Featured News
How Vouchers & Charter Schools Hurt Public School Funding: A Q&A with Dr. David Knight & Dr. David DeMatthews
Despite a resounding defeat in the 88th Legislature, private school vouchers will return as a major issue in the 89th Legislature, which begins Jan. 14. After pouring money into Republican primary races to defeat anti-voucher incumbents, Gov. Greg Abbott claims he has the votes he needs to pass a voucher program; meanwhile, both he and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick continue...
Read MoreAug. 2, 2024: Back to School. Back to the Legislature
Friday, August 2, 2024 Back to School. Back to the Legislature. Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions. The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are...
Read MoreUrgent Action: Testify or Submit Public Comments to the House Public Education Committee
Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions. The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public...
Read MoreAFT Convention 2024: Progress Is Possible, Not Guaranteed
Top: AFT convention delegates and guests listen to Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, July 25. Photo by Marco Guajardo, Texas AFT. Bottom: Scenes from the four days of convention programming at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Photos by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. This past week, Texas...
Read MoreNew Harris for President merch added to Texas AFT store
The AFT recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president! We’re ready to help elect her, ensuring that public school employees’ voices are heard on the national level and that pro-voucher Republicans are kept out of office. If you’d like to show your support for Harris, you can sport...
Read MoreBillionaires are buying politicians in Texas. What are we going to do about it?
Pennsylvania GOP megadonor Jeff Yass has given another $4 million to Gov. Greg Abbott to boost the governor’s bid to unseat Texas House Republicans who oppose his private school voucher scam. The donation, revealed in July in a campaign finance report, was Yass’ second major contribution to Abbott this election...
Read More“Broken Promises’: A Chronicle of Charter School Failures
Given the recent approvals of four new charter schools by the State Board of Education this summer, we want to revisit the important research that has informed Texas AFT’s continued insistence on a charter school moratorium in this state. First, let’s start with the national education policy think tank...
Read MoreJuly 26, 2024: Cross-Country Solidarity
Friday, July 26, 2024 Cross-Country Solidarity In recent years, it feels like public education in Texas has made headlines for all the wrong reasons: stagnant public school funding, book bans, or the threat of privatization, and more. But this week Texas educators made the front pages of newspapers across the...
Read MoreUrgent 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...
Read MoreAFT Becomes First Union to Endorse Kamala Harris
Thousands of AFT members were energized by a visit from Vice President Kamala Harris on the last day of our 88th biennial national convention this past Thursday. AFT was the first labor union to endorse Vice President Harris after President Joe Biden’s stunning announcement this past Sunday that he would...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Board Focus on Long-Range Planning and Stakeholder Engagement
The State Board for Educator Certification met in Austin on July 18-19. While this agenda was light on decision making, it was full of portents for future action by this body. Thursday, the SBEC conducted their annual work session. The day was divided into two major areas for discussion: Long-range...
Read MoreTransforming Student Debt: Major Relief for Public Service Workers
The Biden-Harris Administration has taken a significant step forward in addressing student debt, approving an additional $1.2 billion in relief for 35,000 public servants. This move is part of a broader effort to reform the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which has historically fallen short in delivering promised debt...
Read MorePremium Reductions, New Plans, and Investment Strategy Discussed at TRS Board Meeting
Last week the TRS board of trustees convened in Austin to discuss the health of the pension fund, the fund’s investment strategy, and, perhaps most consequentially, the significant reduction of TRS-Care premiums from Medicare-eligible members. Texas AFT Retiree Plus Members also attended the meeting and provided public comment to the...
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