Newsroom

Featured News

Retiree Issues in the Spotlight 

We continue to await news of the final outcome of the bipartisan effort in Congress to pass the Social Security Fairness Act and finally repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO) to ensure that public employees – including educators, firefighters, and VA nurses – receive the Social Security benefits they are due.

Read More

7 ISDs Join Lawsuit Against A-F Rating System

Late this spring, at the height of legislative chaos, Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced that he would be updating the A-F accountability system for Texas school districts to raise the bar for meeting the college, career, and military readiness (CCMR) indicator. He also announced that these new standards would apply...

Read More

Legislative Round-Up: Bad Bills Going Into Effect

Today, Sept. 1, hundreds of laws passed by the Texas Legislature earlier this year go into effect. While some bills have already gone into effect and other bills have a deferred effective date, the vast majority of bills passed during the 88th legislative session go into effect today.

Read More

Aug. 25, 2023: The Rise of Educational Intimidation

Friday, August 25, 2023 Get your yard sign at store.texasaft.org. Use code BTS2023 at checkout for 25% off. All purchases serve as donations to our union’s political fund. The Rise of Educational Intimidation House Bill 900, the Legislature’s book-banning bill passed this year, was in court last week. A U.S....

Read More

Join the Effort to Track Real Issues in Texas Schools

Our working conditions are our students' learning conditions. By taking care of our needs as employees, we ensure our students have what they need to succeed. Lawmakers in Austin have refused to give you a pay raise, just like they've refused to take up bills that would improve your day-to-day...

Read More

You’re Not A-Loan: AFT Student Debt Benefits

In response to the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Biden Administration’s plan to cancel $10,000-20,000 in student debt for all federal student loan borrowers, the Department of Education has taken steps to provide 804,000 borrowers with automatic loan forgiveness.  But there are several updates you need to be aware of....

Read More

We’re Hiring: Student Fellowship Available

The Bridges Fellowship Texas AFT is looking to develop the next generation of policy and communications experts in the labor and pro-public education movement.  Each year, Texas AFT recruits hardworking self-starters to join the Bridges Fellowship. The Fellowship is named in honor of the late Linda Bridges, the president of...

Read More

Aug. 18, 2023: The Long-Awaited Committee Report

Friday, August 18, 2023 Reading opens the world. Will Texas let it? The latest issue of AFT’s American Educator magazine is a special one, dedicated to addressing literacy, learning loss, and loneliness among our students. The goal is to lay out strategies — proven by research and practiced by educators...

Read More

Aug. 11, 2023: We take care of us

Friday, August 11, 2023 Members of the Houston Federation of Teachers, along with community members, parents, and students, participate in a read-in before the Houston ISD Board of Managers meeting Thursday, Aug. 10. The protest was in response to state-installed Superintendent Mike Miles' plans to close district libraries and transform...

Read More