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About Laura Fuchs
Candidate for WTU President
"I am running for WTU President because I have the experience and the vision to take us from where we are to where I know we can be. After seeing the radical grassroots activism our members took to protect our communities during the height of the COVID pandemic, I know that with complete transparency, a dedication to democracy and the strategic organizing skills to execute the vision our members have, there is nothing we can't accomplish."
Quick Facts
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Social Studies Teacher at HD Woodson HS since 2007
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Served on SCAC + LSAT from 2010-2024, including several years as WTU Building Representative
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Active member of SHAPPE, Ward 7 (serving as secretary from 2015-2020) and 5 Education Councils, Coalition for DC Public Schools, DC for Democracy and more.
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Co-Created and administer the "DCPS Educators Only" Facebook group and grew it from 200 to over 3,000 members.
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Led a successful campaign to update the WTU Bylaws to allow for electronic voting, gathering over 1,200 member signatures and organizing over 250 members to attend the Membership meeting to vote
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Pushed the DC State Board of Education to completely redo the Modern World History standards to address systemic racism in the initial document.
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Founding Member and Chair of the DC Caucus of Rank and File Educators
Unafraid to tell truth to power
Leadership Experience in the WTU
2019-Present
Secretary
WTU Executive Board
As secretary Laura submitted minutes, written motions on behalf of members giving them orally, created written reports for almost all of the committees, and has played an instrumental role in facilitating meetings and votes. She has been flexible, patient and available to leadership and members, creating a conduit for increased member voice and power. She responds to all requests for documents, usually within minutes and is able to provide the transparency and accountability that is asked for.
2016-2019
Member At Large, HS
WTU Executive Board
Laura introduced over 15 motions meant to increase transparency, member power and democracy. Unfortunately, the way the WTU Bylaws were interpreted by the legal team meant most of the motions were ruled out of order and pushed to the WTU Representative Assembly where they were again ruled out of order.
2014-2022
Chair
WTU Committee on Political Education (COPE)
Laura worked with over 20 other members to create an endorsement process including a member driven questionnaire, candidate forums, endorsement discussion before making committee recommendations. She then shepherded that process through tricky political situations to ensure that the will of the committee was put before the members for their final decision. The process is what we still use today and is respected by all the major candidates for office, increasing the WTU's political strength in DC.