Aug. 2, 2024: Back to School. Back to the Legislature
Publish Date: August 4, 2024 12:47 pm Author: Texas AFT
Share on
Friday, August 2, 2024
Back to School. Back to the Legislature.
Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions.
The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. These hearings present a unique opportunity for you to influence upcoming legislation and ensure that the perspectives of those on the front lines of education are heard.
The full recap of July’s AFT national convention in Houston includes updates on political advocacy, community service, and real solutions for public schools.
Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass is back, meddling in Texas elections.
We spotlight an important report on national charter school outcomes from the Network for Public Education.
Did someone say “Educators for Harris” merch?
— AFT Convention
Top:AFT convention delegates and guests listen to Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, July 25. Photo by Marco Guajardo, Texas AFT. Bottom:Scenes from the four days of convention programming at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Photos by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios.
AFT Convention 2024: Progress Is Possible, Not Guaranteed
Last week, Texas AFT welcomed the 88th biennial national AFT Convention to Houston. The five-day event is the highest authority of our union, and it was an honor to host 3,500 of our fellow educators, elected leaders, and public school allies from across the country.
It’s difficult to sum up all that happened last week, but we’ve gathered some highlights from the nonstop action.
New Harris for President merch added to Texas AFT store
The AFT recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president! We’re ready to help elect her, ensuring that public school employees’ voices are heard on the national level and that pro-voucher Republicans are kept out of office.
If you’d like to show your support for Harris, you can sport a new Texas AFT Educators for Harris T-shirt or bumper sticker from store.texasaft.org.
Every purchase from our store acts as a donation to our Committee on Political Education (COPE). These donations will help us fight back against Greg Abbott-endorsed Republicans who are fighting to put school vouchers in place and limit the voices of public-school teachers.
Billionaires are buying politicians in Texas. What are we going to do about it?
Pennsylvania GOP megadonor Jeff Yass has given another $4 million to Gov. Greg Abbott to boost the governor’s bid to unseat Texas House Republicans who oppose his private school voucher scam.
The donation, revealed in July in a campaign finance report, was Yass’ second major contribution to Abbott this election cycle. The billionaire TikTok investor donated $6 million to Abbott in December, believed to be the largest single political donation in Texas history.
Imagine what $10 million would do for Texas public schools and teachers versus handed to a Governor to defeat popularly elected representatives. Texas AFT has embarked on its Thrive Campaign because we believe the bones of Texas democracy are growing brittle, evidenced by the proliferation of unlimited campaign finance. In short, it’s legalized bribery, and it’s coming for your public schools.
“Broken Promises’: A Chronicle of Charter School Failures
Given the recent approvals of four new charter schools by the State Board of Education this summer, we want to revisit the important research that has informed Texas AFT’s continued insistence on a charter school moratorium in this state.
First, let’s start with the national education policy think tank Network for Public Education (NPE), which has released many relevant and upsetting reports on charter school corruption scandals, as well as their subpar academic outcomes. In 2020, NPE released a report that comprehensively documented nearly twenty years of charter school closures across the country.
Texas education news from around the state that’s worth your time.
📖 Texas teachers stand behind Kamala Harris after years of feeling targeted, neglected by Republicans. Texas teachers have reported feeling burned out, under-resourced and underappreciated in the last few years as they’ve dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, classroom changes spearheaded by Republican officials, and unsuccessful calls for more state funding toward raises. For those gathered at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention in Houston on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris’ message of appreciation was a welcome change. (Texas Tribune, July 25)
📖 Extreme heat is making schools hotter — and learning harder. The effect extreme heat is having on schools and childcare is starting to get the attention of policymakers and researchers. Rising temperatures mean dehydrated, exhausted kids, and teachers who must focus on heat safety instead of instruction. (The 19th, July 29)
📖 ‘Heartbreaking to Be Collateral’ in the Battle Over DEI. Shawntal Z. Brown worked for UT Austin for seven years before she was laid off in April, along with dozens of colleagues. The move shocked her—and changed her views on working in higher education. (Inside Higher Ed, July 29)
Want the latest news delivered directly to your inbox? Sign up for our Legislative Hotline email list!
Sign Up Now
