Labor & Employment Law

AFT?s ?Not Waiting for Superman? Site Tells the Whole Story

By James Parks

The movie ?Waiting for Superman? has spurred a conversation about our nation?s education system. But the movie doesn?t tell the real story about what?s happening in our nation?s schools. The AFT is not waiting for Superman?its members are telling the whole story now.

Visit AFT?s ?Not Waiting for Superman? webpage here to get the whole story, and click here to join the conversation on how we can help all children?not just some?get a great public education.

On the website you?ll learn about the great public schools across the country where AFT members work. The site shows many of the productive labor-management efforts that have turned the collective bargaining process into a powerful tool to improve schools. And it points out the work of local unions across the nation, supported by the AFT Innovation Fund, to take the lead in improving teaching and learning. None of those things were even mentioned in ?Waiting for Superman.?

The video above is one of several AFT has made in hopes of motivating people to support real solutions to help all children get the education they deserve. It shows Juan Romero, an everyday hero whose dedication and commitment have been a strong influence in his students’  lives. Here is what AFT advocates to enable every student to have a Juan Romero for a teacher:

• Developing great teachers through revamping preparatory programs for teachers, and overhauling teacher development and evaluation programs.
• Creating a robust curriculum.
• Creating the conditions that promote learning for all kids.
• Ensuring shared responsibility and mutual accountability that hold everyone responsible for fixing our schools, not just teachers.

And watch for a new ad the union is launching soon to tell the story that ?Waiting for Superman? ignored.

Full post as published by AFL-CIO NOW BLOG on September 28, 2010 (boomark / email).