Julie Sellers
President, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers
Julie Sellers taught elementary school in Cincinnati Public Schools for twenty years before being elected President of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, Local 1520 in 2009.
She is currently serving in her 9th elected term as an American Labor Leader for 3000+ Cincinnati Public School teachers and office professionals; she has successfully negotiated five labor contracts with the CPS district. Julie plays a vital role in collaborating on district-wide committees, always keeping a focus on the teacher’s voice and professionalism within the district.
She serves on the national Policies and Program Committee of the AFT, which helps to set national educational policies. She also serves on the Executive Board of the Cincinnati AFL-CIO Labor Council and serves as a Trustee for the Labor Council. She works tirelessly helping to build solidarity among workers in the Greater Cincinnati area.
Further, her positions include serving on the Executive Committee of the Ohio Federation of Teachers. As part of her responsibilities, she served on Mayerson Academy Board for ten years. She has been a member of Ohio Urban 8 Coalition made up of the 8 urban superintendents and union presidents; this labor-management group works to improve student outcomes across Ohio sharing best practices and advocacy work. As a statewide elected member of the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System (STRS), she works tirelessly to protect teachers’ pension.
As an educational labor leader, she presented at many national and international conferences including Educators International, the Coalition of Community Schools, AFT’s TEACH Conference, and the Ohio Federation of Teachers Convention.
She recognizes the challenges that children of poverty face daily and believes that students deserve the support necessary for their success, while at the same time preserving a strong teacher voice in decision making.