Our Voices - Articles

AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after tonight’s vice presidential debate between Sen. JD Vance and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former AFT member, high school social studies teacher and football coach in Mankato, Minn.: "Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz won tonight’s debate against Vance by doing what good teachers do: On every question he was asked, he offered practical solutions for a better future."

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I am a second-generation teacher in Detroit, proud to follow in the footsteps of my mother, who taught for 34 years in the same district where I teach ninth-grade U.S. history, 11th-grade world history and Advanced Placement African American studies. I believe strongly in public education and its value in a democratic society. But I am worried.

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AFT President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after tonight’s presidential debate:

“Vice President Kamala Harris won tonight’s debate by focusing on the American people. She understands the aspirations and hopes of Americans. She laid out a strong, positive vision for this country built on unity and specific plans that create an opportunity economy and treat healthcare as a right, not a privilege."

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The energy at the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22 was off the charts, registering a joyful resurgence of optimism about the presidential election and the Kamala Harris-Tim Walz candidacy. And the AFT was in the thick of it: There were about 120 AFT members who were convention delegates. Here are some of their reflections on the four days of speeches, panel discussions and strategy sessions that have set up what remains of the election season.

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As the nation watched the Democratic National Convention, it may have looked like one enormous pep rally, with inspiring speeches to pump up enthusiasm, silly hats bobbing in the crowd and shirtfronts encrusted with political buttons. But outside the phalanx of TV cameras, delegates and leaders—including many from the AFT—were shaping policy, including on education. Such was the case Aug. 21 when a panel of politicians, advocates and labor leaders sat down to discuss the most important aspects of career and technical education, and how we can continue to encourage its growth.

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The AFT kicked off its first get-out-the-vote town hall with two special guests: Minnesota first lady Gwen Walz (wife of vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz) and longtime AFT ally Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.).

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AFT President Randi Weingarten released the following statement after Vice President Kamala Harris picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate:

“Gov. Walz has been an unabashed champion for public education, for educators and workers throughout his life in public service. He shares our commitment to solving problems and forging a future in where every American can get ahead, not just get by.

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I’ve only had three “pinch me, I don’t believe this is real” moments in my life. First, when I was hired as a special education teacher in the Pittsburgh Public Schools — my dream job since I was a third grader in PPS. Second, when my husband proposed to me on Christmas morning. And the most recent, when I found out I was going to introduce Vice President Kamala Harris at the AFT convention July 25.

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Vice President and presidential candidate Kamala Harris chose the AFT as the first union to address since announcing her candidacy, calling the work our members do, “The most noble of work.” And the feeling is mutual. The AFT was the first union to endorse Harris, and delegates and their families flocked the convention hall in Houston to hear Harris fearlessly challenge Trump and extremists, vowing to fight for our fundamental freedoms and a future of opportunity for all. As one delegate said, “It’s a whole new energy.”

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Today, during a special session of the 88th biennial AFT convention, delegates voted overwhelmingly to endorse Kamala Harris as the 2024 Democratic nominee for president of the United States. The endorsement comes after the governing 47-member executive council of the AFT met last night and voted unanimously on a resolution to endorse Harris, pending ratification by convention delegates.

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