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.
Our fight to thrive is about creating respectful working conditions with more planning time, fewer added duties and extra paperwork, resources to prevent burnout before it starts, and a defined workday that doesn’t require us to sacrifice our personal lives for our jobs.
Our union’s professional development and advocacy programs help members create a school culture that allows both employees and students to thrive. To do that, we need your help. Below are resources to help you organize on your campus and in your district. Bookmark it for future use — we will update!
#ThriveTogether on Campus
For educators themselves to thrive, we must help them build a Texas that is conducive to thriving: a Texas that respects their profession, offers them a fair wage, protects their rights as workers, and produces positive outcomes for the kids and parents they serve every day.
Upcoming Thrive Campaign Events
We’re spotlighting some of our most important events to build our campaign here. But our union is always busy.
Educating Texas Webinars
Text Out the Vote for March 5
Talking to Your Co-Workers About Thrive
Download and share these organizing materials with your co-workers. Ask others to join you in your movement to win respect. Additional details may be found at:
Professional Development
We know professional development is a top priority for all K-12 and higher education employees, and we have several programs to help you thrive in your work too.
Bridges Institute for Professional Development
Texas AFT’s Bridges Institute for Professional Development provides a wide variety of high-quality professional development and special programs. We serve members of Texas AFT and our public education community at large.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Our Bridges Institute hosts a wide variety of professional development events. Members also have access to virtual webinars and discussions through AFT and Share My Lesson.
Nearly all of these events offer professional development credits for participating.
Wellness Wednesday Series
- On-Demand: Dimensions to Wellness: Self-Care for Educators
- Wednesday, Feb. 28: Five Healing Gestures to Help Educators and Students Grappling with Trauma
- Wednesday, March 20: Be Healthfully Present: Supporting Your Own Well-Being
- Wednesday, April 17: Holistic Approach to Self-Care: Creating a Personal Wellness Plan
- Wednesday, May 8: More Than Just Self-Care: Six Factors of Educator Well-Being
Professional Learning & You
As a member of the American Federation of Teachers, you have access to a variety of programs and resources designed to enhance your professional growth. This brochure highlights many of these opportunities. You can also visit aft.org/education, email edissues@aft.org or contact your local union. By addressing the professional needs of our educator members, we are able to help them become even more successful in their careers; in their union; in the institutions in which they work; and in serving the students, families and communities they serve.
Know Your Rights
Use our Know Your Rights resource pages to learn more about your rights as a public school employee in the workplace, including your rights to join a union or enjoy a duty-free lunch. You can access our library of Know Your Rights resources. If you have any questions about an experience on the job, contact us at 1-800-222-3827.
Share My Lesson | Educator Resources
Join our community, Share My Lesson, where you can find and share resources and ideas on topics such as special education, social emotional support, anti-racism education and more.
Share My Lesson Brochures
Managing Student Behavior
Our union provides many resources and workshops helping our members manage student behavior. Use these resources as a guide and sign up for a future workshop hosted by our Texas AFT Bridges Institute for Professional Development.
Member Benefits | The Power of Union Membership
AFT+ Member Benefits Guide
As a Texas AFT member, you belong to a community of colleagues. We understand the power of joining together— in our work, in our communities and in the marketplace. At AFT, we have our own marketplace—AFT + Member Benefits—which combines the purchasing power of AFT’s 1.7 million members with the benefit offerings of Union Plus, the AFL-CIO’s benefit arm. This gives you a rich array of discounts, services and benefits that go beyond the workplace. Many of these programs are available to family members, too.
Trauma Counseling Program
AFT members work hard—now more than ever—to educate, heal, help and serve our communities. Sometimes our ownstress is compounded by a personal or workplace trauma; still, we struggle to be fully present for others. Now the AFT is offering a new, free benefit—trauma counseling—to provide help and healing for our members, whenever needed, wherever a member may be.
New Benefit Spotlight: BMG Money “LoansForAll” Program
The BMG Money “LoansForAll” program for Texas AFT members allows employees and retirees to borrow responsibly and repay the debt over time, with fixed, affordable installments regardless of credit score.
The BMG Money “LoansForAll” benefit package also includes free financial wellness tools and programs for Texas AFT members.
BMG Money may be a suitable alternative for those with less than-perfect credit who need a loan fast for an emergency. If you have limited loan options, BMG Money loans are a better alternative than payday loans because the APR is generally significantly lower.