Featured News
Federal Reshuffle of the U.S. Department of Education: What Happens When Core Functions Are Scattered
When the U.S. Department of Education (ED) quietly signed six interagency agreements on Nov 18, transferring major functions to agencies including the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of State (State), the move didn’t come with a congressional vote. Nor did it come with a stakeholder comment period, public hearings, or...
Read More‘Don’t Arizona Our Texas’
In his relentless quest to pass a private school voucher scheme in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott is calling in reinforcements.
Read MoreMarch 21, 2025: Heard, loud and clear
Friday, March 21, 2025 Heard, loud and clear Over the past two weeks, close to 800 of our members have come to the Texas Capitol. They have testified before committees, met with lawmakers, and spoken with members of the media, all with a clear message: they need fully funded public...
Read MoreTexas Senate Passes Several ‘Solutions’ That Will Become Their Own Problems
This week, the Texas Senate passed several bills including Senate Bill 10, which would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all Texas classrooms.
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Good Bills, Bad Bills, & Some That Could Go Either Way
Last Friday, March 14, was the deadline for lawmakers to file bills for this legislative session. And, like in so many classrooms across the state, there was a flood of last-minute activity; over 1,000 bills were filed on Friday alone.
Read MoreSenate Committee Hears SB 37, a State Takeover of Public Colleges & Universities
On Thursday, the Senate Education K-16 Committee heard its first higher education bills of the session, including Senate Bill 37, Sen. Brandon Creighton’s omnibus bill.
Read MoreWith Texas Leaders Looking on, President Trump Signs Executive Order Dismantling the Department of Education
On Thursday, the Trump Administration released a long-anticipated executive order, commanding newly confirmed Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to take steps to pave the way for closing the Department of Education (DOE).
Read MoreTexas AFT’s SECOND Public Education Advocacy Day Brings Hundreds More Pre-K-12, Higher Education Employees to the Capitol
For the second Monday in a row, Texas educators spent their Spring Break fighting for their students and their schools.
Read MoreTexas AFT Statement on Gov. Abbott’s Appearance at Department of Education Executive Order Signing
“It makes perfect sense for Gov. Greg Abbott to be on hand for the dismantling of the Department of Education. It was the only governmental entity holding his administration accountable for guaranteeing parents’ and students’ rights to a free and...
Read MoreTexas AFT, Texas AAUP-AFT Statement on Senate Bill 37
Senate Bill 37 is a sweeping attack on faculty governance and the freedom to learn, teach, and research in Texas public higher education institutions, which will be heard in the Senate Education K-16 Committee today:
Read MoreMarch 14, 2025: ‘Whose Union? Our Union.’
Friday, March 14, 2025 'Whose Union? Our Union.’ On Monday, 500 Texas AFT members, parents, and students traveled to the Capitol to make their voices heard. (More on that below.) Why? Because, as Texas AFT President Zeph Capo reminded us, no one is coming to save us. It’s up to...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: The Texas House held a voucher hearing. A celebration of public schools broke out.
Hundreds of witnesses testified deep into the night this week in yet another hearing on school vouchers. The House Public Education committee heard House Bill 3, a school voucher scam that garnered nearly unanimous opposition from hundreds of witnesses and...
Read MoreHouse Higher Education Committee Recap: ‘When You’re a Tier 1 University, What You Research Matters’
On Tuesday, House Higher Education Committee members continued their discussion from last week’s hearing on tailoring programs to meet workforce demands.
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