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 MoreStudent Activists, 30+ Organizations Defend Title IX Protections for All Students
This past week, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) was joined by 30+ organizations, including Texas AFT, in sending an open letter to more than 1,000 superintendents of Texas public schools, urging them to uphold the legal protections promised by Title IX. The letter calls on superintendents “to clarify federal...
Read MoreTexas AAUP-AFT Welcomes New Chapters at 12 Universities Across Texas
Texas AAUP-AFT President Brian Evans speaks to media in May 2024 with allied groups and elected officials, including state Rep. Ron Reynolds (D-Houston) and state Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio). In the wake of last year’s unprecedented attacks against higher education in the Texas Legislature and the draconian crackdowns on...
Read MoreTexas Elections Are Awash in Money. McAllen Voters Could Change That Locally This November
Texas AFT applauds our coalition ally Ground Game Texas for turning in over 5,000 signatures to qualify for a McAllen ballot measure that would limit campaign contributions and give city voters the powers of initiative, referendum, and recall. Educators were aghast at the unlimited PAC money that unduly influenced Republican...
Read MoreLouisiana passes bill requiring 10 Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms
In Louisiana, lawmakers passed a law that would require all public schools to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry last week, has drawn lots of legal challenges, but many conservative states are hoping to pass similar laws soon. Texas...
Read MoreJune 21, 2024: The Whole Truth
Friday, June 21, 2024 The Whole Truth “We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free.” — Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” On June 19, 1865, Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger proclaimed the end of slavery to individuals in Galveston,...
Read MoreSBOE Preview: New Charter Schools up for Consideration
The State Board of Education (SBOE) will begin its regular meeting in Austin on Tuesday, June 28. The packed agenda is dominated by an issue that Texas AFT monitors very closely: the review and approval of new charter school campuses. We want to preview this topic for you now, as...
Read More4 New Citizenship Clinic Pre-Screenings Added in Houston Area
Northeast Houston AFT hosted a pre-screening for permanent legal residents ahead of the July 21 citizenship clinic (center). Find information on the clinic, as well as the remaining pre-screening dates, in the linked English and Spanish fliers. The AFT national union, Texas AFT, and its local unions in Harris...
Read MoreJune 14, 2024: The Future of Our Schools
Monday, June 17, 2024 Last week's Hotline was delayed to today due to technical difficulties on Friday, June 14th. Texas Democrats Unite to Defend Public Education at 2024 State Convention This past weekend, Texas Democrats gathered in El Paso for their 2024 state convention, and the tone could not have...
Read MoreTexas Democrats Unite to Defend Public Education at 2024 State Convention
This past weekend, Texas Democrats gathered in El Paso for their 2024 state convention, and the tone could not have been more different from the Texas GOP Convention held in San Antonio in late May. As speaker after speaker took the stage, one issue resonated above all others: the urgent...
Read MoreWhat STAAR Scores Actually Measure: Beyond the Classroom
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released data on high school STAAR test results, showing an improvement in students’ performance on English II but remaining largely stagnant from the prior year and still catching up to pre-COVID levels. The Austin American-Statesman reported that, “Students who met grade level for the English...
Read MoreAI Technology in Education: Share Your Thoughts & Win a Gift Card!
The headlines we've seen in recent months about artificial intelligence (AI) can be anxiety-inducing. Texas AFT members have reported concerns about students using tools like ChatGPT to skirt assignments, while the Texas Education Agency has begun using computers to grade students' written answers on this year's STAAR. However, this emerging...
Read MoreJune 7, 2024: Defending Public Education
Friday, June 7, 2024 Vouchers Drain Public School Funding This week, The Washington Post released a comprehensive report detailing the detrimental effects of vouchers on public schools. These vouchers, by channeling funds away from public schools and toward religious institutions, not only blur the line between church and state but...
Read More