AFT President Randi Weingarten will be among the participants Dec. 8 in the virtual panel “AFT Solidarity With Ukraine.”
Scheduled to join Weingarten for the panel are other AFT educators who accompanied her a few weeks ago to Lviv, Ukraine, to meet with educators, trade unionists and medical workers there who have been affected by the Russian invasion.…
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The Newark Teachers Union (Local 481) scored a major victory Nov. 23 when arbitrator Robert C. Gifford ruled that Newark Public Schools must repay NTU members what the union estimates is about $1 million in salary and restore sick days with regard to COVID-related absences.
The case started on Oct. 13, 2021, when the NTU filed a grievance alleging that starting Jan.…
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Through Dec. 19, the U.S. Department of Education is seeking public comment on the draft FAQs related to the Stronger Connections grant program, which is part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
Stronger Connections recognizes “that local evidence-based school safety and climate plans, along with other evidence-based strategies for creating safe, healthy and supportive schools, depend on meaningful engagement between school and LEA leaders and students, parents, families and community members, and strong relationships between students and adults,” reads the introduction to the draft.…
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Perth Amboy Federation President Pat Paradiso and Newark Teachers Union member Silvia Pereira will be the AFT representatives on the task force Gov. Phil Murphy established via executive order to address the teacher and support staff shortage in New Jersey’s public schools.
“AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera recommended me for the task force, but I would have asked to be part of it had she not,” says Paradiso (above left), who is AFTNJ’s PreK-12 executive vice president.…
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More than 40 sessions were recently added to the lineup for SXSW EDU 2023, taking place March 6-9 in Austin, Texas.
Along with those sessions came word of three new featured sessions. They include “Building Sustainable Early Childhood Education,” and among the scheduled speakers is Michelle Kang, CEO for the National Association for the Education of Young Children.…
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Gov. Phil Murphy recently signed Executive Order No. 309, which establishes a task force to address the shortage of K-12 teachers and education support professionals in New Jersey.
Dennis Zeveloff, Murphy’s chief policy adviser, has been named the chair of the task force, which will include two AFT members.
According to EO 309, all public members of the task force “shall serve without compensation,” and they will “organize as soon as practicable after the appointment of its members, and shall convene as often as practicable and as requested” by Murphy or Zeveloff.…
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Early bird registration is underway for ACE2023, the American Council on Education’s annual meeting, taking place in person April 13-15 in Washington, D.C.
For more information and to take advantage of early bird pricing (which ends Jan. 26), click here.…
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On Nov. 14, the U.S. Department of Education launched Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success, a Biden-Harris administration initiative supported by the Commerce and Labor departments designed “to strengthen the connection between K-12 education, postsecondary education and workforce programs,” according to the U.S. DOE.
“It’s time we bridge the divide between our K-12 systems and our college, career and industry preparation programs, which leave too many students behind and perpetuate inequities in our most diverse, underserved and rural communities,” said U.S.…
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Ian Wilhelm, assistant managing editor for The Chronicle of Higher Education, is set to host the virtual forum “How to Design Learning for Student Success” on Nov. 16 at 2 p.m. ET.
Wilhelm and college leaders will discuss the trend of institutions turning to students for input about coursework, curricula and teaching styles.
To register, click here.…
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DJ-producer Steve Aoki will discuss his experiences in the entertainment industry and share how he’s harnessed his creativity in the free course “Growth Mindset: Unlock Your Brain’s Neon Future,” taking place Nov. 14 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
Created by the nonprofit educational resource TeachRock and hosted by Varsity Tutors, this 45-minute session is best suited for students in grades 5-12.…
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In late October, the U.S. Department of Education launched its “Raising the Bar” literacy-math series to address academic recovery. Its next virtual session is set for Nov. 10 at 2 p.m.
The topic for Nov. 10 is “Best Practices and Research on Rigorous Instruction for all Students in Literacy and Mathematics,” and key features will include leveraging American Rescue Plan funding to implement literacy and math achievement best practices at scale.…
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Middlesex County’s Community, Innovation, and Opportunity Strategic Investment Plan, unveiled Nov. 1 at Middlesex College in Edison, has prompted stern reactions from AFTNJ President Donna M. Chiera and Local 1940 AFT President Pat Payne.
Middlesex College President Mark McCormick joined Gov. Phil Murphy and other New Jersey leaders for the rollout of the CIO plan, which is “designed to transform and bolster Middlesex College and … meet the diverse needs of the entire community,” per a Nov.…
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Gov. Phil Murphy on Nov. 2 signed S2563, which amends the New Jersey Department of Education’s grant program for STEM teachers that he established in 2019.
Sponsored by Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal, state Sen. Shirley K. Turner and others, the legislation “expands the number of educators who are eligible to provide STEM instruction at nonpublic schools in addition to their public school duties,” while also increasing compensation, according to a release from the governor’s office.…
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November is National Native American Heritage Month, and teaching materials from myriad sources can be accessed online for free.
Among the options suitable for K-12 students are “American Indians: Primary Sources and Ready-to-Use Teaching Activities” from the National Archives and “Native Americans and the American Revolution: Choosing Sides” from the National Endowment for the Humanities.…
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