Randi Weingarten (born Rhonda Weingarten on December 18, 1957, in New York City) is a prominent American labor leader, attorney, and former educator who serves as president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) since 2008, succeeding Edward McElroy. The AFT is a major national teachers' union representing over 1.7 million members and advocates for public education funding, healthcare, higher education policies, public education workers, and workers' rights, while also opposing school privatization and certain charter school expansions. Raised in a Jewish family in Rockland County, New York, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in American history from Cornell University (1979) and a Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University (1983). After practicing law briefly, she taught social studies at Clara Barton High School for the Performing Arts in Brooklyn (1991–1997), an experience that shaped her commitment to improving conditions for teachers and students. Her labor advocacy career began with the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in 1991, where she rose to become president (1998–2008) before being elected AFT president. Weingarten is recognized as the first openly gay person to lead a major national American labor union, a milestone for LGBTQ+ rights in the labor movement. Under her leadership, the AFT has focused on issues like education funding, opposition to school privatization, safe school reopenings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and national debates on education equity and workers' rights. She has testified before Congress, advised presidential administrations, and faced criticism from conservative groups for her stances on curriculum and union influence.