Teachers Union Launches Charter School Website

The Alliance of Charter School Employees, an affiliate of AFT Pennsylvania, launched a new website to support charter school teachers and staff in the Philadelphia area.

The website, http://www.phillyacts.org/, offers teaching tools, lesson plans and news about efforts by charter school teachers and staff to improve their schools by gaining professional rights on the job. ACTS, which stands for Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff, is a national support network of charter school employees, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers.

"Too often charter school teachers are trying the best they can with insufficient resources to support quality teaching and learning," said AFTPA president Ted Kirsch. "We hope that charter school teachers and staff will find resources on our website to help them make the original charter school mission of innovation in education a reality."

Through the website, developed in partnership with the 1.4 million-member American Federation of Teachers, the Alliance will offer professional development, tools for teachers, best practices in instruction and other online resources.

AFT supports the founding vision of charter schools as laboratories of excellence and innovation in public education. AFT believes that charter school teachers need the same support public school teachers need to help their schools achieve this vision.

"When teachers are supported in maintaining high professional standards and are treated as equal partners with the administration and board, students and schools benefit," Kirsch said. "We hope the tools and information we are offering will support teachers and help them improve academic achievement for their students."

The Alliance of Charter School Employees, with headquarters in Center City, is working with employees at local charter schools to achieve a voice at work.