Randi Weingarten facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Randi Weingarten
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Weingarten in 2020
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| President of the American Federation of Teachers | |
| Assumed office July 14, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Edward J. McElroy |
| President of the United Federation of Teachers | |
| In office 1998–2008 |
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| Preceded by | Sandra Feldman |
| Succeeded by | Michael Mulgrew |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 18, 1957 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Sharon Kleinbaum
(m. 2018) |
| Education | Cornell University (BS) Yeshiva University (JD) |
Rhonda "Randi" Weingarten (born December 18, 1957) is an American leader for workers, a lawyer, and an educator. She has been the president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) since 2008. The AFT is a large union for teachers and other school staff. Before this, she was the president of the United Federation of Teachers.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Randi Weingarten was born in 1957 in New York City. Her father was an electrical engineer, and her mother was a teacher. Randi grew up in Rockland County, New York. She went to Clarkstown High School North.
Weingarten became interested in unions and helping people when she was young. When she was in high school, her mother's union went on strike. This event showed Randi how important unions were. Later, she helped convince her school board to change their minds about cutting school money.
She studied labor relations at Cornell University, earning her degree in 1980. She then earned a law degree from Yeshiva University in 1983.
Career as a Lawyer
After law school, Weingarten worked as a lawyer from 1983 to 1986. She handled cases for the United Federation of Teachers (UFT). In 1986, she became a lawyer for Sandra Feldman, who was the president of the UFT at the time.
Weingarten worked on important issues for the union. She helped with lawsuits against New York City and New York State about school funding and safety. By the early 1990s, she was the main person negotiating contracts for the UFT.
Teaching Experience
From 1991 to 1997, Randi Weingarten taught at Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. She taught subjects like Law, Political Science, and US History. She also helped coach a team for a civics competition. Her team won the New York State championship in 1995 and placed fourth nationally.
Leading the United Federation of Teachers
In 1997, Weingarten became the treasurer for the UFT. A year later, she became the president of the union. This happened when Sandra Feldman became president of the national American Federation of Teachers. Weingarten was also elected a Vice President of the AFT that same year.
Weingarten was re-elected as UFT president many times. She won by large numbers of votes in 1999, 2001, and 2007. She left her role as UFT president on July 31, 2009.
Working for Better Contracts
As UFT president, Weingarten worked hard to get good contracts for teachers. These contracts covered things like pay and working conditions.
In 2000, she started negotiating her first contract. The talks were difficult and involved a state mediator. She pushed for higher wages for teachers. In June 2001, a new agreement was reached. It raised wages and made the work week a little longer.
Negotiations were tough again in 2003. Weingarten asked for state help. She also organized protests and rallies to show the union's demands. In October 2005, a new contract was agreed upon. It included a pay raise for teachers.
In November 2006, Weingarten helped reach another agreement. This deal increased teacher pay even more. It helped bring New York City teacher salaries closer to those in nearby areas.
New Union Offices
In 2003, the UFT sold its old headquarters and bought a new building in Lower Manhattan. The union also rented another building next to it. They spent money to make these new offices better for the union's work.
Growing the Union
The UFT represents teachers and other school staff in New York City. Under Weingarten, the union grew. It added more members from these groups.
The UFT also has a division for registered nurses. This division grew as well, representing nurses in different hospitals and health agencies.
One of Weingarten's biggest successes was organizing childcare providers in New York City. This effort started in 2005 and finished in 2007. It was the largest successful union campaign in the city since 1960. This added 28,000 workers to the union.
AFT Presidency
On July 14, 2008, Randi Weingarten was elected president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). She took over from Edward J. McElroy.
Views on Education
Improving Schools
Weingarten believes in a "bottom-up" approach to school improvement. This means that teachers' ideas and needs should be heard when making changes. She has criticized some state and federal education plans.
The AFT, led by Weingarten, has looked closely at how large foundations influence education. They have raised concerns about groups that want to replace public schools with private ones.
Weingarten believes that neighborhood public schools and charter schools can exist together. However, she does not support ideas that try to get rid of public schools. She sees charter schools as places for new ideas that can help all schools.
Standardized Tests
Weingarten thinks that focusing too much on tests is a problem in education. She believes tests should be one tool to help students, not the only way to judge teachers or schools. She has said that tests should give information to help students learn.
The Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015 (ESSA) became law with the AFT's support. This law changed how teachers are evaluated. It allows states to look at more than just test scores. Weingarten praised ESSA for giving teachers more freedom to teach in new ways.
Teacher Training and Support
Weingarten believes that too much testing and not enough resources hurt efforts to find and keep good teachers. She says teachers need support, resources, time, and respect to do their jobs well.
She has suggested creating a special test for new teachers, similar to the test lawyers take. She believes this would help prepare teachers better. It could also help keep more new teachers in the profession.
Poverty and Community Schools
The AFT, under Weingarten, has highlighted how economic differences affect schools. Schools often rely on local taxes, so poorer areas can have fewer resources.
Weingarten believes that helping students means looking at problems like poverty. She says that children who have less need more support. This support helps them succeed.
The AFT has promoted "community schools." These schools offer more than just classes. They provide services like job help for parents, housing advice, and health clinics. The idea is to help the whole community. Weingarten has imagined schools that are open all day, offering activities, childcare, and tutoring.
The AFT has supported community schools in many cities. They also started a project in McDowell County, West Virginia, to help children in a poor area. This project aims to improve education and address poverty.
Teacher Job Security
Weingarten has opposed efforts to remove job protections for public school teachers. She argues that taking away these protections would harm teaching quality. She says that job security helps experienced teachers stay in schools that need them most.
She sees job security as ensuring fairness for teachers. It means teachers have a fair process before they can be fired. The AFT has worked to update job security rules in some states.
Political Involvement
Randi Weingarten has been active in politics. She was a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) from 2002 until 2025. She supported Hillary Clinton in the 2008 presidential primary.
In 2020, Weingarten was considered a possible candidate for United States Secretary of Education. She also served as an elector for New York in the 2020 United States presidential election. She is on the board of Voters of Tomorrow, a group that encourages young people to get involved in politics.
Personal Life
Randi Weingarten is married to Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum. They married on March 25, 2018.
See also
- American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
- LGBT culture in New York City
- LGBT people from New York City
- NYC Pride March
