Charter Schools

Standing Up to Unprecedented Threats to Schools

Fri, 01/06/2017 - 6:00pm
By choosing billionaire political donor Betsy DeVos to lead the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), President-elect Donald Trump has shown he is serious about decimating our nation's public schools. Congress has scheduled her nomination hearing for next Wednesday, adding urgency to the defense of our shared mission of a high-quality learning experience for all students. Members are encouraged to sign and share an open letter demanding the secretary of education and every elected official respect and uphold this vision.
 
Click here to add your name to the letter.
 

New Courant Ad Asks for Budget Fairness

Wed, 02/17/2016 - 11:30am
Hartford - The American Federation of Teachers and AFT Connecticut call on Gov. Dannel Malloy and the state legislature to ask the richest residents to pay their fair share of taxes to avert budget cuts that would hurt virtually all Connecticut families.
 
"Connecticut doesn't have a budget problem. Connecticut has a fairness problem," says a full-page ad in The Courant today, purchased by the AFT and AFT Connecticut.
 
Click here to view the ad.
 

Spotlight: PreK-12 School Teachers

Mon, 10/05/2015 - 3:30pm
Today is World Teachers' Day, a global initiative to show appreciation for hardworking educators and raise public awareness of the many challenges facing the profession. It's also an opportunity to spotlight a few of our many union members in Connecticut who epitomize the slogan of this year's effort: "empowering teachers, building sustainable societies."
 
Click here for press coverage of World Teachers' Day.
 

Comments on New Law Requiring Charter Manager Transparency, Accountability

Wed, 07/08/2015 - 1:00pm
Jan Hochadel, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks on Governor Dannel P. Malloy's signature today of landmark legislation to increase oversight of schools operated by charter management organizations (CMOs):
 
 

Teachers at Windham Charter School Ratify First Contract

Thu, 06/11/2015 - 2:00pm
Willimantic - Teachers who educate the students of Path Academy Windham on Tuesday ratified a two-year contract with the school's administration and charter management organization, Our Piece of the Pie®, Inc. (OPP®) The members of the recently organized Windham Charter School Federation of Teachers (WCSFT) overwhelmingly approved the collective bargaining agreement negotiated in what educators describe as an atmosphere of mutual respect.
 

Comments on Legislature's Action to Increase Charter School Oversight

Tue, 06/02/2015 - 8:00pm
Melodie Peters, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks on passage of legislation to improve transparency and increase accountability for schools operated by charter management organizations (CMOs) in the state:
 

Bipartisan ESEA Bill: A Step Forward

Thu, 04/09/2015 - 5:00pm
The Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization proposal announced this week shows that, even in the current climate, it's possible to find common ground by listening to teachers, parents and other voices in education. U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) -- the chair and the ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee -- on Tuesday unveiled a bipartisan bill reauthorizing the law, known in its current form as No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
 
Click here for a bill summary from the HELP Committee.
 

Holding Charter Management Companies Accountable

Tue, 03/03/2015 - 6:30pm
AFT supports a reform plan released today by open government advocacy groups In the Public Interest (ITPI) and The Center for Popular Democracy (CPD) that would ensure charter schools fulfill their role in education as originally envisioned. The proposed "Charter School Accountability Agenda" also supports AFT Connecticut's current advocacy efforts to strengthen our state's laws governing schools operated by outside charter management organizations (CMOs) with public tax dollars.
 
Click here for a presentation on the national proposal.
 

Comments on Foley Campaign's Proposed Scheme to "Starve State's Schools"

Tue, 09/23/2014 - 4:00pm
Melodie Peters, president of AFT Connecticut, made the following remarks in response to an education proposal promoted by Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Foley in a campaign ad and recent public comments:
 

Community to Hartford Officials: "Our School is Being Snatched from Us"

Thu, 11/07/2013 - 5:12pm
Hartford - Parents of students at John C. Clark, Jr. Elementary and Middle School were joined last night by supporters for a press conference on the threatened take-over of their community school. The event was organized by members of the school’s Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) and School Governance Council (SGC) ahead of a Hartford Board of Education meeting on the "redesign" of district schools. The parents announced their opposition to the superintendent’s proposal to phase-in control by an outside charter operator of the Clark School beginning next year, to be completed by 2016.
 
 
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