Houston Federation of Teachers
Mission
The Houston Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champion fairness, democracy, economic opportunity, and high-quality public education. It also strives to provide healthcare and public services for students of the Houston Independent School District, their families and all the communities of the City of Houston. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the great work of our members.
Core Values and Volunteer Efforts
Early Childhood
High-quality early childhood education has been one of the highest priorities for The American Federation of Teachers and HFT as a strategy for improving educational outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged children. In 2002, the AFT proposed the Kindergarten-Plus program, which provides an extended year, full-day kindergarten to disadvantaged children by enabling them to begin kindergarten the summer giving kids a head start on success.
Teacher Quality
HFT provides technical assistance on teacher quality issues and monitors events and organizations that promote teacher quality. We provide advice and assistance to affiliates on the Highly Qualified Teachers (HQT) requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB). With the assistance of the AFT Teachersdivision, HFT provides support to officers who serve on various boards and committees relating to teacher quality issues.
Securing Futures
HFT works and cares for the teachers who are committed to working and caring for kids. Our members are dedicated to making sure children have every opportunity to be successful through the work that they do. It’s our mission to ensure that our teachers have all the resources they need to be powerful advocates for a child’s success. It is the work our members do that fosters better public schools, encourages more engaged students, creates stronger neighborhoods and ultimately ensures stronger futures.
