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Meet the 2023-2025 AFT Pennsylvania Executive Council

On Sunday, July 2, 2023, leadership elections for AFT Pennsylvania, the state federation of the American Federation of Teachers, were completed as part of the federation’s constitutionally required biennial reorganization. The senior leadership of President Arthur G. Steinberg, Executive Vice President Nina Esposito-Visgitis, and Treasurer LeShawna Coleman were reelected at their convention in Philadelphia, along with a diverse Executive Council slate comprising AFT Pennsylvania locals from across the Commonwealth.

AFT Pa President Arthur Steinberg Statement on Cancellation of Standardized Tests

Harrisburg, PA, Thursday, March 19, 2020— AFT Pennsylvania President Arthur G. Steinberg, on Thursday, issued the following statement after it was announced that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is cancelling statewide assessments, often referred to as “standardized tests”:

“I applaud Pennsylvania Education Secretary Pedro Rivera and Governor Tom Wolf for making the difficult, but correct choice to cancel statewide assessments for the rest of the school year. This continues to illustrate just how serious COVID-19 is and how serious the Commonwealth’s government is taking it.

“With

AFT Pennsylvania, Scranton Federation Of Teachers Statement On Trump’s First 2020 Town Hall

Harrisburg, PA, Thursday, March 5, 2020— AFT Pennsylvania, along with the Scranton Federation of Teachers, on Thursday, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s Fox News town hall taking place in Scranton Thursday evening:

“President Trump’s broken promises to Pennsylvania’s working families are too numerous to list,” said Arthur Steinberg, President of AFT PA. “But the most egregious examples of the Trump Administration’s failure are public education and infrastructure. By appointing, and keeping Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education, Donald Trump has already shown great

Harrisburg, PA, Thursday, February 27, 2020— AFT Pennsylvania, on Thursday, issued the following statement following an Executive Council vote to endorse Harold “Howie” Hayes for State Representative in the 18^th District special election on March 17^th:

On behalf of the 36,000 members across 61 locals in Pennsylvania, I am thrilled to endorse Howie Hayes for state representative,” said Arthur Steinberg, President of AFT PA. “We are especially proud to show labor solidarity by supporting a member of Plumbers Local Union 690.”

Steinberg continued, “With the upcoming special election, we have the

Randi Weingarten and NYC teacher Tamara Simpson

Attacks on public education in America by extremists and culture-war peddling politicians have reached new heights (“lows” may be more apt), but they are not new. The difference today is that the attacks are intended not just to undermine public education but to destroy it.

Statement on Governor Wolf’s Announcement of Charter School Reforms

Plymouth Meeting, PA, Tuesday, August 13, 2019 – Arthur Steinberg, President of AFT Pennsylvania, issued the following statement on behalf of the more than 36,000 members of the Commonwealth’s statewide affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers on Tuesday:

“We are very encouraged by Governor Wolf’s announcement today that he will back legislation to address commonsense charter school reforms in Pennsylvania, including transparency requirements, a cap on cyber charter enrollment and a moratorium on new cyber charter schools.

“If these reforms come to fruition, they will be a monumental win

Gov. Wolf announces millions in funding to fix environmental hazards in Philly schools

"Standing in the library of an Overbrook elementary school, Gov. Tom Wolf on Wednesday announced the state would spend $4.3 million to help remove lead paint from Philadelphia public schools.

Including the millions the state paid last year to complete such projects, that means Pennsylvania has allocated almost $12 million to fixing environmental hazards in the Philadelphia School District.

“No parent should have to worry about the health risk of sending their child to school, and no student should be at risk from lead paint,” said Wolf, who was flanked by city and state lawmakers.

The governor