AFT ACTS is a community of charter school employees organized by the American Federation of Teachers. The alliance works to mobilize charter school employees around issues of common concern, such as strengthening our profession, expanding professional development, improving the conditions of teaching and learning, and bolstering our voice in school-level decision making. As a community of educators, we also share best practices and professional resources and speak out on public policy issues that affect public education.
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AFT Alliance of Charter Teachers & Staff
Charter News
- Sisulu-Walker teachers win union after PERB ruling
After almost two years of legal challenges by the school’s administration, teachers at Sisulu-Walker have won a decision at the New York Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) that confirms their vote to form a union at the school.
On May 8, PERB sided with the UFT and officially certified the bargaining unit at Sisulu-Walker Charter School of Harlem. With this decision, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) will serve as the exclusive collective bargaining agent for the educators at the school.
Read More - ASPIRA charter school CEO fired
The controversial president of ASPIRA charter schools was fired late Monday evening during a stormy board meeting that included a chorus of community protests about ASPIRA’s management.
But despite the protests, the audience was stunned by the 5-4 decision of the charter school operator’s board not to renew the contract of ASPIRA CEO Jose Rodriguez.
Read More - Chicago ACTS Grows Its Own PD Trainers
Chicago ACTS is a busy provider of professional development, having hosted more than 16 PD sessions, many based on AFT’s popular Strategies for Student Success (SSS).
The unique appeal of the Chicago ACTS’ training sessions is their local provenance. Classes are offered by seven Chicago charter school teachers and union members, among them Laura McMahon-Ryan and Christine Poczik, who flew to Baltimore last summer for intensive training in an immersion setting. There, surrounded by portraits of ships and submarines at the colorful Maritime Institute, they spent nine days in learning the SSS modules and offering them in practice presentations. “It’s not enough to know the theory,” says Rosalind LaRocque, an associate director in the AFT educational issues department. “You must know how to implement it in the classroom. That’s what SSS focuses on.” The nine-day training is rigorous, because when AFT trainers hit the ground, they have to deliver those training sessions in just three hours.
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