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Urgent Call to Action: Texas House Public Education Committee Hearings on 08/12 and 08/13
The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13 on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. Perhaps most critically, the committee will consider the implementation of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers and the effect that the increasing quantity of uncertified...
Read MoreSupreme Court Clears Way for State Takeover of Houston ISD
Last week, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the Texas Education Agency and Commissioner of Education Mike Morath could potentially take control of the democratically elected Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees. HISD has been targeted for state takeover since 2019 due to alleged misconduct by trustees and poor...
Read MoreFact-Check: Gov. Abbott’s School Funding Claims
Claim: In a tweet Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott refuted (rightful) claims from Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson that state leaders’ plans to push vouchers — under “school choice” verbiage — would further defund public schools, already “starving” for money. In his tweet, Abbott said per-student funding for Texas...
Read MoreSign AFT Retiree Craig Adams’ Petition to Join TRS Board of Trustees
Craig Adams, a Texas AFT Retiree Plus member, needs your signature to get on the ballot for the Retiree position on the TRS (Teacher Retirement System of Texas) Board of Trustees. Any retired teacher in the TRS system can sign Craig’s petition. All signatures must be submitted by Jan. 25...
Read MoreJan. 20, 2023: Fact-Checking Gov. Abbott; The State Takeover of HISD; The Voucher Fight Begins
Friday, Jan. 20, 2023 This week’s Hotline starts with a reminder: Words matter. What happens in the Legislature has consequences. Over the past month, a variety of rumors about Texas education have sprung up on social media and taken root. In December, tweets began circulating that claimed Dallas ISD teachers...
Read MoreJan. 13, 2023: Our Visit to the Capitol; Hinojosa’s $10K Raise Bill
Friday, Jan. 13, 2023 In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Texas AFT offices will be closed Monday, Jan. 16. — Texas Legislature Texas AFT Takes Respect Agenda to the Capitol Texas AFT President Zeph Capo speaks at a press conference at the Capitol. Local AFT presidents and Rep....
Read MoreTexas AFT Takes Respect Agenda to the Capitol
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo speaks at a press conference at the Capitol. Local AFT presidents and Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos (D-Richardson) stand behind him. The 88th Legislature is now in session, and Texas AFT local leaders were on hand this week to discuss our union’s Respect Agenda with lawmakers, meeting...
Read MoreGood Bills of the Week: Rep. Hinojosa Announces Bill to Give Teachers $10k raises
At our press conference at the Capitol this past Tuesday, Rep. Gina Hinojosa announced that she would be filing a bill that would ensure that all teachers across the state received a $10,000 salary increase. Teachers in Texas currently make significantly less than the national average, so this across-the-board increase...
Read MoreSign AFT Retiree Phyllis Ruffin’s Petition to Join TRS Board of Trustees
Texas AFT Retiree Plus board member Phyllis Ruffin is just two dozen signatures shy from being on the ballot to join the TRS (Teacher Retirement System of Texas) Board of Trustees. Any active or retired teacher who is vested in TRS can sign Phyllis’ petition. All signatures must be submitted...
Read MoreThe Agenda for the 88th Legislature? Respect for Public Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 10, 2022 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org The Agenda for the 88th Legislature? Respect for Public Schools Educators’ union releases a list of legislative priorities intended to retain teachers and staff, fund schools appropriately, and make schools safer for students AUSTIN, Texas — As members were sworn in to...
Read MoreJan. 6, 2023: Education Bills, a COLA, & Student Debt Relief
Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 Welcome to 2023, and the 88th Texas Legislature Happy new year! For those on their way back to classrooms, buses, and school campuses, we wish you a soft landing and a happy return. In Austin, Texas AFT is gearing up for another return — of the...
Read More88th Texas Legislature: Public Education Preview
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin on Dec. 9, and the board’s final agenda of the year had a few noteworthy items.
Read MoreRetirees Sound the Alarm on TRS COLA in Local News
The upcoming 88th Texas legislative session is poised to be a consequential one for retired teachers. No teacher who retired in the past 19 years has ever received a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to their TRS annuity. But after all these years, there is finally hope on the horizon for a...
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