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A Tale of Two Districts: Fort Worth, Houston, and the State’s Long Game for Texas Public Schools
Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson speaks at a 2024 rally against the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of Houston ISD. When the Texas Education Agency announced its takeover of Fort Worth ISD last week, it marked another flashpoint in a long-brewing conflict over who controls the future of Texas public schools: local communities or the state government in Austin. The decision...
Read MoreYour 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...
Read MoreTexas 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,...
Read More89th Legislature in Review: Your Right to Healthy, Safe Working Conditions
Texas AFT United members visit a lawmaker’s office during the 89th legislative session and discuss the need for our Educator’s Bill of Rights. This plank in your Educator’s Bill of Rights states that “safety is a prerequisite for learning.” If our educators and students do not feel secure in...
Read MoreJuly 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,...
Read MoreTexas AFT Joins Coalition of School Districts, Parents, & Advocates in Lawsuit Against Trump-Vance Administration for Unlawfully Blocking Billions in Funding
Without Court Intervention, Unlawful Funding Freeze will Endanger Academic Programs and Staffing Across the Nation
Read More89th 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...
Read MoreSpecial 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...
Read MoreSBEC 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...
Read MoreTexas 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...
Read MoreJuly 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,...
Read MoreUnpacking the 89th Legislature: Your Right to a Secure Retirement
Texas AFT members at our 2025 Public Education Advocacy Day at the Capitol. One Socorro AFT member holds a sign with one of the 10 essential rights in our Educator’s Bill of Rights: the right to secure retirement. Texas educators deserve better than broken promises and one-time checks. Despite a...
Read MorePublic Education at a Crossroads: Vouchers, Cuts, and the Fight Ahead
One of the young attendees at a rally outside of Sen. Ted Cruz’s Dallas office with Texas AFT and AFGE Local 252 in June 2025. Photo by Brooke Jonsson, CCR Studios. While educators across Texas are making plans for the new school year, big moves in Washington, D.C., are threatening...
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