The Hotline Newsletter

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.

Featured News

Nov. 8, 2024: What we have is each other

Friday, Nov. 8, 2024 Progress is never a straight line, and our fight for thriving public schools is the work of lifetimes. But we’ve been it here in Texas for the past 50 years, and we’ll be in for the next 50 too. What we have is each other  Over 65,000 active, retired, and former Texas AFT members voted in...

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March 15, 2024: “Why is Texas like this now?”

Friday, March 15, 2024 What’s Dunn Can Still Be Undone  We get asked one question quite regularly by teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, librarians and more: “Why is Texas like this now? Why isn’t anyone in charge listening to us.”   Texas Monthly’s March edition has the answer in the form...

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March 8, 2024: Public Schools at the Polls

Friday, March 8, 2024 This is what democracy looks like It’s been quite a week. On Tuesday, Texans went to the polls to vote in primary elections, setting up a muddled outlook for public education in the 89th Legislature next year. Yesterday, meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivered the State of...

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March 1, 2024: Vote Vote Vote

Friday, March 1, 2024 Fund our fight for a thriving public education system at the ballot box this year. Shop new voting merch at store.texasaft.org. Every purchase is a donation to our Texas AFT COPE political fund.   Educators don’t vote? Prove them wrong Tuesday. With Election Day coming this Tuesday,...

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Feb. 23, 2024: Early Voting Kicks Off

Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 Could you use some good news? Because we could use some good news.  Here at Texas AFT, we bring you need-to-know information on the state of public education in Texas with every Friday’s Hotline. And we are acutely aware that, by and large, the news we...

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Feb. 16, 2024: Cut to the Bone

Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 Gov. Greg Abbott held yet another of his voucher rallies last week in San Antonio. Our members, active and retired, were there to greet him.   Cut to the Bone Fact: Texas has a significant crisis of retaining teachers and qualified school staff.   Another fact: Texas...

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Feb. 9, 2024: The Voucher Bait-and-Switch

Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 It’s fair to wonder why, after the catastrophic defeat after defeat (after defeat after defeat) of his signature policy priority last year, Gov. Greg Abbott is still pursuing a private school voucher program this election year.   Texans don’t want it. Legislators in his own party...

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Feb. 2, 2024: Kicking Off Election Season

Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 “God bless the Texas labor movement, and God help Texas.”  Last weekend, Texas AFT delegates attended the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention, kicking off Texas labor’s political fight this election year for working Texans (more on that later).   In his speech to convention delegates, President Zeph Capo...

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Jan. 26, 2024: This is Just the Beginning

Friday, Jan. 26, 2024 Your Union, Your Voice  After a turbulent and shamefully unproductive legislative session(s) in 2023, Texas politicians are gearing up for this year's general election, and public education will be a top issue. Your voice helps your union bring facts about the state of public education to...

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Jan. 19, 2024: The Budget Surplus Remains

Friday, Jan. 19, 2024 Back to Basics Texas has the ninth-largest economy in the world and a $32.7 billion budget surplus, but our schools are starved for resources.  How did this happen? What can we do to fix it? Can it be fixed?  Educating Texas: The Levers of Power  Tuesday,...

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Jan. 12, 2024: Planning Ahead

Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 With the drop in temps, we hope you stay safe this weekend. If you’re looking for ways to bundle up, now would be a great time to pick up a new hoodie from store.texasaft.org. Every purchase is a donation to our union’s Committee on Political Education...

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Dec. 15, 2023: Looking Back, Looking Forward

Closed for the Holidays: December 21 through January 5.

Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 What a Year We are wrapping things up for 2023. Texas AFT offices will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 21 through Friday, Jan. 5. After one regular legislative session, four special sessions, and an election, we are all ready for a long winter’s nap.  This will...

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Dec. 8, 2023: COLA Controversies

Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 You tracked your working conditions. Here’s what we learned. This fall, over 600 K-12 and higher education employees participated in Texas AFT’s Strive to Thrive working conditions project. It was the largest statewide effort of public school employees in Texas to document the real issues in...

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