Hello,

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives have just introduced a $4.7 billion Puerto Rico aid bill that can help the island manage its immediate and critical needs relating to education and the welfare of children and their families.

Last week, I was in Puerto Rico with Evelyn DeJesus, the AFT’s executive vice president, and Elba Aponte, president of the AFT-affiliated Asociación de Maestros de Puerto Rico. Together, we visited communities in Guánica and Yauco, near the epicenter of the recent earthquakes.

We spoke with families who have been sleeping outside for several days because their homes were damaged in tremors, with no accurate projection as to when and how their homes will be deemed structurally safe to live in. We spoke with AFT members—teachers—who want to return to their jobs of teaching and caring for children but have no idea if they’ll have a school to go back to this school year. And we hugged people—children, particularly—who are struggling from the trauma of years of multiple natural disasters and their aftermath, and who just want safety and stability in their lives.

The emergency aid bill is up for a vote, and it’s crucial that our legislators hear from us. Send a letter to your representative right now urging him or her to vote in support of the emergency aid funding for Puerto Rico.

Schools are the centers of communities—that is no less true in Puerto Rico than it is in Pittsburgh or Portland or Plano. When schools are open, children have set schedules, warm meals and adults checking in on their well-being. In Puerto Rico, without schools and the stability they offer, communities cannot begin to recover.

The recent earthquakes have made many of the island’s 856 schools—we believe up to 20 percent—structurally unsound. And homes, roads and bridges also need to be rebuilt before our communities can stabilize.

That’s why it’s crucial that the House pass the funding bill, which includes $100 million specifically for Puerto Rico’s education needs. Will you contact your representative right now about supporting this bill?

We must help our American citizens in Puerto Rico—these natural disasters have challenged them in ways most of us cannot imagine. With the help of Congress and the generosity of their fellow Americans, they can overcome these challenges.

Click here to send a letter to your representative urging him or her to vote in favor of the House-proposed supplemental appropriation for Puerto Rico that will go toward educational, housing and infrastructure needs.

In unity,

Randi Weingarten
AFT President

P.S. The AFT and the AMPR are working diligently with local officials in the areas most affected by the earthquake to create safe and welcoming school environments, so educators and students can return to teaching and learning as quickly as possible. As we wait for the infrastructure of the island to be rebuilt, we are bringing tents and supplies to create temporary classrooms. Can you help us by contributing to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund today?