The AFT and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have been working on finding a better way to evaluate and develop teachers, using research to determine the best ways to train teachers and ensure that students get the best educational experience possible. 

Although the AFT and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation don’t always agree on everything, they share the firm belief that students have a right to effective instruction and that teachers want to do their very best. 

The old building that housed the Elizabeth Seton Pediatric Center in lower Manhattan was crowded by skyscrapers. The interior was dark and cramped and devoid of natural light.

“The space we were in wasn’t meeting the needs of the children, each of whom has multiple chronic illnesses,” says Pat Tursi, CEO of the center. The Manhattan facility was designed based on more of a custodial care model—and when the center had to find a new space, it found a new opportunity.

A diverse group of unions teamed up in Lafayette, Ind., to lend a helping hand to a local United Way participating organization. Laborers (LIUNA) Local 274, UAW locals 531 and 2317 and United Steelworkers (USW) Local 115 responded when Lafayette Transitional Housing was in need of volunteers on March 12 to help unload and stock its food pantry. The above locals came through with 18 volunteers to help with that project, which consisted of more than 15,000 pounds of food.

Check out a slide show of the volunteers, after the jump.

In March 2012, AFT helped lead a public-private partnership to help struggling McDowell County, W.Va., and the participants were hopeful that things could be turned around economically and educationally. A year later, the Reconnecting McDowell project has begun to show that investment in communities can change people's lives.

Martina Sangster’s ceiling was on her floor. Living room, dining room and entryway—all tumbled down after what started as a small crack.

Her insurance wouldn’t cover the mess and her family couldn’t afford the extensive work that was needed. But help came from a different direction: the AFL-CIO community services liaison for United Way of the Quad Cities Area and local union members who donated their skills and also got the materials contributed.

Hundreds of Omaha, Neb., area residents worked up a sweat to raise money for the Omaha-area Energy Assistance Program. Union members from Electrical Workers (IBEW) locals 1483 and 1521 and the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) Local 70-558 participated in the Heartland Walk for Warmth.

Kevin Olguin, a 9-year-old boy with cancer in Louisville, Ky., wants one thing: to be a firefighter. Olguin's wish came true recently when members of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 345 made him an honorary firefighter for a day, complete with a uniform, induction ceremony, a proclamation from the mayor and a ride in the Louisville Fire Department's fire truck. 

While the Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers were getting ready for today's Super Bowl, the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) participated in several community service projects to help out the local community of the game's host city, New Orleans. The first event was "Feed the Children," where 14 current and former players, as well as other volunteers and community members, delivered much-needed care packages consisting of food and household supplies to families in need.

Transport Workers Union (TWU) members from around the country joined in the annual AFL-CIO Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance this weekend where thousands of union members honored Dr. King with community service projects. They send us this video.

Union members and attendees of the AFL-CIO's annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance in Philadelphia today participated in community service projects across the city. Check out these tweets and photos from the AFL-CIO and the Transport Workers (TWU):