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This Week in the Legislature: ‘A Damn Sad Day’ for Public Education
Under normal circumstances, the Texas Legislature is a wild and weird place. But ‘Private School Voucher Day’ at the Texas Capitol truly took the cake, from far-right conservatives offering amendments that would have increased the basic allotment by more than $1,000 to one Democrat arguing against transparency and accountability for charter schools. President Trump himself entered the conversation with a...
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Ed: Why is the Legislature Coming for Accreditation?
This week, House Bill 1705 and its companion Senate Bill 757 were heard in both the House Higher Education Committee and the Senate Education K-16 Committee. These bills change higher education accrediting standards, removing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as the statutorily mandated agency in the education...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Budgets on the Move, Alongside Gov. Abbott’s Voucher Scam
Texas Budget Update: Public & Higher Education in Focus This week, both chambers of the Texas Legislature advanced major budget proposals, with public and higher education taking center stage. The Texas Senate unanimously passed a $336 billion budget for the 2026–27 biennium. The proposal includes $71 billion for the Foundation...
Read MoreTexas AFT Retiree Plus Recommends Dr. Marty Lenard for TRS Board
The upcoming Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees election is critical for educators, as it can directly impact retirement benefits and the push for an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) tied to inflation. After careful review, Texas AFT Retiree Plus members recommend Dr. Marty Lenard, a long-time educator...
Read MoreMarch 28, 2025: Voucher Math 101
Friday, March 28, 2025 Voucher Math 101 On Tuesday, while Gov. Greg Abbott (bafflingly) hosted Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey to promote his private school voucher scheme, fifth-grade math teacher Tay Carriker-Cavin, an Education Austin member, delivered a tough lesson in "Voucher Math" just feet away from their press conference. Armed...
Read MoreAFT Takes Legal Action to Defend Public, Higher Education
AFT members, parents, and students gather outside the Department of Education on March 14 to protest the Trump Administration’s move to gut the department and imperil federal funding for our kids and their schools. Last week, we shared news of an expected yet dangerous move from the Trump administration: an...
Read MoreHouse Higher Ed Committee Off to a Good Start
After last week’s Senate Bill 37 chaos in the Senate Education K-16 Committee, it was refreshing to see bills in the House Higher Education Committee that would support our community colleges and universities. House Bill 2110 by Rep. Gary VanDeaver modifies the funding model for community colleges established in...
Read MoreWhy Are Billionaires Still Trying to Buy Our Schools?
Credit: www.littlesis.org Despite Gov. Greg Abbott and billionaire donor Jeff Yass pouring millions into pro-voucher campaigns, the public remains firmly against privatizing our schools. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo brought the receipts this week to a press conference with Local Progress Texas, a coalition of local government officials and community...
Read MoreSubmit Public Comments to the Texas Legislature
A great way to make your voice heard on bills in the state Legislature is to leave a public comment online. These comments, which you can write from your home, are distributed to representatives on House committees and become part of the public record on a bill - so be...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Abbott’s Voucher Push, Movement on Student Behavior Bills
Governor Abbott Continues to Push Voucher Scam Despite Public Opposition Despite two-thirds of Texans opposing his private school voucher program (29% support, 65% oppose), Gov. Greg Abbott held a press conference this week alongside Lt. Gov.Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, declaring he had the votes to pass House...
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.
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