Billie Helean

The Unknown Person Inside: Why Public Education is Our Hope for the Future There is a beautiful, profound truth captured in the simple idea from Janusz Korczak that children “should be allowed to grow into whoever they were meant to be—the unknown person inside each…

Public Education is our hope for the future, and should be funded as if it is so.
#FullyFundPublicEducation
#ProtectOurKids
#Education

Bought tickets for Paul McCartney's #GotBackTour from @ticketmaster.com WITH INSURANCE. My Mom passed 6/25 in CA & circumstances required an investigation. Delayed our ability to have a service until 9/4, and we traveled. Show was 9/7. NOT COVERED. THE DEATH WAS NOT PROPERLY TIMED. NO REFUND. #LIVID

Mike Nellis (@mikenellis) This is the best messaging I’ve seen from any Democrats on the shutdown. Kudos to AOC, Bernie, and their teams for putting this out there.

Talking about the stakes -why Dems said no. Its all about healthcare. substack.com/@mikenellis/...

Good morning from San Pablo Reservoir. 🌞

Trump & Republicans have control of the White House & Congress, but still can't pass a budget & refuse to negotiate.

Our paychecks, healthcare, & schools are NOT bargaining chips. Congress needs to stop the games & do their jobs.

Tell your rep: REJECT the #TrumpShutdown.

There is way too much stress-inducing stuff. We all need to take time for ourselves, to regroup and recharge. If we don't, we'll all go crazy, and then what good are we? This weekend we took some time for ourselves and rode the Durango-Silverton train. 5/5 ✨, highly rec!
#recharge
#USAstress
#FDT

Republicans plan on cutting healthcare for Americans and laying off more government workers. If Dems were in  power, they would not do that. They are not in power, but I am grateful they are fighting this every way they can. #ThisIsTrumpsShutdown

One of my favorite quotes so far, from @rweingarten.bsky.social in her book, #WhyFascistsFearTeachers

Shutdown Tracker: Trump Calls Democrats ‘Crazy’—Says He Won’t Compromise Trump has repeatedly targeted Democrats over gender-reassignment surgeries—without explaining what he means—in blaming them for a possible government shutdown.

Trump, despite having a Republican trifecta in DC, is refusing to meet with Democrats. It shows his reckless disregard for the pain a shutdown will cause to American families. #TrumpsGovernmentShutdown www.forbes.com/sites/sarado...

Definitely well-deserved! Not even done with it yet, and it's one of my favorite books! Thank you for everything you do. 💙

Why Fascists Fear Teachers Teachers are under siege not for anything they do wrong, but for what they do right.

I agree with @AFT.org President @rweingarten.bsky.social. "We must recommit as a nation to the right to express ourselves nonviolently without fear and to resolving disagreements peacefully and civilly.” www.aft.org/column/why-f...

How appropriate that "American Educator" was in my mailbox with my pre-ordered copy of #WhyFascistsFearTeachers authored by my SHEro, @rweingarten.bsky.social. Must-read. Authoritarians fear teachers because they foster an educated populace, the cornerstone of a functioning democracy. #FightFascism

Thanks! 😊

Sometimes I'm extremely surprised and excited by what happens in my back yard. Today was one of those days! This Wilson's Warbler wasn't a lifer, but a first for my back yard! I hope he hangs out for a while. 🙂
#backyardbirding
#birds

Do you know about how Norway's teachers stood up to Nazis? I talk about it in my new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers. You can preorder here: www.WhyFascistsFearTeachers.com

Trump busted in real time as networks' graphics shoot down DC crime claims No sooner did Donald Trump begin addressing the nation about federalizing the D.C. Police Department and putting National Guard on the streets despite crime being down, MSNBC posted a bright red graph...

A picture tells 1000 words. We all wand DC to be safe- and the crime stats show it was going in the right direction

www.rawstory.com/trump-dc-cri...

We can do this: Pay teachers what they’re worth By Billie Helean

Teacher pay is too low, and so is respect for the profession. Thank you @rrseu.bsky.social President @billie-helean.bsky.social for showing what’s possible when educators organize. For the first time, many in her district are earning a living wage. aftvoices.org/we-can-do-th...

