I Am A, where the mundane becomes fascinating and the outrageous suddenly seems normal.
Good morning Reddit -
My name is Randi Weingarten, I'm the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) which represents 1.5 million members. I've practiced law, taught in the classroom, lead the United Federation of Teachers in New York City. You can follow me on .
I'm currently on a mobilizing the labor movement to walk precincts and get out the vote for the election on behalf of President Obama and endorsed candidates. You can connect to organized labor's political program at Workers' Voice.
I'll start answering questions at 11:30 am this morning and will stop by as I'm able to for follow ups through 2pm.
Update:
Update #2 (12:26 p.m.): I'm really enjoying your questions. I'm going to take a quick break but I'll be back soon.
Update #3 (12:42 p.m.): Please bear with me as I'm currently on a bus traveling through Florida. The internet is a bit slow.
Update #4 (1:24 p.m.): Quite a few of my answers are buried. Please search for them! Also, for anyone who thinks that public education doesn't work. I invite you to spend time with a teacher. And for anyone who wants to help, please help us by mentoring a child or volunteering at a school - help us prepare the next generation for an increasingly competitive future.
Update #5 (1:37 p.m): I’ve been going at this for a couple hours. I’m sorry that I couldn’t get to all of your great questions. Let me leave you with this - Public education is not a spectator sport – we need participation and further investment to ensure that all kids succeed. That’s what the educators of America want and that’s what teachers unions will continue to fight for. Thanks again for your support and for helping the AFT fight for students and teachers all over!