Happy Holidays from the Albert Shanker Institute!

Dear Shanker Institute community:

Thank you for your participation and solidarity this year. In 2024 we hosted conversations ranging from ambitious conferences like, Passion Meets Purpose featuring AFT President Randi Weingarten, Maryland Governor Wes Moore, and ASI board member Stan Litow and more; to meaningful civic engagement like Defending Our Democracy: The Crucial Role of the Latino Vote in the 2024 Election. 

We also deepened our partnership with ShareMyLesson, through professional development offerings like Teaching the Power of Local Democracy: Why voting matters in every election and, of course, our yearlong partnership together with the AFT Book Club. From the January book club kicking off with Amanda Gorman to a meaningful conversation with Jason Reynolds, the book club became a popular event attracting audiences each month. Watch for our 2025 AFT Book Club series coming soon!

In 2024 we also had another opportunity to work with AFT International Affairs and Education International to offer a series of International Conversations on Democracy and Education in Buenos Aires, Argentina at the Education International World Congress.

We continued our work analyzing state reading legislation, sharing findings like the connection between the emerging research on screen time and reading legislation. We also produced our popular and well-regarded school finance research, the 6th annual Adequacy and Fairness of State School Finance Systems. With both analyses, we welcomed the opportunity to spend the year working alongside advocates to make our research accessible and beneficial to all.

As we prepare for 2025, we hope you find time in this season of light to rest, enjoy the company of friends, and recharge. We look forward to learning and leading alongside you in 2025.

Happy Holidays from the Albert Shanker Institute!

Together,

Mary Cathryn, Vicki, Matt, Esther, and Jordan