December 18, 2019
The PFT and the Fund Our Facilities Coalition joined our partners at the State Capitol to call for immediate investment in our school facilities. The rally was organized by founding coalition partner State Representative Elizabeth Fiedler (HD184).
November 8, 2019
Now This, a news video site with millions of subscribers and followers across the nation, just released a powerful video on the toxic conditions in Philly’s public schools.
This is just the beginning of our efforts to bring national attention to this issue as we fight for an immediate $170 million investment to address safety hazards that threaten the health and safety of educators and schoolchildren.
October 21, 2019
The Fund Our Facility Coalition recently sent a letter to Governor Tom Wolf urging his administration to find a way to immediately send $100 million for asbestos and lead abatement in Philly’s schools.
September 25, 2019
The PFT submitted the following testimony from President Jerry Jordan in support of bill 190558, an Ordinance amending Chapter 9-1100 of The Philadelphia Code, entitled “Fair Practices Ordinance.
September 23, 2019
The Fund Our Facilities Coalition, in partnership with the undersigned concerned individuals and partners is calling for $100 million of that funding to be invested immediately, so the District can begin the process of remediating damaged asbestos and lead in every school. That students and educators have their health and safety at stake when they go to school should move all of us to immediate action.
August 15, 2019
All summer long, many members have reported receiving letters and postcards from an organization called, “Free to Teach.”
Let’s be clear–Free to Teach is a project of the Commonwealth Foundation, an anti-worker, anti-public education, Koch Brothers- and DeVos family-backed “think tank” whose mission is to bust unions and feather the beds of corporate CEOs.
AFT President Randi Weingarten today delivered a major address on the crisis hollowing out the teaching profession—massive disinvestment in public education and deprofessionalization. In her speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., she called for reinvestment and freedom to teach. It was followed by two panels featuring education leaders who laid out pragmatic solutions.
AFT President Randi Weingarten’s latest column outlines the urgency of using our voices—our votes—in this life-changing election, when we will make a choice “between President Donald Trump, who has trafficked in chaos, fear, lies and division, and former Vice President Joe Biden, who seeks to reverse Trump’s failures on COVID-19 and the economy, and to unite and uplift the American people.” Besides the four crises we face—a pandemic, an economic crisis, racism and a climate emergency—democracy itself is on the ballot, as Trump continues to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the election.
In her September New York Times column, AFT President Randi Weingarten says that going back to school has never looked like it does now. Weingarten explains that because of President Donald Trump’s response to the coronavirus, which has been chaotic, contradictory and inept, and the lack of federal guidance and funding, we’re seeing a patchwork of school reopening plans across the country.
As the presidential elections inch closer and the field of candidates gets more and more competitive, AFT members are engaging, parsing campaign platforms, asking questions of the candidates, and voicing their priorities as educators, healthcare practitioners and public employees. Thus far, the AFT has hosted eight AFT Votes town halls in eight different locations across the country, giving members the opportunity to meet candidates in person and hear about their stands on education, working families, healthcare and other top-line issues. Also part of the AFT’s robust endorsement process: surveys, debate parties and lots of information on AFTVotes.org.