The State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its regular meeting in Austin next week. We will be closely watching several items, with special focus on those related to proposed science textbooks, HB 1605 implementation, and ethnic studies courses. The SBOE will also hear general updates on the Generation 29...
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Friday, November 3, 2023 [VIDEO] Texas AFT Retiree Plus members like Phyllis Ruffin, Rita Runnels, and Lydia Carrillo-Valdez launched their fight for a TRS COLA in 2018. Hear from them on why Prop 9 is a much-needed beginning for retirement justice. They’re counting on you With only a few days...
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As the third special session winds down, educators can continue to make a difference for public education in numerous ways statewide. It is critical that our members participate in ongoing conversations at decision-making tables to ensure that public education continues...
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Friday, September 8, 2023 Source: 2023 Charles Butt Foundation Poll 🎤 Is this thing on? The title of the latest poll from the Charles Butt Foundation says it all: “Listening to the Educator Experience.” Too few in Texas’ halls of power want to do that. That’s probably because instead of...
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The State Board of Education (SBOE) met for its regular meeting Aug. 29-Sept. 1 with an unusually dense agenda. Proclamation 2024 & Science Textbooks Adoption Tuesday began with a public hearing on Proclamation 2024, which includes instructional materials for many career and technical education courses (CTE). But all eyes were...
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The State Board of Education (SBOE) will hold its regular meeting in Austin next week. We will be closely watching several items, with special focus on those related to proposed science textbooks and charter schools.
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Friday, August 18, 2023 Reading opens the world. Will Texas let it? The latest issue of AFT’s American Educator magazine is a special one, dedicated to addressing literacy, learning loss, and loneliness among our students. The goal is to lay out strategies — proven by research and practiced by educators...
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Friday, August 11, 2023 Members of the Houston Federation of Teachers, along with community members, parents, and students, participate in a read-in before the Houston ISD Board of Managers meeting Thursday, Aug. 10. The protest was in response to state-installed Superintendent Mike Miles' plans to close district libraries and transform...
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Friday, August 4, 2023 Alliance/AFT member and Dallas ISD teacher Rosie Curts attends a Houston community protest this summer against TEA’s takeover and Mike Miles’ appointment as superintendent. It starts in Houston. It doesn’t end there. We start this week with a message from Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and...
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Friday, July 28, 2023 Education Austin, Houston Federation of Teachers Presidents Represent Texas at Nation’s Capitol Last week, two Texas AFT local union presidents traveled to Washington D.C. to represent Texas educators on the national stage. Jackie Anderson, president of the Houston Federation of Teachers, journeyed to D.C. to participate...
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Just because the Legislature is not in session (for now), that doesn't mean the policy work stops. The Texas Education Agency is always in the process of revising its rules and regulations for our Texas classrooms. Frequently, TEA seeks educator involvement. It’s critical that our members participate in these ongoing...
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Northeast Houston AFT President Shonda Below with a student at Texas AFT’s Public Education Advocacy Day in March 2023. Photo by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. When the Texas Education Agency released the results of their now infamously ignored Teacher Vacancy Taskforce Report, their recommendations fell into three broad categories: Compensation...
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