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Lawrence Teachers 1000 360

PreK-12 Teachers

More than 1 million members strong, the AFT's Public Education unit has become a major force for preserving and strengthening a national commitment to reclaiming the promise of American education. It all began more than 100 years ago: A group of Chicago teachers, reasoning that theirs was a noble profession, organized themselves to share resources and build respect for the invaluable work they were doing. Those early efforts led to the birth of a national teachers union in 1916 that has been in the vanguard of every major advancement in American public education ever since.

Fac Fed 1000 360

Higher Education

The AFT represents higher education faculty (including both full- and part-time), professional staff and graduate employees, in all sectors of higher education—public and private, two-year and four-year institutions of higher education. The AFT Higher Education division's mission is to help our affiliates and their members prosper in the face of political, economic and technological forces challenging the most basic assumptions about the union's role on campus.

MLSA 1000 360

Public Employees

As a union of professionals, AFT Public Employees division is committed to improving the quality of government services we provide to our communities. Reclaiming the promise of high-quality public services is about fighting for first-rate public services that our support communities and keep them safe, healthy and vibrant. It’s about fighting to ensure that our communities’ tax dollars are properly invested back into the community, and that those resources are used responsibly and safely. Finally, it’s fighting to make sure public employees are well-prepared and supported so they can provide our communities with the high-quality services the public needs and deserves.

NB PSRPs

Paraprofessionals & School-Related Personnel

The AFT has organized paraprofessionals and school-related personnel since the early 1930s, when the first PSRP affiliate, the Education Secretaries of Chicago, was founded. Today, the AFT PSRP division sets a foundation for high-quality education by supporting meaningful professional development, promoting health and safety in the workplace, and demonstrating the importance of a strong and just work ethic in a bully-free environment. Most important is its commitment to safe and welcoming schools and colleges for students who deserve high-quality food programs; reliable school buses; clean, secure buildings; efficiently run offices; and well-trained staff.

AFT Massachusetts on Statewide Graduation Council Preliminary Report

AFT Massachusetts on Statewide Graduation Council Preliminary Report

“There are components of this report that we can all agree on, including areas that we have been and will continue to advocate for, including: accessibility to key academic courses, college and career planning, and attention to different types of learners.

“This preliminary report is just that—a starting point for discussion. We aren’t at the stage of endorsement or opposition.

“Whether or not the educators we represent can fully endorse this plan will depend on the final product.

“There are a number of outstanding questions that must be addressed, including those around the implementation process, the resources schools will need to support this new framework, and a clear understanding of exactly what will be required of our students and how their work will be measured."

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Scholarships for AFT Families

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Along with our union siblings, the AFT Massachusetts is committed to supporting the next generation of trade unionists to build a stronger tomorrow for all working families of the Commonwealth.

That’s why we award thousands of dollars in scholarships each year to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. Scholarship awards are based on an applicant’s results on a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and honor former AFT leaders Kathy Kelley, Albert Shanker, and Sandra Feldman, and long-time field representative Jay Porter.

The labor history exam focuses on teaching our children about the history of unions and about groups of people who fought for better wages and protections. 

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Take action: provide a living wage to all educators and PSRPs!

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Take action: provide a living wage to all educators and PSRPs! Lets celebrate our paraprofessionals and school related personnel by fighting for an Act relative to educator pay—essential legislation that would establish salary minimums of $70k for teachers and $55k for paraprofessionals and adjust for inflation. You know as well as we do: it’s impossible to overstate how life changing this legislation would be for thousands of our members. Please take a moment to use our tool to email your legislator asking them to help advance An Act relative to educator pay! Together we can make sure that none of our dedicated PSRPs aren’t forced to work second or third jobs just to make ends meet.