After a turbulent and shamefully unproductive legislative session(s) in 2023, Texas politicians are gearing up for this year’s general election, and public education will be a top issue. Your voice helps your union bring facts about the state of public education to the table against a tidal wave of misinformation.  

That’s why we want to hear from our members across the state! If you are a Texas AFT member — K-12, higher ed, or retired — you should have received an email on Tuesday, Jan. 23, with a link to take our 2024 Membership Survey.  

Tell us about the challenges you face and what you want to see from your union — and from lawmakers. The survey should take 15-20 minutes to complete, and out of respect for your time, every member who completes it will be entered to win one of five $100 gift cards.  

Check your inbox for an email with the subject line: Texas AFT Annual Membership Survey.  

In this week’s Hotline:  

Readers of the Hotline will remember that in December, the governor appointed Aaron Kinsey, who represents District 15, as the new State Board of Education (SBOE) chair, replacing Dr. Keven Ellis, who has served as chair since 2019. Next week’s regular meeting of the board will be Kinsey’s first in the driver’s seat, and this appointment has already raised cause for some concern. 

At the November meeting, then-Chairman Ellis announced his intention to bring forward the American Indian/Native Studies for first reading in January. In a disappointing turn, the agenda was published without this anticipated item, leaving advocates surprised and scrambling to understand the reasoning behind the decision. Given that the chair determines the agenda, the question fell to Kinsey who has, so far, not given a satisfactory explanation for its removal.  

Along with other ethnic studies advocates, we will watch the action in the room closely, hoping for a decision to place this item on the April agenda.