Press

ALLENTOWN (Thursday, June 11, 2026) –  This Saturday, AFT Pennsylvania, AFT national, and the Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals (AFP) #1716 will be hosting a special event celebrating the start of summer and providing free resources – including 4,000 free children’s books – for students and the community in Allentown. The event, which is being hosted as part of AFT’s Reading Opens the World campaign, is in partnership with AFT’s Paraprofessional and School-Related Personnel division, the Allentown School District, State Representative Ana Tiburcio, the Pennsylvania Legislative Latino Caucus, UNIDOS, UNIDOS US Action Fund, Mega 101.7 Allentown, and Counseling Solutions of Lehigh Valley. The flyer is at the bottom of this advisory, and the event will be rain or shine.

PENNSYLVANIA – Yesterday, Bob Harvie won the Democratic Primary for Congress in Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District. Harvie will now face Republican Brian Fitzpatrick in the General Election. The AFT Pennsylvania Executive Council endorsed Bob Harvie in April.

ALLEGHENY COUNTY – Today, Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers #400 and AFT Pennsylvania member Jen Mazzocco won the special election in PA House District 42 (Allegheny). Mazzocco, an English Language Arts teacher at Pittsburgh Allderdice High School, is a long-time member of PFT400 and AFTPA and was endorsed by both unions. AFTPA, PFT400, and the national AFT hosted a reception for Mazzocco in Pittsburgh in early February.

Today, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro delivered his Fiscal Year 2026-2027 budget speech. The Governor is proposing a $53.2 billion budget, which is a 5.38% increase over FY 25-26, and includes:

• A $565 million increase for K-12 adequacy funding;
• A $50 million increase for Basic Education Funding;
• A $50 million increase for Special Education Funding;
• A continuation of Cyber Charter Funding reforms, which saves public school districts an estimated $250 million per year;
• An increase of $100 million for school safety and mental health;
• $125 million to address school structural upgrades and environmental concerns, including $25 million for Solar for Schools;
• A $5 million increase for student teacher stipends;
• A $5.9 million increase for the Pennsylvania State Grant Program run through PHEAA;
• An $18 million increase for Career and Technical Education (CTE) apprenticeships;
• Fully funding CTE subsidies;
• Raising the Pennsylvania minimum wage to $15/hour starting January 1, 2027; and
• Expanding digital and AI literacy for students, parents, and caregivers.

The Pennsylvania legislature is expected to pass the budget by June 30, 2026. The state legislature passed the 2025 budget more than 130 days late.

ALLENTOWN, PA – Earlier today, AFT Pennsylvania, AFT, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the Allentown School District, Rep. Peter G. Schweyer (D-134), Rep. Michael H. Schlossberg (D-132), Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz (D-129), and leaders from the Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals #1716 toured the Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy as a part of a new AFTPA initiative with locals across the Commonwealth.  

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA – Today, the AFT Pennsylvania Executive Council announced that they voted to endorse Governor Josh Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis for reelection. Governor Shapiro and Lieutenant Governor Davis formally launched their reelection campaign at events in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia today.

ALLENTOWN – Next week, AFT Pennsylvania, AFT, the Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA), the Allentown School District, Representative Peter G. Schweyer (D-Lehigh), and more will tour a classroom at the Sonia Sotomayor Dual Language Immersion Academy, meet with members of the Allentown Federation of Paraprofessionals #1716, and highlight the contributions of paraprofessionals and the Latino community in the Allentown School District. As a part of the event, AFT Pennsylvania will award partial scholarships to some AFTPA paraprofessional members within the District as part of its ParaProud scholarship, which provides grants to Paras pursuing teaching certification in high-need subject areas.

HARRISBURG – Today, after more than 130 days, both chambers of the Pennsylvania legislature passed a $50.1 billion state budget deal. The total amount is down from the $51.6 billion Governor Shapiro offered at his Budget Speech in February and the $50.6 billion House Democrats offered earlier this summer. The budget deal includes a $50 million increase for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) Program, which takes money earmarked for public school students and inequitably move it to private schools, as well as an overall 4.8 percent increase for Higher Education, which includes a 5 percent increase in general support for Lincoln University, a very small increase for the state-related universities, but no budget increases for Community Colleges.

RHODE ISLAND (July 21, 2025) — A coalition of school districts, parents, teachers’ unions, and nonprofit organizations represented by Democracy Forward, Jacobson Lawyers Group, and Deluca, Weizenbaum, Barry, and Revins filed a lawsuit today against the Trump-Vance administration for unlawfully withholding nearly $6 billion in education funding that Congress directed to support students for the 2025–2026 school year. A motion for immediate relief via a preliminary injunction will follow this week.

PHILADELPHIA – On Sunday, AFT Pennsylvania elected Wendy G. Coleman president of the statewide teachers union at the conclusion of their Biennial convention. Coleman is the first Black person elected to lead the union. Coleman and her slate of officers from across the state, representing educators and support staff from early childhood education through higher education as well as state professional employees, were elected to two-year terms.