As part of it’s on-going 2024 Virtual RIFTHP Professional Development offerings, over 20 RI teachers have registered for our currently running, 10 Trauma Informed Strategies to Help Students Heal 10-session series.  Not only are these teachers  attending 2 sessions per week from 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM after a full day in the classroom, they are attending 2 evening sessions during February Break.  This is what educators do on vacation!   The 10-session series is designed to help teachers gain deeper understanding of how adversity can impact children’s developing brains,...
The student loan landscape has been changing and the AFT is working hard to be sure members know how to navigate it and get debt relief as soon as possible. The biggest news is that, after a three-year hiatus, borrowers will have to start making their student loan payments again beginning Oct. 1. The next biggest news? The SAVE plan, a more generous income-driven repayment plan that will save borrowers thousands of dollars and qualify them for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. As you dig into the details below, remember that the AFT has your back, with student debt clinics and online resources...
The Executive Council of the Rhode Island Federation of Teachers and Health Professionals is proud to announce the endorsement of Gabe Amo for election to United States Congress from Rhode Island District One in the election on November 7, 2023.  “Gabe’s Experience working for government administrations at the municipal, state, and federal levels makes him uniquely qualified to represent the people in R. I. District One in Congress. Through his lived experiences, Gabe understands the challenges facing working families and will be a strong advocate in Washington” said Frank Flynn, RIFTHP...
September 19, 2023 by Gregg M. Amore Courtesy of the Albert Shanker Institute  https://www.shankerinstitute.org/blog/civic-education-classroom-polling-... On National Voter Registration Day, our special guest author is Rhode Island Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. Preparing our next generation of civic leaders, engaged voters, and informed citizens starts in the classroom. In Rhode Island, young people are eligible to pre-register to vote as early as age sixteen. We know that when voters are engaged early, they’re more likely to vote consistently throughout their life. As a former...
West Warwick, RI — Today, Representative Seth Magaziner (RI-02) stood with educators and parents to condemn House Republicans’ proposed cuts to education, including Head Start and school funding for teachers. As a former public school teacher and Rhode Island’s General Treasurer for eight years – where he spearheaded an initiative to rebuild school buildings across the state – Rep. Magaziner has long been an advocate for public education.   The House Republican FY2024 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education bill – and its 28 percent cut of $64 billion – will slash access to early...
On June 3 over 100 volunteers sorted, labeled, and boxed more than 30,000 books from United Way of Rhode Island's 11th Children's Book Drive — a partnership with our Women United group and Books Are Wings. These books are already on the way to Rhode Island kids taking part in afterschool and summer learning programs. Through this project, we have put more than 300,000 books in the hands of kids over 11 years. Thank you to our dedicated partners and volunteers!   
Artificial intelligence, or AI, is already pervasive in our lives. But the introduction of platforms like OpenAI/ChatGPT has the education world questioning how it should be used or if it should be used at all. In the AFT TEACH workshop “Use It or Block It? Using OpenAI in the Classroom,” presenters Peter Guyon and Kathleen Torregrossa addressed this question in front of a group of educators—some of whom were already using AI in the classroom, while others were curious about its potential. Peter Guyon shares how AI platforms like ChatGPT are used in the classroom. “Our very first experience...
Despite the science of reading being clear—and despite decades of the AFT sharing that science—for too long, many state and local policies on reading instruction have promoted less-effective practices. During the workshop “Literacy for Leaders: What Locals Can Do to Support Student Literacy” at AFT TEACH, a state union leader and the Albert Shanker Institute presented research on teaching reading and a new Shanker Institute analysis of recent state laws on literacy. Mary Cathryn Ricker, a National Board-Certified Teacher and ASI’s executive director, said the institute wanted to get a tool...
Jul 14, 2022 The opening session of the 87th national convention of the American Federation of Teachers features AFT leaders from across the country, guest speakers such as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and AFL-CIO Massachusetts President Steven Tolman, and the State of the Union address by AFT President Randi Weingarten.