Discussions

American Federation of Teachers

Proposal for the Global Education Conference 2013

Name and Title:  Larry Specht, Senior Associate, International Affairs Department

Organization: American Federation of Teachers

Co-Presenter: Mary Cathryn Ricker, St. Paul Federation of Teachers president
 
Location of Presenter: Washington, DC

Presentation Language: English

Target Audience: Educators, Academics, Education Policy Makers

Short Session Description: The AFT’s Reclaiming the Promise Initiative calls on the nation to guarantee the right of high quality education to all American children.

Full Session Description:

The AFT’s Reclaiming the Promise Initiative rejects failed strategies such as top-down edicts, mass school closures, privatization, attacks on collective bargaining, and increased testing with sanctions instead of support for teachers, the AFT says reclaiming the promise of public education involves:

• Fighting for neighborhood public schools that are safe, welcoming places for teaching and learning.
• Ensuring that teachers and school support staff are well-prepared, are supported, have time to collaborate and have tools, like small class sizes.
• Enabling teachers to teach an engaging curriculum that includes art and music and the sciences.
• Ensuring kids have access to wraparound services to meet their emotional, social and health needs.

Reclaiming the promise of public education will help make every public school a place where parents want to send their kids, teachers want to teach and children are engaged in a strong, well-rounded curriculum. It makes our public schools the center of the community and fulfills their purpose as an anchor of our democracy and a propeller of our economy.

Websites / URLs Associated with the Session: www.aft.org www.sharemylesson.com

American Federation of Teachers.docx