Nov. 22, 2024: What is there to be grateful for?

Publish Date: November 25, 2024 5:07 pm
Author: Texas AFT


Header reads: Texas A-F-T. The Hotline.

Friday, Nov. 22, 2024



What is there to be grateful for? 

This has been a bruising year, another in a long string of them. We have endured an unrelenting election cycle that exposed the deep rifts within our country. And many of you have done it while clocking into work each day, managing overstuffed classrooms or driving multiple bus routes or being overwhelmed by growing caseloads or worrying about keeping your job at all.  

Some may see the upcoming Thanksgiving break as a much-needed reprieve. Others may see it as a challenge to get into a mindset of gratitude at all. Both sentiments are understandable.  

But as for us at Texas AFT, we see much to be grateful for. Namely, you.  

This year, even as your schools struggled to get by and the challenges you deal with every day continue to grow, you have answered the call, every time, to support your students, your schools, your colleagues, and your profession.  

Because of you and your actions, this year:  


  • We are closer than ever to repealing WEP/GPO and restoring dignity to educators’ retirement. 
  • School districts like Austin ISD and El Paso ISD stepped up to raise pay for employees when the state did not. 
  • Folks who believe in the transformative power of public schools are picking up seats on school boards from Round Rock to Corpus Christi.  


You have shown up to testify for the freedom to teach and to defeat big-money power-holders more interested in profit than people. And you have jumped in to help your neighbors in need without hesitation.  

Next week, we hope you get the rest you so richly deserve and enjoy time spent in any way meaningful to you. We will also take a break; the next Hotline will hit your inbox Friday, Dec. 6. Thank you for what you do and take care of yourselves till then.  


In this week’s Hotline: 

  • The State Board of Education has approved TEA’s Bible-infused open education resources despite bipartisan opposition.

  • Bills have begun to be filed for the 89th Legislature that starts in January, and that includes several in support of our Educator’s Bill of Rights!

  • A federal judge has struck down Louisiana’s law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms; will Texas try to pass its version again next year?

  • We know how valuable our retired educators are to Texas, but a new TRS report shows their huge economic impact too.


— State Board of Education



SBOE Recap:  Board Approves Controversial Bluebonnet Learning Materials

The November meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) began Monday with the fanfare of another public hearing on the instructional materials submitted for consideration and adoption under the new process established by House Bill 1605. The focus was almost entirely on the Texas Education Agency-developed English language arts and reading (ELAR) product Bluebonnet Learning. After significant stakeholder resistance to these materials at the September meeting, the testimony for and against the materials in this hearing appeared more balanced.  

In addition to the persistent objection that these materials contain a number of inaccurate and inappropriate references to the Bible and teachings of Christianity, testifiers objected to the relative age- and developmental-appropriateness  of the materials. Testifiers also voiced opposition to TEA acting as a publisher of curriculum in general, citing these open education resources (OER) amount to government overreach. 


— Texas Legislature


State Legislators Pre-File Legislation to Support Educators & School Employees: Educator’s Bill of Rights Update 

State legislators began pre-filing bills for the upcoming 89th legislative session early last week. We are excited to share that several bills have already been filed advancing key priorities in Texas AFT’s Educator’s Bill of Rights. 

 

The Educator’s Bill of Rights is based on months of workshops held across the state and virtually in which we received vital information directly from our union’s members about the experiences and priorities of K-12 and higher education employees. The resulting document represents our legislative priorities. 

 

While some of our priority legislation has yet to be filed, Texas AFT is deeply grateful to the following legislators for prioritizing the interests of educators and school employees in their legislative agenda. 


— Texas Legislature


A federal judge in Louisiana has struck down a law requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, citing it as “unconstitutional on its face.” The ruling cited concerns about religious coercion and violations of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause. This decision could foreshadow legal battles for Texas as lawmakers gear up to revive a similar proposal at the next legislative session. 

 

Last year, Texas Senate Bill 1515 passed the Senate but narrowly missed passage in the House due to time constraints in the previous legislative session. The bill would have mandated schools to “display copies of the Ten Commandments that are at least 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall, and “in a size and typeface that is legible to a person with average vision from anywhere in the classroom.” 



— State Board for Educator Certification


The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) will meet in Austin on Friday, Dec. 6. The board will take up for proposal several items Texas AFT has been watching closely:  



Last year, an overwhelming majority of Texas voters chose to give retired educators in the state the first cost-of living-adjustment (COLA) to their pensions in decades. This investment has put more money directly into the pockets of retired educators, allowing them to invest their money as they see fit and stimulate the Texas economy while they’re at it.

In 2024, the record remains clear: supporting Texas educators helps the economy grow. The Texas Retirement System (TRS) has released its 2024 Value Report to showcase the “positive impact TRS retirees, active members and their benefits have on the Texas economy.”



— Horace Mann




Get $25 for DonorsChoose Classroom Essentials Projects 

You’re an incredible educator, and long-time corporate supporter, Horace Mann, recognizes the hard work you put in every day. That’s why they partner with education nonprofits like DonorsChoose, that sincerely appreciate and support your dedication to our next generation. 

  

As a thank you this holiday season, Horace Mann is thrilled to offer you a $25 DonorsChoose credit just for getting a quick, no-obligation auto insurance quote* anytime between Nov.1 – Nov. 30, 2024.  

  

Here’s how to claim your credit: 

  

  1. Call Horace Mann at 833-422-2702 for your no-obligation auto quote or get an online quote here.
  2. Receive your $25 DonorsChoose credit code via email from Horace Mann within 3-4 weeks after you complete your quote. 
  3. Use the $25 DonorsChoose credit to either enhance a classroom or support a fellow educator! 

  

Plus, when choosing Horace Mann auto insurance, you’ll benefit from discounts and unique coverages designed specifically for educators, such as the Educator Advantage® program at no additional cost! 

  

DonorsChoose connects public school teachers with funding they need for their classrooms. If you’re new to it, don’t worry! Visit DonorsChoose.org/teachers to set up a project or complete the DonorsChoose contact form and one of their professionals will be in touch in 5 days to help you. 


*One quote per household is eligible for the $25 DonorsChoose Classroom Essentials credit. The DonorsChoose credit is not available in Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Iowa, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin. DonorsChoose is not an affiliate of Horace Mann. 

 

Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto insurance. Not all discounts and benefits available in all states. 

 

Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational  associations where Horace Mann pays the association to provide services aimed at familiarizing association members with  the Horace Mann brand, products or services. For more information, email your inquiry to association.relations@horacemann.com. 

  

EMA-00381 (Oct 24) 



Recommended Reading

Education news from around the state and nation that’s worth your time.

📖 A Texas University Tells Professors Their Teaching and Research Will Be Under ‘Intense Scrutiny’. Faculty members at the University of North Texas at Denton fear their teaching and research on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion will be curtailed by their own university’s interpretation of a state law targeting DEI efforts — and, in one college, they say it already has. (The Chronicle of Higher Education, Nov. 13)  

 

📖 Over 40 HISD employees make more than $200K now. Here’s a look at top earners. The number of Houston ISD employees earning over $200,000 has increased by 60% in the last year, according to district payroll records. This September, 45 employees made at least $200,000, compared with 28 in September 2023, according to the Houston Chronicle’s analysis of district records. (Houston Chronicle, Nov. 18)  

 

📖 Mike Huckabee’s ‘Faith-Based’ Media Company Contributed to New Texas Curriculum. The Texas Education Agency hired a conservative educational publishing company co-founded by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to provide biblical content for the state’s proposed K-5 reading program — a curriculum that has come under criticism for its emphasis on evangelical Christianity. (The 74, Nov. 18)  



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