Friday, April 12, 2024 Despite recent claims that public education is at a "record high," the real data shows Texas schools are starving. Full Speed Ahead and No Sign of Relief Texans are still reeling from the tornado of bad policy that came out of last year’s record-breaking five legislative...
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This Thursday, April 11, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dropped a list of 57 charges for senate committees to study in preparation for the 89th legislative session next spring. Nearly a third of the charges he included were either directly or indirectly related to education in Texas, but none of the...
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Last week the Austin Community College (ACC) Board of Trustees approved a proposal to offer free tuition for high school graduates and GED completers starting with the class of 2024. This pilot program - referred to as the College Affordability Plan - will fully cover tuition for the next five...
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The safety of LGBTQ+ students in K-12 schools is under scrutiny as hate crimes targeting them surge across the United States, particularly in states with laws limiting their rights. An analysis of FBI data by The Washington Post unveils a disturbing reality: hate crimes on K-12 campuses have more than...
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Friday, April 4, 2024 April 3 tweet from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, whose district includes the University of Texas at Austin. Happy Celebrate Diversity Month ... Though April is nominally Celebrate Diversity Month, its first week in Texas this year has been far from joyous. In response to heightening pressure...
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Friday, March 15, 2024 What’s Dunn Can Still Be Undone We get asked one question quite regularly by teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, librarians and more: “Why is Texas like this now? Why isn’t anyone in charge listening to us.” Texas Monthly’s March edition has the answer in the form...
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Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 Could you use some good news? Because we could use some good news. Here at Texas AFT, we bring you need-to-know information on the state of public education in Texas with every Friday’s Hotline. And we are acutely aware that, by and large, the news we...
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The core purpose of this law, according to the bill text, is to stop institutions of higher education from “promoting differential treatment of or providing special benefits to individuals on the basis of race, color, or ethnicity,” but the implementation of the bill has revealed its practical, perhaps intentional, effect:...
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Friday, Feb. 16, 2024 Gov. Greg Abbott held yet another of his voucher rallies last week in San Antonio. Our members, active and retired, were there to greet him. Cut to the Bone Fact: Texas has a significant crisis of retaining teachers and qualified school staff. Another fact: Texas...
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More than half of Texas AFT members said they joined our union because a colleague or friend encouraged them to do so. Our worksite leaders are critical to building power for educators statewide. Thrive Campaign Professional Development Member Benefits Our fight to thrive is about creating respectful working conditions with...
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Last week’s edition of the Hotline included the first round of primary endorsements made by Texas AFT COPE (Committee on Political Education). This list of candidates for the U.S. Congress, the Texas Legislature, and the State Board of Education was carefully vetted and approved by our COPE committee, made up...
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Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 “God bless the Texas labor movement, and God help Texas.” Last weekend, Texas AFT delegates attended the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention, kicking off Texas labor’s political fight this election year for working Texans (more on that later). In his speech to convention delegates, President Zeph Capo...
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