“Today, the Supreme Court fundamentally changed presidential power. After it arrogated power to itself last week in the Chevron case, it has now arrogated more power than the founders ever envisioned to a president.
While President Trump is not immune for his personal acts, by granting him immunity for ‘official acts,’ the court makes a mockery of the rule of law and casts aside the danger of concentrating power in one person’s hands.
For the first time, a president can engage in otherwise illegal acts without any accountability, and for the first time, a president is now above the law.
The founders spoke repeatedly of the need to protect the country against demagogues and crafted a constitution to defend against them. Today, the Supreme Court tried to vitiate their intent and allowed the former president’s thirst for power to trump the Constitution.
By delaying the decision, the justices would rather kick the can down the road than allow the American people to hear a trial about whether someone who incited an insurrection to overturn a free and fair election in 2020 should be reelected in 2024. Today’s ruling tears at the fabric of our democracy, and the damage won’t be easily, or ever, repaired. And it makes the stakes of this election clear.”
The deadline for Texans to register to vote in this November’s elections is Oct. 7. Please make sure you and every one of your family, friends, and colleagues are registered. It couldn’t be more important.
In this week’s Hotline:
We recap a long, contentious State Board of Education meeting that resulted in four new charter school approvals.
A bill proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives would prevent federal funds from being awarded to charter schools that contract with for-profit entities.
Extremists in Congress are proposing to cut funding for gun violence prevention activities; it’s time to act.
Later this month, AFT will hold its national convention in Houston, just in time to celebrate Texas AFT’s 50th anniversary.
— State Board of Education
SBOE Recap: Charter Approvals and Plans for the Future
The State Board of Education (SBOE) convened in Austin from June 25-28 to consider new charter school applications, their funds distribution for the next biennium, and several topics related to work on continuing standards review.
Spoiler alert: This was a rough week in the boardroom, with a few bright spots, provided by Texas educators themselves.
Recent analysis by Texas AFT has revealed the growing financial strain of charter school expansion on Texas public schools. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, Texas public school districts are estimated to have lost over $3.6 billion in revenue due to charter transfers, affecting at least 325 districts across the state.
As unchecked charter expansion continues to drain resources from our public schools, it’s crucial that we act to ensure transparency and accountability in the charter sector.That’s why Texas AFT is joining the Network for Public Education (NPE) in supporting the federal CHARTER Act (HR 8886), which would prevent federal funds from being awarded to charter schools that contract with for-profit entities for operations, oversight, or management.
Take Action: Tell Your Representative to Stop Cuts to Gun Violence Prevention Programs
Last month, AFT asked its members to tell lawmakers to stop MAGA politicians from reversing a Biden Administration policy to strengthen the background check system for purchasing guns. So far, our activism is working. But this week, extremists in Congress are proposing to cut funding for gun violence prevention activities.
We must take action to protect our students and teachers across Texas and stop Republicans in Congress from putting our kids in danger.
Countdown to AFT Convention in Houston: Texas AFT Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Texas AFT and our Houston area locals are honored to host our fellow AFT members from across the nation for our union’s 88th convention later this month.
The agenda is full and exciting, and we’ll share more updates as near the convention itself. Part of that excitement, however, is the celebration of our own milestone: 50 years as a state federation, leading the way in the fight for thriving public schools.
To commemorate the anniversary, we’ve added several special 50th anniversary items to our online shop at store.texasaft.org. Remember: Every purchase from our store acts as a donation to our Committee on Political Education (COPE), our state union’s political fund. In this momentous and harrowing election year, truly every bit helps in supporting candidates who will support educators.
📖 Editorial: When it comes to the STAAR, Texas has set students up for failure.About one-third of Texas elementary students failed the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, known as STAAR, this academic year. That’s a major fail for an education system state lawmakers have failed to adequately fund and support. (San Antonio Express-News, June 27)
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