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 MoreOct. 18, 2024: United Against Book Bans
Friday, Oct. 18, 2024 United Against Book Bans This Saturday, Oct. 19, libraries, bookstores, readers, and partners nationwide are hosting rallies and community events to unite against book bans and demonstrate our shared commitment to a fundamental freedom: the freedom to read. Book bans and challenges in the U.S. reached...
Read MoreElection 2024 Spotlight: Winning HD 118 for Working Texans
Kristian Carranza is making waves in her run to represent District 118 in the Texas House of Representatives, with a focus on strengthening public education. As a community organizer who grew up in Southside San Antonio, Carranza has firsthand experience with the struggles of working families, which has shaped her...
Read MoreA Tale of Two Texans: Cruz and Allred Face Off in Crucial Senate Debate
In a pivotal moment for Texas politics, incumbent Sen. Ted Cruz and challenger Rep. Colin Allred squared off in what may be their only televised debate before the Nov. 5 election. The Oct. 15 showdown in Dallas revealed the stark choice facing voters in the race to represent Texas in...
Read MoreElection 2024: Early Voting Is Here!
With only four days until early voting starts, now is the time to make your plan to vote! Early voting across Texas starts Monday, Oct. 21, and will run until Friday, Nov. 1. Times will vary depending on location.
Read More‘Doomed To Fail’: New Report Shows How Charter School Churn Harms Students They Purported to Help
Charter schools in Texas have become synonymous with instability, especially as the state has a 30-34% closure rate for charter schools according to a new report from the National Center for Charter School Accountability and the Network for Public Education.
Read MoreOct. 11, 2024: ‘I felt like I had been deserted’
Friday, Oct. 11, 2024 ‘I felt like I had been deserted’ The work our members do each day, whether in K-12 schools or in our colleges and universities, is noble, vital, and so often undervalued by the folks in charge. Their work is also increasingly dangerous, whether that’s the ever-present...
Read MoreThe Great Texas Property Tax Debacle
The Texas Legislature has shown itself to be incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, prioritizing property tax relief over fully funding public education in the past several years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, historic inflation, and record-breaking state budget surpluses. The implications for our public schools have...
Read MoreElection 2024 Spotlight: Winning Back an Anti-Voucher Vote in HD 138
Stephanie Morales, the Texas AFT COPE-endorsed candidate for Texas House District 138, is a passionate advocate for public education.
Read MoreElection 2024: Time is Running Out to Request Your Absentee Ballot!
With only 25 days until the Nov. 5 election, time is running out to request an absentee ballot! The deadline for your mail-in ballot application to be received by your county’s elections office is Friday, Oct. 25! In Texas, to request a mail-in ballot, you must meet one or more...
Read MoreOct. 4, 2024: ‘I’m a Union Guy’
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...
Read MoreFact Check: No, There Is Not Rampant Voter Fraud in Texas
Texas voters received a significant victory for voting rights in federal court this past week when it ruled against a key provision of Texas’ anti-voter law, Senate Bill 1. The portion struck down is what the court refers to as ‘the canvassing restriction,’ which served no purpose but to illegally...
Read MoreElection 2024 Spotlight: State Board of Education Endorsements
Endorsing in State Board of Education races is a critical piece of our political work at Texas AFT. Those who attend our Educating Texas series have heard us speak regularly about the importance of this often-overlooked body of elected officials and the impact their decisions have on the daily lives...
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