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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...

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July 25, 2025: Power in Numbers

Friday, July 25, 2025 Don’t Agonize. Organize! One of these years, we desperately hope we’ll have an uneventful – dare we hope, even boring – back-to-school season. But that is not going to be this year.   News breaks every day that has broad, often concerning, implications for our schools,...

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Texas Special Session: Week 1 Recap 

This special session of the 89th Legislature opened with no movement on STAAR reform or other priority education legislation.   Instead, congressional redistricting has emerged as the dominant issue, fundamentally reshaping legislative priorities. Republicans have launched a rare mid-decade redraw of congressional districts, reportedly seeking to create up to five...

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Your Questions About HB 2 & School Funding Answered 

When lawmakers rolled out House Bill 2 in the 89th Legislature, they promised a historic investment in public education. As the bill worked its way through the legislative process, the contents of the bill changed repeatedly, and educators across Texas were left wondering what actually ended up in the final...

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Texas AFT Joins Lawsuit Over Frozen Federal Education Funding 

A sign held by a member at our June rally outside of Sen. Ted Cruz’s office, protesting his support of defunding the Department of Education and adding a private voucher program to the federal budget bill. Photo by Brooke Jonsson, CCR Studios.   On Monday, Texas AFT joined school districts,...

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July 18, 2025: Two Federal Threats to Public Schools

Friday, July 18, 2025 Two Federal Threats to Public Schools This week, Texas AFT hosted the first session of our Summer School briefings for public school employees and parents, trying to make sense of all the state and national changes affecting our schools, colleges, and universities.   On the call,...

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Special Session Preview: Gov. Abbott Brings Lawmakers Back to Austin  

On Monday, Texas lawmakers will return to Austin for a special session of the 89th Legislature, as required by Gov. Greg Abbott's formal call on July 12. Among the issues listed in the governor’s proclamation are improving flood warning systems, cutting property taxes, regulating hemp-derived products, and, most controversially, drawing...

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SBEC Preview: New Members and a Heavy Docket 

The State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) will meet in Austin on July 24 and 25.   The agenda for Friday’s meeting is relatively light with only a few action items. One item of note is the designation of a temporary suspension committee required by Senate Bill (SB) 571. This bill...

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Texas A&M System Joins Schools in Red States to Create a New Accrediting Body 

The Texas A&M University System is joining with other public university systems in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and South Carolina to create a new accrediting body, the “Commission for Public Higher Education.” This comes after the passage of Senate Bill 530, which loosens regulations on how public colleges and...

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July 11, 2025: Who’s on the side of working Texans?

Friday, July 11, 2025 Who’s on the side of working Texans?  Earlier this week — a week of tragedy for so many Texas families — the Texas AFL-CIO officially released its Pro-Worker Scorecard for our state representatives and senators.   This is BIG NEWS. By making this data publicly available,...

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