher Leaders Program circa 2012 (I am pictured 3rd row back & 3rd to the left)
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