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Amid Government Shutdown, Department of Education Layoffs Imperil Special Education Services, Protections
Sheria Smith, the former president of AFGE Local 252 and lawyer in the Office of Civil Rights, speaks at a rally outside Sen. Ted Cruz’s Dallas office as part of Texas AFT’s biennial convention in June 2025. Photo by Brooke Jonsson, CCR Studios. Even as the federal government remains closed for business, this week’s developments out of Washington, D.C., are...
Read MoreTRS Board Talks COLA, Pension Fund Health
Last Thursday and Friday, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees met for its final quarterly meeting of 2023. At this meeting, the board discussed the financial health of the TRS pension fund and the pension cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that will be applied to the checks of...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: All the Rubrics and Library Books
At the special called meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) on Dec. 13, the board discussion focused on HB 1605 requirements, specifically instructional materials review rules, processes, and rubrics, as well as the library collection development policy required by HB 900. The quality review rubrics are still under...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Educator Preparation and Assessment Changes
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin last week on Dec. 7-8. During this meeting, the board gave preliminary approval to two significant proposals affecting educator training and certification. Over the last several months, Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff have been engaged in a major update and...
Read MoreTexas AFT Names Wanda Longoria as Its New Secretary-Treasurer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 14, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org As the statewide union federation enters its 50th year, Longoria becomes the first Hispanic woman to serve as a Texas AFT officer. AUSTIN, Texas — 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, and now...
Read MoreDec. 8, 2023: COLA Controversies
Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 You tracked your working conditions. Here’s what we learned. This fall, over 600 K-12 and higher education employees participated in Texas AFT’s Strive to Thrive working conditions project. It was the largest statewide effort of public school employees in Texas to document the real issues in...
Read MoreYou tracked your working conditions. Here’s what we learned.
This fall, over 600 K-12 and higher education employees participated in Texas AFT’s Strive to Thrive working conditions project. It was the largest statewide effort of public school employees in Texas to document the real issues in our schools. Every week from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, participants tracked certain...
Read MoreAs 4th Special Session Wraps, Retired Educator COLA Faces Legal Challenges
This week, the fourth special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott came to a close without a single education bill passed — including Abbott’s private school voucher scheme. At least for the time being, it seems that Abbott does not intend to call another special session, and instead intends to...
Read MoreSBOE: Public Comments Needed on Instructional Materials, Library Policy
The State Board of Education (SBOE) is holding a special called meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Ahead of that meeting, there are two important topics for Texas educators to weigh in on. HB 1605: Instructional Materials Rubrics Among its agenda items, the board intends to review and approve the rubrics...
Read MoreKaty ISD Students File a Federal Complaint Against New ‘Gender Policy’
A student-led group called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) is fighting back against Katy ISD’s new anti-trans policy. On Monday, Nov. 13, SEAT filed a formal discrimination complaint with the US Department of Education, citing Title IX violations and decrying the adverse effects of the policy on trans students....
Read MoreStatement on Election Lawsuits, Impact on Proposition 9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 4, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org This past week, it was reported that at least six lawsuits have been filed challenging the results of November’s constitutional amendment election. Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented on these baseless accusations, made by known election deniers and conspiracy theorists, which threaten...
Read MoreDec. 1, 2023: Thankful for the 84
Friday, Dec. 1, 2023 Teaching the truth On Monday, Nov. 27, Texas State University officially dedicated the Shirley R. Harris Student Lounge, honoring a civil rights trailblazer and 40-year San Antonio educator. Shirley Harris was the first Black graduate from the university (then known as Southwest Texas State College), earning...
Read MoreAction Needed: Special SBOE Meeting Dec. 13 on Instructional Materials, Library Books
The State Board of Education (SBOE) is holding a special called meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13, to take action on a few issues before the end of 2023. First, the board intends to review and approve the rubrics for the new Instructional Materials Review and Adoption Process (IMRA) required by...
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