When grappling with questions about technology and the classroom, Janella is thoughtful and intentional as she navigates policies that affect both the future of the labor movement and public education. She maintains that, even as technology changes, educators must continue to have a voice in working conditions and learning opportunities for students: As one of the union’s chief negotiator for the DOE-UFT virtual instruction pilot — Virtual Learning Classrooms — Janella ensured that our members and students can grow and thrive in digital environments.
Janella’s taken the lead in organizing members to use their voices on the school level through consultation. She has established platforms that allow members to collaborate and develop solutions; she has spearheaded committees and focus groups on a range of issues. She places a special emphasis on student achievement and school safety.
A proponent for equity, fairness and advancement, Janella serves as the chair of the New York Union Child Care Coalition, where she fights for working people to have access to high-quality, affordable child care and advocates for living wages for our child care workers.
As an acknowledged leader in her field, Janella is an in-demand voice on education and labor panels from conferences to podcasts to protests.
