Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers (OFT) and a Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the upcoming AFT National Convention and why several Locals from Ohio are going to be well-represented. She also discussed some of the common-sense guidelines from the AFT for implementing AI in the classroom.
The American Federation of Teachers Convention is quickly approaching, and it will have a strong Ohio theme. Cropper said several OFT Locals will be highlighted for their recent accomplishments in organizing and outreach programs. Among the Locals receiving recognition, will be the recently organized librarians across Ohio. Cropper also talked about other accomplishments that will be featured from across the state during the Convention.
As a librarian, Cropper talked about the growing interest in unionizing libraries nationwide. She discussed why libraries in Ohio have chosen to seek representation from the OFT. With the growing concerns about book banning and legislation that could threaten a librarian’s freedom, Cropper said the AFT and OFT can provide them the protections they need.
Like many other unions, artificial intelligence is beginning to be integrated into the education industry. Cropper discussed the common-sense guidelines that the AFT is hoping to implement after several years of research. The union’s goal is to ensure AI doesn’t replace the worker and can be implemented safely. Cropper discussed the importance of keeping the human interaction element of the work intact and ensuring educators make educational decisions.
To hear more from Cropper, please listen to the show above.