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AFT Book Club: A Conversation with Skye Perryman
webinar
August 30, 2026 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM EDT

AFT Book Club: A Conversation with Skye Perryman

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About This Webinar

Join AFT President Randi Weingarten for a timely AFT Book Club conversation with constitutional lawyer, TIME100 honoree and Democracy Forward President and CEO Skye Perryman, discussing her new book, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times: How to Reclaim Your Power, Fight for Freedom & Reimagine Democracy.

At a moment when many Americans are asking how they can make a difference in their schools, communities and country, Perryman offers a hopeful and practical roadmap grounded in history, personal experience and stories from the front lines of defending democracy. Through Ordinary People, Extraordinary Times, she argues that lasting change begins not with institutions alone, but with ordinary people who choose to participate, organize and lead. 

Together, Weingarten and Perryman will explore what these ideas mean for educators, students and communities today. From fostering civic learning and critical thinking to building stronger local communities, they'll discuss how schools can help prepare young people not only to understand democracy, but to strengthen it through informed participation and public service.

Drawing on the book's practical principles for moving from uncertainty to action, this conversation will examine how everyday acts of courage, curiosity and community engagement can create meaningful change. Perryman's message is ultimately one of agency: democracy is not simply something we inherit—it is something we build together, one community at a time. 

Join us for an inspiring discussion about civic responsibility, public education and the enduring power of ordinary people to shape an extraordinary future.

Learn more about the AFT Book Club. Register for all sessions here.

Missed an AFT Book Club with a favorite author? Access all webinars for free: https://gateway.on24.com/wcc/eh/931978/aft-book-club-series

Speakers

skye perrymanSkye Perryman, President and CEO of Democracy Forward

Skye Perryman is the President and CEO of Democracy Forward, a national legal organization that advances democracy and progress in the courts. Named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in the World, she is a leader in the largest affirmative litigation effort against executive branch overreach in United States history.

Known for blending legal expertise with accessible, inspiring storytelling, she is a frequent commentator on NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and NPR, and her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, TIME, and Newsweek. A proud product of K–12 public schools in Waco, Texas, she holds degrees from Baylor University and Georgetown University Law Center.

Profile picture for user Randi Weingarten
President, AFT

RANDI WEINGARTEN is president of the 1.8 million-member AFT, AFL-CIO, which represents teachers; paraprofessionals and school-related personnel; higher education faculty and staff; nurses and other healthcare professionals; local, state and federal government employees; and early childhood educators. The AFT champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for students, their families and communities. The AFT and its members advance these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through members’ work.

Professional Credit

Share My Lesson webinars are available for one-hour of PD credit. A certificate of completion will be available for download at the end of your session that you can submit for your school's or district's approval.

In addition, Share My Lesson has arrangements in place as follows:

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