The AFT announced the first recipients of the AFT Innovation Fund grants for education initiatives in which teacher unions and their partners will push the envelope to improve schools, teaching and learning in exciting, new ways at an Oct. 8 press conference at AFT headquarters.

Highlights from the recently concluded 2009 AFT QuEST conference in Washington, D.C., included AFT president Randi Weingarten's keynote address, a town hall meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, a panel on community schools and remarks from U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. Daily updates from the conference, as well as video highlights, can be found on the AFT's QuEST 2009 Web site.

On June 22, President Obama announced a nationwide service initiative, United We Serve, which is the beginning of a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to meet community needs and make service a way of life for all Americans.

State of Michigan mandates school districts to do surveys to see if consolidation of common services will save money.