Every week, Texas AFT compiles important news, updates, and information on public education policy in Texas. The Hotline covers a wide range of topics, including statewide education news, updates from the legislative session, and our current union campaigns.
Friday, April 18, 2025 Can We Talk About Real Solutions? There is no shortage of news out of the Legislature this week, and we will break down all that public school employees and parents need to know about this week’s votes on public school funding and private school vouchers. But we want to take a moment to talk about...
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Friday, Oct. 4, 2024 ‘I’m a Union Guy’ Tuesday’s Vice Presidential Debate was much less ... lively than the Presidential Debate, but there were still a few noteworthy moments. Specifically on the topic of trade and the economy, vice presidential candidate and Democratic governor of Minnesota Tim Walz proclaimed that...
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Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 Protecting the freedom to learn It’s national Banned Books Week, though in Texas for the past several years, just about every week has been Banned Books Week. According to American Library Association data, in 2023, more than 1,470 titles were challenged in Texas, putting it behind...
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Friday, Sept. 20, 2024 The Right to Academic Freedom No. 6 in Texas AFT’s Educator’s Bill of Rights, our union’s agenda for the 89th Legislature, is the right to academic freedom. Our members have told us that ending classroom censorship by repealing book bans and limitations on classroom instructional materials...
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Friday, Sept. 13, 2024 No more harm. Just 53 days separate us and Election Day. We already know the stakes; from the presidency all the way down to control of our school boards and our municipal offices, the fate of democracy is on the ballot. Look no further for an...
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Friday, Sept. 6, 2024 From Moms Demand Action 'We are tired of losing' Two educators and two students were killed Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Georgia in yet another preventable instance of gun violence on America’s school campuses. Nine of their fellow students and educators were wounded by a...
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Friday, August 30, 2024 50 Years in the Fight to Thrive: 2024 is Texas AFT’s 50th anniversary as a state federation. We’ve been fighting for thriving Texas public schools from the beginning. And we’ll be on the front lines in every fight to come over the next 50 years. Labor Day Seven...
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Friday, August 23, 2024 We know who’s to blame Gov. Greg Abbott was quick to crow this week about the Texas economy, now the eighth largest in the entire world. On social media, he called the state the “economic envy” of the world. That’s nice, governor. But perhaps you...
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Friday, August 16, 2024 McAllen AFT, Southwest Dallas AFT, San Antonio Alliance, Cy-Fair AFT, and many other local unions attended the various district back-to-school events for employees this month. Welcome back, educators! It's that magical time of year again! Across Texas, educators and school employees are heading back to school,...
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Friday, August 2, 2024 Back to School. Back to the Legislature. Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions. The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are...
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Friday, July 26, 2024 Cross-Country Solidarity In recent years, it feels like public education in Texas has made headlines for all the wrong reasons: stagnant public school funding, book bans, or the threat of privatization, and more. But this week Texas educators made the front pages of newspapers across the...
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Friday, July 19, 2024 What could go wrong? In an average year, 3,996 people die and 5,556 are wounded by guns in Texas, according to 2023 data collated by Everytown for Gun Safety. And the problem is growing worse. The rate of gun deaths in Texas increased 46% from 2012...
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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...
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