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89th Legislative Session in Review: Your Right to Affordable, High-Quality Childcare
The youngest speaker at our Public Education Advocacy Day this past March. Our members brought copies of the Educator’s Bill of Rights to meet with their legislators. When we began our work on your 89th legislative agenda, working conditions were top of mind for members. One particular issue began to come to the forefront: the right to high-quality affordable childcare. ...
Read MoreTexas House kicks the can down the road again on school funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2025 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org Small increase to the basic allotment means underfunded schools will continue to struggle. AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval to House Bill 2, its attempt at a school finance bill. Both the process and...
Read MoreICYMI: Educator argues vouchers won’t help her most vulnerable students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2025 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org ICYMI: Educator argues vouchers won’t help her most vulnerable students Parents and educators joined State Rep. James Talarico for a statewide TV interview. AUSTIN, Texas – Yesterday, Nexstar television stations across the state aired a special broadcast, “Texas Education: Funding...
Read MoreApril 11, 2025: We can – and must – do better
Friday, April 11, 2025 McAllen AFT President Sylvia Tanguma (left) and members attend their school board meeting Tuesday with a message to trustees: stand with us in fighting against the privatization of our schools. We can – and must – do better This week, the Texas House passed its...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Where’s the Money?
On Thursday, legislators in the Texas House discussed their version of the state budget deep into the night. Hundreds of amendments were proposed, but fewer were actually voted upon, let alone debated. Unfortunately, budget writers affiliated with House leadership made a deal early on to stifle debate on important amendments...
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Education: SB 37 Committee Substitute to be Voted on the Senate Floor by Next Week
It was another light week in the House Higher Education Committee, with the hearing mainly focusing on college accessibility. Chairman Terry Wilson laid out his bills House Bill 4909 and HB 4912. By establishing a new “My Texas Future”...
Read MoreIn Washington, Texas’ Cornyn Introduces Bill to Address School Bus Driver Shortage
In surprisingly good news, Sen. John Cornyn, along with Sens. Tammy Baldwin, Marsha Blackburn, and Mark Kelly, introduced a bill last Thursday that would address the nationwide school bus driver shortage. The Driving Forward Act (S.1284) would continue a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) testing requirement exemption for new school bus...
Read MoreCourt Greenlights Release of Delayed A-F Ratings — But the Fight Isn’t Over
After months of legal back-and-forth, the Texas Education Agency has announced it will release the long-delayed A-F accountability ratings for the 2022-23 school year. This follows an April 3 ruling from the Texas 15th Court of Appeals, overturning a previous injunction that had blocked the release of the ratings. The...
Read MoreApril 4, 2025: We’ve got eyes, governor.
Friday, April 4, 2025 We’ve got eyes, governor. Last week, the Texas Tribune published a school finance explainer that puts to rest false claims from Gov. Greg Abbott and his pro-voucher ilk that Texas education funding is at an all-time high. The analysis concludes that the $15,000 per student figure...
Read MoreTexas School Board Elections: Union Endorsements Aim to Reshape Educational Leadership
As Texas approaches the important May 3 school board elections, educator unions are actively endorsing candidates who align with their vision for public education. Notably, the Northside American Federation of Teachers (Northside AFT) and Socorro AFT are at the forefront of these efforts, advocating for leadership that prioritizes the needs...
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Ed: Why is the Legislature Coming for Accreditation?
This week, House Bill 1705 and its companion Senate Bill 757 were heard in both the House Higher Education Committee and the Senate Education K-16 Committee. These bills change higher education accrediting standards, removing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) as the statutorily mandated agency in the education...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Budgets on the Move, Alongside Gov. Abbott’s Voucher Scam
Texas Budget Update: Public & Higher Education in Focus This week, both chambers of the Texas Legislature advanced major budget proposals, with public and higher education taking center stage. The Texas Senate unanimously passed a $336 billion budget for the 2026–27 biennium. The proposal includes $71 billion for the Foundation...
Read MoreTexas AFT Retiree Plus Recommends Dr. Marty Lenard for TRS Board
The upcoming Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees election is critical for educators, as it can directly impact retirement benefits and the push for an automatic cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) tied to inflation. After careful review, Texas AFT Retiree Plus members recommend Dr. Marty Lenard, a long-time educator...
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