Teachers organize and demand respect at Lycée Français in San Francisco
Teachers and parents at Lycée Français de San Francisco, a French immersion school, are celebrating a recent victory – their school administration has let go an anti-union consultant who has been causing major conflicts at the school.
The teachers have been attempting to negotiate a new contract since August of last year. But after the school hired the anti-union consultant, their relationship with teachers quickly deteriorated. Subjected to false accusations and bullying, teachers began organizing t-shirt days, a petition, and ultimately outreach to parents in advance of the school’s largest fundraiser.
As a result of their good work, last week the school announced they would be moving on from the consultant, acknowledging that the situation at the bargaining table did not embody their shared values.
According to Bay Area Federation of Teachers President Valerie Callonnec, who works at Lycée Français de San Francisco, the organizing has been successful because of the deep bond between parents and teachers at the school.
“Our parents understand how much we care for their children,” says Valerie. “When they saw the school hiring a super-aggressive consultant and the bullying that took place, they demanded answers.”
Valerie says the teachers at Lycée français are hopeful about the reset at the bargaining table, and are eager to negotiate a contract that recognizes and respects their hard work and dedication to the school.
Great work everyone!
AFT spearheads lawsuit challenging Trump admin's attempt to dismantle the Department of Education
Earlier this week the AFT and a coalition of educators, school districts, and unions filed a legal action against the Trump administration to stop the dismantling of the Department of Education and mass firings that will decimate the crucial services the Department provides to our students and communities. This lawsuit is the first filed since President Trump’s Executive Order attempting to shutter the Department.
The lawsuit was announced the same day a federal court judge ordered a preliminary injunction preventing the Education Department, the Office of Personnel Management, and the Department of the Treasury from handing private data to Elon Musk’s so-called ‘Department of Government Efficiency’. The court had previously issued a temporary restraining order in the case, which was also brought by the AFT.
CFT President Jeff Freitas calls out Trump admin threats against California
Following the Trump administration’s announcement yesterday of an investigation into the California Department of Education for alleged violations of the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA), a move that threatens billions of dollars in funding for California’s classrooms, CFT President Jeff Freitas released the following statement:
“Donald Trump is once again using bullying attacks on California students to distract from his larger and nefarious goal to cut billions of dollars in funding from our classrooms in order to give his billionaire cronies bigger tax breaks. We will not be distracted from our mission to provide a high quality education to every student and to ensure that every student feels safe at school, whether that means fighting for the fully-funded education they deserve, or standing up for the basic human needs that must be met for students to learn, including their nutrition, safety, and dignity.”
Celebrating Cesar Chavez
Sacramento march and community celebration on March 29 – Join members of Los Rios College Federation of Teachers at the annual Cesar Chavez march and celebration in Sacramento this Saturday. Over 1,000 students, faculty, and community members will celebrate the defiant legacy of Cesar Chavez with the march, which begins at 10 am at Southside Park and continues into the early afternoon with live music, Aztec dancers, lowriders, food trucks and vendors.
March for Immigrant Workers in Delano on March 31 – This Cesar Chavez Day, the California Federation of Labor Unions, along with the United Farm Workers and SEIU, are calling on all union members and allies to march together in Delano, CA in a strong show of solidarity with our immigrant workers. The march will begin at Memorial Park on South Lexington St. in Delano at 11 a.m. followed by a rally at 1:00 p.m., where we will uplift the voices of all the workers who keep California going. RSVP here.
Resistance Corner
April 5 Hands Off National Day of Action – On April 5 communities across the country are coming together to organize for Hands Off!, a national mass activation in defiance of the Trump-Musk billionaire takeover and the assault on our freedoms and our communities. Co-sponsored by the AFT, Hands Off! is an all-in moment for the pro-democracy, pro-worker movement, mobilizing to stop the Trump administration’s illegal power grab and moves gutting services, raising prices, and racing towards slashing Medicaid, Social Security, and more. Dozens of events are already planned throughout California. Details here.
