Sonya Romero, an AFT member who teaches kindergarten at Lew Wallace Elementary in Albuquerque, N.M., appeared on a recent episode of “The Ellen Show” and showed how the courage and generosity that early-childhood educators bring to class every day leads to a lasting legacy of love and learning. Romero, who is also an executive vice president for the Albuquerque Teachers Federation, minced no words when she told host Ellen DeGeneres about the needs that show up every morning at the door of Lew Wallace, where 75 percent of students live below the poverty line, and how she and the staff are determined to meet those challenges. “I ask my kids if they’ve eaten that morning, if they need anything to wear.” Her story, which has generated more than 2 million YouTube views, puts a compelling and human face on the profession.

aspiravoces:

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A GROUP OF TEACHERS and staffers at Olney Charter High School yesterday filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board requesting the federal agency conduct an election that would allow employees to become unionized.

The filing included signed union authorization cards from Olney employees and stated that the new union would be part of the Alliance of Charter School Employees, an affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers, according to the petition.

More than 70 percent of the 150-person staff signed on to the effort, which may face a challenge from Olney’s charter operator, ASPIRA Inc. of Pennsylvania.

The federal filing came one day after ASPIRA officials met, for the first time, with Olney teachers who began the organizing effort three years ago, organizers and teachers said. The ASPIRA officials - CEO Alfredo Calderon, COO Thomas Darden and newly-hired superintendent Andrea Gonzalez-Kerwin - told the teachers that they would not voluntarily recognize the union, but would respect the results of an election, participants said.

Darden did not respond to an email seeking comment.

An election could be held as soon as 30 days if no challenges are made by ASPIRA.

Calderon “said he would respect the wishes of the majority and I asked him to recognize the union and he said no, he would respect the outcome of an election,” said Hanako Franz, a freshman history teacher who has been at Olney for four years.

English as a Second Language teacher Hannah Myers, who has been at Olney for four years, said she believes Calderon and the others want to drag out the process.

“It’s very hard for me to believe that he’s willing to work with us,” she said. “If he really wanted to allocate resources to support our community, they would voluntarily recognize the union, which has been the majority for three years.”

The petition requests that a future union include “all full-time and regular part-time professional and non-professional instructional and student service support employees, including teachers, co-teachers, psychologists” and other employees, according to the filing.

To support Aspira teachers, sign their petition here.

Conservatives Say $15 Minimum Wage Is Killing Seattle Restaurant Scene, Restaurateurs Disagree

think-progress:

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As Seattle prepares for the April launch of the highest minimum wage law in America, conservatives are warning that businesses are already shuttering under the pressure of higher labor costs and pointing to a recent report of a rash of restaurant closures as evidence. The problem is, the actual owners of those restaurants say that they’re not closing because of wages, and the city seems to be enjoying robust growth in that industry.

Myth: Busted | Follow ThinkProgress

Labor history is rich with the contributions of women, and unions have historically stood up for women’s rights. As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, we should recognize the incredible contributions that women have made to the labor...

Labor history is rich with the contributions of women, and unions have historically stood up for women’s rights. As we celebrate Women’s History Month in March, we should recognize the incredible contributions that women have made to the labor movement and American history.

Check out this list of 25 labor events and organizers we should teach about during Women’s History Month.

AFT President Randi Weingarten joined members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for a March 18 press conference on Capitol Hill to unveil “The People’s Budget: A Raise for America.”

repmarktakano:
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think-progress:
“Students, Teachers Brace For Scott Walker’s Devastating Education Cuts“This week, Wisconsin kicked off a series of hearings on Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget, which would slash about $300 million from the University of...

think-progress:

Students, Teachers Brace For Scott Walker’s Devastating Education Cuts

This week, Wisconsin kicked off a series of hearings on Governor Scott Walker’s proposed budget, which would slash about $300 million from the University of Wisconsin system over two years, funnel hundreds of millions to build a pro-basketball stadium, and cut deeply from funds for health care, food stamps and public media.

npr:
“In his new book, Raising Kids Who Read, Daniel Willingham wants to be clear: There’s a big difference between teaching kids to read and teaching them to love reading.
And Willingham, a parent himself, doesn’t champion reading for the obvious...

npr:

In his new book, Raising Kids Who Read, Daniel Willingham wants to be clear: There’s a big difference between teaching kids to read and teaching them to love reading.

And Willingham, a parent himself, doesn’t champion reading for the obvious reasons — not because research suggests that kids who read for pleasure do better in school and in life.

“The standard things you’ll hear about why kids should read I actually don’t think are very strong arguments,” he says. “Because if the goal is to become a good citizen or the goal is to make a lot of money, I can think of more direct ways to reach those goals than to read during your leisure time.”

Willingham wants his kids to love reading because, he says, “for me it’s a family value. It’s something that I love, something that I find important. I think I gain experiences I wouldn’t gain any other way by virtue of being a reader. And so naturally I want my children to experience that.”

Raising Kids Who Want To Read

Illustration credit: LA Johnson/NPR

The latest issue of the AFT’s American Educator includes a piece by Willingham drawn from this latest book.

politicallyactivated:
“The Trickle-Down Theory of Economics
The Trickle-Down Theory: a massive failure that Ronald Reagan created - and it’s still the only plan Republicans have for America.
”

politicallyactivated:

The Trickle-Down Theory of Economics

The Trickle-Down Theory: a massive failure that Ronald Reagan created - and it’s still the only plan Republicans have for America.