News Stories
Landmark settlement in student debt lawsuit
Public servants, including public school educators and nurses, may be on their way to a reduction or elimination of their crushing burden of debt thanks to a landmark settlement announced Oct. 13 between the U.S. Department of Education and the American Federation of Teachers, which filed a lawsuit in July 2019 alleging mismanagement of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
$5.8B in student debt being erased for the disabled
More than 323,000 borrowers with significant or permanent disabilities will be relieved of a total of about $5.8 billion in student debt beginning in September, the U.S. Education Department announced.
Door to door for safety
UFT members went door to door in August to speak with parents about their hopes and concerns about the full reopening of New York City schools for in-person instruction.
Shower of thanks
UFT members and other frontline workers were showered with confetti on July 7 at a “Hometown Heroes” parade celebrating them for their work during the COVID-19 pandemic in one of the largest ticker-tape parades in New York City history
Civil rights probes over school masks
Five states with Republican governors that banned school districts from requiring masks are facing civil rights investigations opened Aug. 30 by the federal Education Department.
COVID-19 pandemic widens student learning gaps
The COVID-19 pandemic slowed progress and widened learning gaps for students in grades 3-8 in math and reading during the 2020-2021 school year, according to national data released July 28 by the testing group NWEA.