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This Week in the Legislature: House Rolls Out Bills to Fundamentally Change Public Education in Texas
The Texas House made news last week with a new slate of committee assignments that will determine the fate of the Educator’s Bill of Rights and other critical education policies, including school finance, teacher and school staff pay, and private school vouchers (ESAs).
Read MoreOct. 25, 2024: Your vote, your voice
Friday, Oct. 25, 2024 Your vote, your voice. The presidential election, along with all other consequential down-ballot races in Texas, is happening now. It ends Nov. 5. And it is taking place in a state where: Public schools are struggling to survive without any new funding from the state since...
Read MoreThis Weekend, March to the Polls with Texas AFT Local Unions
Left: San Antonio union members canvass on behalf of Texas AFT COPE-endorsed HD 118 candidate Kristian Carranza. Right: Dallas area union members canvass for Texas AFT COPE-endorsed HD 112 candidate Averie Bishop. Find all endorsements at vote.texasaft.org. In 2023, a bipartisan coalition of state lawmakers rejected private school voucher scams...
Read MoreBiden Administration Announces That 1 Million Public Service Workers’ Debt Was Cancelled
FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Over 1 Million Public Service Workers Have Received Student Debt Cancellation Under the Biden-Harris Administration On Oct. 17, President Joe Biden announced an additional $4.5 billion in student debt cancellation for over 60,000 borrowers through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program; the news means...
Read MoreElection 2024 Spotlight: Re-Electing a Champion of Smaller Class Sizes, School Mental Health Resources in SD 27
As the 2024 election season heats up, Sen. Morgan LaMantia (D-Brownsville) stands out as a dedicated advocate for public education. Representing a diverse constituency, she has consistently prioritized the needs of students, teachers, and families throughout her tenure in the...
Read MoreTrump’s Plan to Defund Public Schools: Project 2025’s Dangerous Blueprint
With the Election Day just 12 days away, former President Donald Trump’s looming return to power brings with it the unsettling reality of Project 2025. This far-right manifesto threatens to dismantle public education as we know it. With 992-page agenda, titled “Mandate for Leadership,” was developed by the conservative Heritage...
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...
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