WTU President Pogue-Lyons issued a statement to Channel 4 News on the murder of a 17-year-old student outside his high school, calling it an "unspeakable tragedy." She emphasized the need for community schools, which provided much-needed wraparound services for students and their families, especially mental health services, counseling and mentoring. To watch the full news story, click here.

Fox 5 News reporters interviewed WTU President Jacqui Pogue-Lyons and Teacher Clare Berke about how DCPS' delay in retroactive pay affects teachers. Read/watch the full story here. @WTUTeacher #RedforEd #Teachers #Unions

NEWS CHANNEL 4 - Channel 4 Investigative Reporter Ted Oberg interviewed WTU President Pogue-Lyons on DCPS' inability to pay teachers the back pay owed to them on time. When interviewed, President Pogue-Lyons said, "They (DC leaders) knew this date was coming,” Washington Teachers’ Union President Jacqueline Pogue-Lyons said. “It’s been six months. To find this out during Teacher Appreciation Week is both disappointing and disrespectful.”

To read the full story, click here.

WASHINGTON (7News) — "Over 5,000 D.C. public school teachers are now being set back financially after learning salary hikes they’ve been expecting are now being delayed. The retroactive pay increase was part of a new contract that was ratified in December." 

“Many of our teachers went through COVID, going back to classes in person, concerned about their health and their students," said Jacqueline Pogue Lyons, the Washington Teachers’ Union President. "To finally get a contract and find out that what they had been waiting for through the ups and downs of the economy is very disappointing.

”She added, “The average teacher is 32 years old, they have student loans, starting a family, hoping to get a home, so they depend on their money.”

DC News Now reported on DCPS' failure to pay teachers on time in an announcement released during Teacher Appreciation Week. WTU President Pogue-Lyons told reporters, "I’ve been receiving calls since yesterday with folks saying… what they were going to use the funds for, and now they have to dial back,” Lyons said. “Raising kids keeps going up and up, and so plans that you may have had for the summer are delayed, loans that you may have taken or wanted to pay back — all of that is delayed.” Read or Watch the full story here.

The Washington Times reported on DCPS' failure to pay teachers on time as part of the new teachers union contract. "According to the contract reached with the Washington Teacher’s Union in December, members who have been working since 2020 will receive retroactive payment for the three years they worked without a contract."