Years of disinvestment have hurt our students and faculty and led to overcrowded classrooms; schools without nurses, librarians, guidance counselors and supports to ensure children’s well-being; deteriorating school buildings with outdated teaching materials and technology; and unhealthy, unsafe environments. The testing fixation, coupled with austerity, has meant the loss of instruction in the arts, music and other programs; and disinvestment has led to huge increases in tuition and student debt as well as fewer course offerings and full-time tenured faculty.

AFT affiliates nationwide launched the Fund Our Future campaign in March 2019; educators and our allies across the nation took action to demand adequate and sustainable investment in our public schools, colleges and universities, so students—particularly our most vulnerable and at-risk children—have the resources they need to succeed. The activism of AFT members and our community allies has helped bring about positive change and led to new investments in public education and services. We need to support that trend for the states that have made strides, and now focus on sustaining that commitment to fund our future.

Teachers want what students need. We’re fighting to prioritize these needs because every student deserves a fully funded public education.

It’s time to make students, public education, public higher education and public services a priority at the local, state and national levels. It’s time to Fund Our Future.