On Nov. 5, we vote for the well-being of our children.
If you’re reading this, you know that Election Day is Tuesday. Hopefully, you have made your plan to vote and know the location of your polling place, the voting hours, and who you will vote for in races up and down the ballot. (If not, please visit vote.texasaft.org.)
But if you don’t think your vote counts, or if you don’t think there’s a difference between the candidates for the presidency, we want to share with you the important stakes of this election for our public schools and communities, as laid out by our friends at the Network for Public Education:
“We must speak again, urging all, whether progressive, moderate, or conservative in political beliefs, to support the Harris/Walz ticket. The very well-being of our children is at stake.
We have all heard the vitriol directed at immigrants at rallies and even the presidential debate. Regardless of varying positions on immigration policy, [Trump’s] campaign of hatred and contempt will accelerate and inevitably permeate our schools, which millions of children who come from immigrant households attend. The rhetoric of hate not only affects how children view themselves and their classmates, but it sends the message that hate speech is allowed.
We also know that Trump’s false claims that children are receiving gender transition surgery at school and that public school teachers are ‘grooming’ students are part of a broader anti-public school campaign. But the consequences go beyond the politics of school choice. For some parents, these lies evoke anger and fear. They undermine parents’ trust in teachers and schools. They send a message to children that adults can repeatedly lie without personal consequence and that the liar can even be rewarded with the presidency.”
How does early voting turnout in Texas stack up to previous elections? We’ll tell you.
Last weekend, our members across the state hosted March to the Polls events to turn out the educator vote.
In a rare show of bipartisanship, outgoing Republican Rep. Steve Allison has endorsed Laurel Swift, a Democrat, in a critical anti-voucher legislative race.
A new survey shows more students are ruling out Texas colleges and universities because of the state’s political climate.
— Election
This election ends Nov. 5. If you haven’t voted yet, it is crucial you join the over 57,000 Texas AFT members who have and cast your ballot on Tuesday. For election information, FAQs, and Texas AFT COPE endorsements, visit vote.texasaft.org.
As we enter the final hours of early voting in Texas, more than 7.5 million voters have already cast their ballots, marking another historic election cycle in the Lone Star State. While this represents impressive participation by Texas’s standards, with about 40% of registered voters having made their voices heard, turnout is tracking slightly below 2020’s record-setting pace. In 2020, 9.7 million Texans voted early, with 11.3 million ultimately voting for a 67% turnout rate.
In 2023, a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers rejected private school voucher scams that threatened to divert millions of taxpayer dollars from public schools to fund unaccountable private education. In the months since, out-of-state mega-donors and education privatizers have invested heavily in Texas elections in a painfully transparent attempt to buy a voucher program when the Legislature reconvenes in 2025.
Texas AFT members join other public education advocates for a press conference Thursday with Laurel Jordan Swift, the Texas AFT COPE-endorsed candidate to replace outgoing Rep. Steve Allison in House District 121.
In an inspiring move that underscores his dedication to education in Texas, outgoing state Rep. Steve Allison (R-San Antonio) has officially endorsed Laurel Jordan Swift, a Democrat, in her campaign for the Texas House of Representatives. This endorsement is more than just a political gesture; it reflects a shared vision for the future of public education in our state.
A sizeable percentage of students rule out certain states for higher education due to the state’s politics, according to the results of a new poll from the Art & Science Group LLC. Which state did most students rule out in the poll? Texas.
Education news from around the state and nation that’s worth your time.
📖 With Texas’ paper-based voter registration system, applications get lost in the shuffle. A Votebeat investigation found that, across the state, eligible Texas voters who believe they have done everything necessary to cast a ballot don’t get the chance because their registrations didn’t make it into the system. There is no simple way to know how many people are disenfranchised because of this, but more than a dozen local election officials and volunteer deputy registrars shared examples. (Votebeat, Oct. 28)
📖Why I’m voting against the HISD bond. A Houston ISD parent writes, While I have always voted for school bonds, and always complained loudly about the posh facilities pro sports teams use while teachers sweat in packed classrooms, I’m voting “no” this November. I’m voting no because bonds require community trust. Under Superintendent Mike Miles, that trust has been broken. (Houston Chronicle, Oct. 25)
📖How the Culture Wars Are Costing Schools Billions. School districts have increasingly found themselves at the center of tense conflict in recent years. And those conflicts come at a cost. These clashes—over issues like how districts are addressing race and policies related to LGBTQ+ students’ rights—cost American schools more than $3 billion in the 2023-24 academic year, according to a new analysis. (Education Week, Oct. 23)
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