Message from WTU President Laura Fuchs at New Educator Orientation

Good evening

Earlier today I gave an address to our new educators as a part of New Educator Orientation. It was hard to know what to say given all that is happening to the residents of DC from a hostile Federal Administration, the challenges we are taking on in DCPS under mayoral control, the vast number of grievances that we are filing over IMPACT and more. We want to welcome our educators but also speak to the reality of what we are facing. But the message has and always will be that it is through deep solidarity that we can stand up to fascism. It is by organizing our union and working together that we can face the injustices that are forced upon us. It won't be easy, I don't have all the answers. But I know that collectively we can and must do whatever possible to protect each other, our students, our schools and our community.

I am sharing my address to the new educators below. As we enter the new school year, more will be forthcoming in the days ahead around how we are setting up our staffing to support our schools, introducing our area vice presidents, getting resources for how to protect our students and communities during increased federal presence and more.

I appreciate your patience as we have been setting up our systems over this past month and a half, and I am looking forward to working alongside you as we enter into this next school year.

Laura Fuchs

WTU President

President Fuchs' Address to New Educators

Welcome - This is my first year too as the WTU President so I am excited and honored to share this event as someone “new” with you.

Who am I? I taught for the past 18 years at H.D. Woodson. HD is the home of the Warriors. Located in Ward 7 in deep NE it was the tower of power, a pillar of the community named after a member of the community. During my time there we went from, 3 buildings, 6 principals, more APs than I could count, and hundreds of staff coming in and moving on. I taught Modern world history and us government which has prepared me for this moment right now. Needless to say, one of our primary goals as a union is to fight for policies and practices that will bring greater stability to our district.

Why are we here? We love our students and school communities. We love what we do - creating lessons, building relationships and we believe in public education. We love DCPS. But make no mistake, this is our job. The school is our workplace. And our working conditions are students learning conditions. So when we advocate as a collective, it is for our entire school community. My union journey started when my school’s budget got cut year over year and my students and I began testifying at community meetings, DC council and DCPS listening sessions around the district fighting for our schools. My students and colleagues have sustained me in this 18 year fight to protect our schools. They are fearless truth to power tellers, which can be tough when as the teacher they are giving their truth to ME, but they are relentless in their love for each other and their community and it has been the purpose of my life to serve our students and now to serve the WTU members whose job it is to educate them.

Who is the union? YOU. It is through you voluntarily joining that you become a part of a community of educators who believe in the power of organizing and taking action to make our schools better. We are dreamers of what is possible. We are rooted in the reality of all the challenges that face us, our colleagues and our student communities in getting our job done and want to build systems of support to overcome those challenges and deliver the best education possible for our students.

If something is not going the way you think it should, if there are times when you need help and support, if you have an idea for how to make things better turn to your union, your colleagues. Because nobody knows better than you and your team what you are actually going through and how to improve it.

At their best Unions are democratic institutions. It is where we can be full and equal partners when it comes to how policies are created and implemented. We are the front lines in the defense of public education from the forces which would attack it. If there are resources you want, or stances you believe we should take on the social justice issues going on around us, if there is a support you want from us, you can propose it. Once you join, this is YOUR union and you are an ACTIVE member. We know through our collective understanding and action there is nothing we can’t accomplish

Unions negotiate contracts. This contract is your legal protection to creating conditions that allow you to do your job. Learn it. Know it. Be prepared to defend it. If you are unsure about something ask your colleague. Check out our website. Join our member led facebook group. Don’t accept the status quo if it doesn’t appear to you to support the work you do with students. Pick up your copy down the hall in the WTU room.

You are not automatically a member of the WTU. Thanks to a 2018 Supreme Court decision called Janus v AFSCME all public sector unions must get potential members to choose to join. So we need you to become a member. Join your colleagues in building a strong union that can stand up for our rights. Stand up for our schools. Stand up for our students.

If you have access to peoplesoft you can sign up right now. If you don’t, you can hopefully sign up for that today and then join, or you can fill out our form to join in the future.

Your union is here for you. We are here for you. You are here for each other.

Remember your why. Don’t be discouraged by the outside forces that seek to harm us and our students. Don’t stray from your purpose and deeply held beliefs even when it is hard to. Your colleagues are here with you. Your union is here with you.

Thank you for dedicating your career to the students of DCPS. We look forward to you joining us in the fight for the schools our students deserve.

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