2024: A new year to protect our progress
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With the holidays behind us, we go into a new year with elections at the forefront: The California March 5th primary and the November U.S. Presidential election. The outcome of these elections will have monumental impacts on public education, labor rights, healthcare reform, climate justice, and many more issues central to what CFT fights for. This is why we are already starting to organize and get ready for the work ahead.
The CFT makes endorsements in every election after soliciting a candidate’s positions on issues important to educators, carefully reviewing voting records and conducting extensive interviews.
Enter your address here to see CFT endorsements for the California March primary.
Stay tuned for more ways to get involved and prepared for the upcoming elections.
Student Loan Forgiveness Consolidation Deadline Bumped To April 2024
The Biden administration is giving borrowers another few months to apply to the student loan forgiveness credit under the Income-Driven Repayment Account Adjustment.
The majority of borrowers will receive the benefits of the account adjustment automatically, but those who hold FFEL-program federal student loans or those with multiple student loans that have a mixed repayment history may need to consolidate into the Direct loan program in order to maximize the benefits. The Direct loan consolidation deadline was supposed to be December 31 and is now being extended to April 30, 2024.
AFT holds regular student debt clinics to walk members through pursuing loan forgiveness and other repayment options. Click here to sign up for the AFT Student Debt Clinic on January 9th.
To learn more about the kind of student loans you have and other important deadlines for Public Service Loan Forgiveness, click here.
How to teach about the January 6th Insurrection
Tomorrow, January 6th marks three years since the insurrection on the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. This is both a challenging and important topic to teach in our classrooms.
Check out this list of resources that can help educators and their students understand the political context, history and other events that led up to this dark day in American history.
NPR: 8 ways teachers are talking about Jan. 6 in their classrooms
How I'm Teaching My Students About the January 6 Insurrection on the Capitol
Share my lesson: Insurrection at the U.S. Capitol: Resources for Educators
Share my lesson: Lesson plans on threats to democracy
In solidarity
2023 was a monumental year for the labor movement. From the historic writers' strike to the UAW gaining huge wins, to Starbucks baristas organizing stores all over the U.S., and much more.
Check out the AFL-CIO’s 2023 roundup of national labor wins.