Michaela's Muses: Community children need our help I just covered yet another vigil for a local kid that died. That is the third one in the last nine months.

To quote Dua Lipa: "The kids ain't alright." 😞

#GunViolence
#DoBetter
#MarchForOurLives
#MomsDemand
#NotOneMore

Rio Rancho WESST office closing, services continue despite funding cuts RIO RANCHO — The local WESST office is closing in October, but New Mexico WESST will still provide services to the Rio Rancho and Sandoval County areas.

Direct, local impacts of the careless budget cuts by the Drumpf regime.
#FundingCuts
#BigUglyBetrayal

www.rrobserver.com/business/rio...

YouTube video by AFT Here They Come: Fedrick Ingram's Call to Educators

One of my favorite speeches from AFT TEACH came from AFT Secretary-Treasurer, Fedrick Ingram. Please give it a listen - it will give you the boost you didn't know you needed! @aftunion
youtu.be/2T0zgNZ31jc?...

Educators share powerful stories on Capitol Hill AFT members―125 strong―from 21 states and territories gathered at the U.S. Capitol Thursday to urge members of Congress to support policies that protect public schools and their students. Speaking out...

As Americans reckon with deep cuts to Medicaid on its 60th anniversary, there’s a resurgence of activism and organizing to reverse these cuts.
www.aft.org/news/educato...
#CancelTrumpsMedicaidCuts

Rio Rancho Schools union president appears with Bernie Sanders at D.C. event WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Rio Rancho Public Schools Union president advocated for higher teacher and staff pay Thursday during a town hall meeting held by U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders and

🙂 I love my 2nd job! Advocating for our profession makes my heart sing and brings me significant amounts of satisfaction. Education staff are truly heroes, and they deserve the world handed to them on a silver platter. #saveourkids

www.rrobserver.com/news/educati...

Getting that education funding back is a big win for kids and communities. A great moment with @rweingarten.bsky.social @hirono.senate.gov at the AFT TEACH Conference. #ProtectOurKids

Today ranked in my top 3 as the Prez of my @AFT.org local. We advocated for our members in Washington, DC - talking to Senators Heinrich and Lujan, and I had the honor to speak at a town hall with Senator Bernie Sanders!

You can see the full town hall on C-SPAN here: www.c-span.org/program/publ...

From day one, the Trump administration has attacked public education. Now it’s unlawfully blocking $5B in funding already approved by Congress. I’m proud our AFT affiliates are fighting back to protect students and schools. www.aft.org/press-releas...

Trump's big, ugly betrayal hurts working families by taking food off the table, abandoning public education and eroding the social programs that support hardworking Americans. Our ad, supported by an incredible coalition representing millions of people, is in today's NYT. www.aft.org/press-releas...

A District-by-District Accounting of the $6.2 billion U.S. Department of Education Has Held Back from Schools The Education Department is refusing to release billions of dollars for public schools. See the impact by school system and congressional district.

Trump is abandoning public school students. Holding back $6.2B in already-approved funding means fewer resources for the kids who need them most. See the impact, by school system and congressional district. www.newamerica.org/education-po...

July 9, 1868: The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, granting citizenship and “equal protection under the laws” to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States,” including formerly enslaved people. Appropriate, don't you think?
#EqualProtection
#14thAmendment
#DueProcess

Today we launched the National Academy for AI Instruction with UFT, Microsoft, OpenAI & Anthropic to offer free, high-quality AI training to educators. Some of you have expressed legitimate reservations about AI and tech companies. I want to speak to you directly. 🧵

AFT Announces New Guardrails for Artificial Intelligence in Nation’s Classrooms WASHINGTON—Today, the AFT launched a suite of comprehensive resources to help educators as they grapple with the rapidly expanding use of artificial intelligence in education. First, is a pioneering n...

A proactive, deliberate approach to using AI in education is critical as we move forward with this and other new technologies. My union, the AFT, is a role model in this regard (and so many others, too!).
#AIinEducation
#AFT
@aft.org