Mcallen aft news december 2013

RUNNING FOR GOVERNOR
education, but so far his interest apparently is confined to hundreds of Texas school districts. He claims he can’t really the attorney general also will be back in court defending the state week wouldn’t answer reporters’ questions, except to say his FIRST BOOK HITS A $1 MILLION BOOKS DONATED
The AFT and First Book announced on Dec. 4 that they students at West Side Elementary School in Charleston, have distributed 1 million new, free children's books to W.Va., to the massive distribution of 400,000 public schools and to community and educational books."We're proud to work with the AFT," says Chandler groups nationwide serving children in low-income Arnold, First Book's chief operating officer. "Working families. The announcement was made at a First Book together, we've put 1 million new books into the hands of event in Baltimore, where more than 400,000 books will kids in need and permanently connected thousands of be distributed. About 60 percent of the books will be teachers to First Book's resources." AFT-First Book shipped to 538 communities across the nation, and the projects have included creating a library at St. Mary's remainder—about 160,000 books—will stay in the Orphanage in Mobile, Ala.; distributing thousands of anti- Baltimore area. Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings- bullying books at Cleveland public school assemblies; Blake was instrumental in making the public warehouse giving out bilingual and Spanish books to students and available for book storage and distribution."We know families at COPA soccer tournaments in Dallas and that the sky's the limit when children fall in love with Houston; and providing more than 50,000 books to New books," says AFT President Randi Weingarten. "We're so happy to help encourage a love of reading, which is the reason for the AFT's partnership with First Book. It's just one way we are reclaiming the promise of public The Baltimore book distribution, which AFT Secretary- education and helping to ensure children are prepared Treasurer Lorretta Johnson and Executive Vice President for school, college, career and life." The AFT-First Book Francine Lawrence also helped out with, is a huge partnership has grown from its first book donation to endeavor. Educators, public schools, community groups and other educational programs serving children in need have registered for the free or low-cost new books. REGISTER FOR FIRST BOOK
Volunteers from the AFT, AFT-Maryland, the Baltimore www.firstbook.org/AFT
Teachers Union, Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers Local 1, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Operating Engineers have sorted the FB Nation Book Bank: Free books
books. Baltimore-area groups will be picking up their books at the warehouse this week. Mayor Rawlings- Distributed several times a year
Blake is the first mayor to partner with First Book to FB Marketplace: More than 3,000
secure book storage space. "The partnership with the Baltimore Teachers Union, the American Federation of Titles for children ages 0-18
Teachers, First Book and my office is a great effort to promote literacy," she said. "Grade-level reading Ranging from bilingual books to SAT
proficiency is so important that we need to muster up all guides to African-American literature
the resources we can, as a community, to ensure that our First Book is free and is open
students have the reading skills they need to succeed in life. If children don't have access to high-quality books at any Title 1 eligible school or program or
home, they're more likely to read below proficiency schools or programs where at least 70% of
levels." AFT and more than 80 local affiliates in 20 states the students come from low-income
have worked with First Book to distribute books. families

Source: http://mcallen.tx.aft.org/files/mcallen_aft_news_december_2013.pdf