AFSA is dedicated to keeping members and education supporters informed of the latest education and labor news. As school leaders, AFSA members are key figures in their communities and education circles. Education reform and collective bargaining rights are at the forefront of today’s political debates, and as the only national union for school-based administrators, AFSA is set on leading the discussions.
While we are still reviewing the document in its entirety, we must express concern with many of the education investments that appear based on competition. For example, the Race To The Top program rewards the winners with temporary funding increases and inherently creates losers. Sadly, the schools that do not win these competitions are often the very ones that need the greatest support.
Today, U.S. House Committee on Education and the Workforce Chairman John Kline (R-MN) introduced two pieces of legislation that mark the latest efforts to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Student Success Act and the Encouraging Innovation and Effective Teachers Act. Following the introduction of the legislation, AFSA President Diann Woodard released the following statement…
“When looking across the country, Baltimore does not quite measure up,” said Diann Woodard, president of the American Federation of School Administrators, the only national education union for school administrators, including Baltimore’s. And the leader of the city principals union says many administrators are leaving the district for higher-paying jobs with less pressure in nearby school systems.
On Jan. 25, 2012, The Hill published a letter AFSA submitted in response to Juan Williams’ op-ed in support of school choice.
From Diann Woodard, president of the American Federation of School Administrators
The failure of our education system lies not within the walls of the public schools that serve children in crisis, but with the policymakers and policies in place that ignore the fundamental causes of low student achievement: unfair funding formulas, poverty and unproven education policies.
The President’s focus on job creation and the need for a solid manufacturing base in our country is indeed just one of the remedies needed to fix our ailing economy. However, for us to continue to be competitive in today’s global economy, we must start looking at what happens right when students enter our schools, and support them throughout their education and onto a sustainable career path.
During AFSA’s West Coast Regional Leadership Conference, San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee issued a proclamation announcing that Oct. 28 is officially American Federation of School Administrators Day in San Francisco.
On Nov. 1, 2011, the National Assessment of Educational Progress at Grades 4 and 8 (NAEP) released their 2011 Reading and Mathematics assessment results, known as “The Nation’s Report Card”. Diann Woodard, president of the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), AFL-CIO, released this statement in response to the results…
Yesterday, our elected senators had a clear choice: vote with the best interests of children and communities in mind to create and protect hundreds of thousands of education, police officer and firefighter jobs; or vote with the best interests of millionaires in mind. Every single Republican senator chose the latter.
The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) unfairly labels schools as failing and imposes escalating sanctions that are driven by high-stakes testing mandates. NCLB also sets an unrealistic timeline and goal for all students to be deemed proficient by 2014, and there is general agreement in Congress that the law is flawed. Yet progress on the reauthorization remains stalled.
As we near the 10th Anniversary of September 11, we pause to remember the victims and their families, and to honor the first responders and heroes who served on that tragic day and thereafter. As educators, it is vital that we keep sacred in our hearts and in our classrooms the day that forever altered the lives of so many. We encourage you to participate and attend commemorative events in your area and to share your stories, comments and experiences with us, as well as with your colleagues and students.
