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Texas AFT at the Capitol: Recap of Week 1 of the 89th Legislature
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, the 89th Texas Legislature gaveled in, and Texas AFT was proud to represent K-12 and higher education employees the Texas State Capitol in Austin. Local union presidents from across the state came together, along with Texas AFT President Zeph Capo, to receive training and strategize on our legislative agenda.
Read MoreTexas AFT Member Survey Results Preview Working Conditions, Funding Fights in Legislative Session
On the eve of the 89th legislative session, Texas AFT released the results of our most recent member survey on Monday. As has been the case for the past three years, an overwhelming majority of our K-12 and higher education members report they have considered leaving the profession and harbor...
Read MoreTexas Student Group Establishes a Student Bill of Rights
On Jan. 7, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a student-led movement demonstrating youth visibility in educational policymaking, delivered a Student Bill of Rights to more than 1,200 Texas policymakers in advance of the 89th Legislature.
Read MorePreview: First Week of the 89th Legislative Session
The opening day of the 89th regular legislative session is Tuesday, Jan. 14, and the stakes are extremely high for public education, educators, and school employees. While most bills will not begin to move until March, opening week is an important time: the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives...
Read MoreYour Guide to Staying Connected During the Legislative Session
Happy New Year! We hope you had a relaxing winter break and are ready to start the semester strong! With the new legislative session beginning on Jan. 14, we’ve got a lot to prepare for as we head into one of the biggest fights yet to stop private school vouchers...
Read MoreBoR Spotlight: Working Conditions and the Right to Fight for Them
Our Texas Needs Teachers report found that working conditions were even more important than compensation in retaining educators by an almost 2-to-1 ratio. Even if all our school finance dreams came true and we could pay all educators and support staff the salaries and wages they so richly deserve, compensation...
Read MoreAt Last. Social Security Fairness Act Is Law, Repealing WEP & GPO.
On Sunday, Jan. 5, surrounded by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and representatives from national unions (including ours), President Joe Biden signed the Social Security Fairness Act into law. This landmark legislation repeals the Windfall Elimination Provision and the Government Pension Offset, two pieces of federal law that...
Read MoreStatement on Passage of Social Security Fairness Act, Repealing WEP/GPO
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and Texas AFT Retiree Plus Chair Rita Runnels issued the following statements celebrating the bipartisan passage of the Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82).
Read MoreWhere the Funding Fight Stands
After Gov. Greg Abbott and his allies in the Texas Legislature hijacked $4.5 billion in additional public education funding in a failed attempt to force the passage of universal private school voucher legislation in the 88th legislative session, public schools across Texas have paid the price as communities have seen...
Read MoreA New Era for Texas Higher Education: Wynn Rosser’s Appointment to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
At a special board meeting last month, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board named Wynn Rosser as the state’s next commissioner of higher education. With his background in leading rural initiatives and shaping education policy at Texas A&M University, Rosser’s...
Read MoreEducator’s Bill of Rights Spotlight: Pre-Filed Support Staff Bills
State legislators continue to pre-file bills for the upcoming 89th legislative session. We are closely following bills that would support Texas AFT’s Educator’s Bill of Rights, as well as those that are contrary to our members’ needs and priorities.
Read MoreRetiree Issues in the Spotlight
We continue to await news of the final outcome of the bipartisan effort in Congress to pass the Social Security Fairness Act and finally repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) to ensure that public employees – including educators, firefighters, and VA nurses – receive the...
Read MoreStatement on Social Security Fairness Act Vote in the U.S. Senate
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and Texas AFT Retiree Plus Chair Rita Runnels issued the following statements following the U.S. Senate’s 73-27 vote to proceed toward a final vote on the bipartisan Social Security Fairness Act (H.R. 82).
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