Publish Date: July 15, 2024 3:46 pm Author: Texas AFT
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Friday, July 12, 2024
Houston Federation of Teachers and Aldine AFT members hand out groceries at distributions events for their neighbors in need after Hurricane Beryl.
We take care of us
In the initial aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Texas AFT has worked with our local unions to distribute care packages to members without food, open available offices as cooling and charging centers, and connect members with emergency resources.
We are also aware, however, of the much larger and longer-term recovery efforts needed for so many along the Gulf Coast. Texas AFT has activated our union’sDisaster Relief Fund to assist affected members in the Houston and Gulf Coast region.
If you are an AFT member or know an AFT member whose home, car, or property experienced significant damage during Hurricane Beryl: Please email info@texasaft.org to receive an application for assistance through the Disaster Relief Fund.
For those outside of the storm’s path: We ask that you consider making a small donation to the fund. Your donation is tax-deductible, and you do not have to be a member of our union to donate. All proceeds go to members in need.
These donations are vital, especially since we are only at the start of the usual hurricane season. Given the impact of climate change and the projections for above-normal hurricane activity this year, we are concerned about sustaining Disaster Relief Funding throughout the season.
In this week’s Hotline:
More on the impact of Hurricane Beryl on Houston and South Texas, along with recovery and relief resources.
A new report from AAUP documents the orchestrated right-wing attacks on academic freedom in Texas and across the nation.
Two weeks until the AFT Convention comes to Texas! Check out what’s in store.
We’ve got a couple upcoming events this summer to circle on your calendar.
— Hurricane Beryl
Hurricane Beryl: Texas Impact, State Response, & Recovery Resources
Hurricane Beryl made landfall in Texas as a Category 1 hurricane early Monday morning, July 8, near Matagorda. The storm brought sustained winds of 80 mph, heavy rainfall of 10-15 inches in some areas, and widespread flooding and power outages across Southeast Texas. As Beryl moved inland, it maintained hurricane strength until reaching the Houston area, causing extensive damage before weakening to a tropical storm as it continued northeast through East Texas.
Throughout the week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has served as our acting governor because Gov. Greg Abbott has been on a pre-planned economic development trip to Asia, which he declined to cancel or return from early …
The storm caused 2.7 million power outages, surpassing the record of 2.1 million set during Hurricane Ike in 2008. As of Thursday, July 11, over 1 million CenterPoint Energy customers alone remained without power, primarily in the Houston area and Southeast Texas.
CenterPoint has created anonline tracker which the company is using to provide estimated power restoration times. However, some residents have found that the outage map is not accurate for their neighborhoods and does not work on mobile phones. One Houston resident inadvertently discovered that the Whataburger app actually served as a more accurate gauge of which areas still had power.
Since 2021, Texas legislators have introduced multiple bills targeting higher education, aligning with a broader national strategy orchestrated by conservative organizations such as the Heritage Foundation and the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). These efforts reached critical mass last year with the passage of Senate Bill 17andSenate Bill 18. These bills aim to undermine academic freedom generally, and they specifically target initiatives related to Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), which have become focal points of conservative backlash.
The convention is the highest authority of our union, and it’s a showcase of union democracy at work. And it has special significance in this election year.
The November elections are no longer just consequential for public education; they will act as a decision point on whether this country will remain a democratic nation.
Texas educators know this, and we consider it our duty to educate voters and support their participation in this vital election. At the AFT convention, Texas AFT will host a nonpartisan VDR training with Jolt Initiative on Monday, July 22, for our members in Houston and statewide.
We encourage all delegates to join us during the regularly scheduled convention breakfast. But AFT members in the Houston area who are not attending the convention are also invited to attend. Sign up online here to reserve your spot.
Professional Development: Virtual Summit for Mexican American Studies
The National Association of Chicana and Chicano Studies’ Tejas Foco Prek-12 Committee invites educators to attend the ninth-annual Mexican American Studies Virtual Summit on Saturday, July 13, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The purpose of the summit is to create a collective call to action with tangible steps to grow, support, and advocate for Mexican American Studies (MAS) in our communities, with short- and long-term goals. Sessions will focus on how to insert this content across the curriculum from preK-16. Register here.
All teachers want a beautiful classroom full of materials, books, and learning tools; they should not be expected to use their hard-earned money to achieve that goal.
Our union is fighting for public schools funded to thrive, but we recognize that educators have immediate needs to cover. Grants can help! In this for-credit, virtual workshop, participants will learn key points of the grant writing process, how to write a convincing proposal and explore funding sources.
Texas education news from around the state that’s worth your time.
📖 Scammers are likely lurking in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. Here’s what to look out for. Houstonians are no strangers to storms and natural disasters, but the added vulnerability that these leave behind can create the perfect conditions for scammers to take advantage of those seeking aid. As residents survey the damage and start to seek aid, officials urge caution when approaching or being approached by contractors or those claiming to be gathering information for state or federal aid purposes. (Houston Landing, July 10)
📖 To Combat the STEM Worker Shortage, We Need to Create Pathways for Students | Opinion. In a joint op-ed, Rep. Ro Khanna and AFT President Randi Weingarten write:There is a transformative economic and educational opportunity potentially taking shape in America right now that will help our students find joy and engagement in their schooling, and provide tens of thousands of good, family sustaining jobs. It will reinvigorate the middle class—coast to coast—if we are strategic enough to take advantage of it quickly.(Newsweek, July 3)
📖 Austin Community College board approves 4.5% raise, increasing hourly minimum wage to $23.The Austin Community College District Board of Trustees has approved a 4.5% across-the-board raise for employees. The new compensation package also increases the hourly minimum wage from $22 to $23, which also works out to a 4.5% raise. The ACC chapter of the American Federation of Teachers had advocated for an 8.5% raise. President David Albert said while the 4.5% increase is disappointing, it is encouraging that trustees are open to reevaluating what compensation should look like.(KUT, July 2)
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