Topic: Hotline

Texas Democrats Unite to Defend Public Education at 2024 State Convention 

Publish Date: June 14, 2024

This past weekend, Texas Democrats gathered in El Paso for their 2024 state convention, and the tone could not have been more different from the Texas GOP Convention held in San Antonio in late May.   As speaker after speaker took the stage, one issue resonated above all others: the urgent need to protect public education from Republican attacks. Democrats were...

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What STAAR Scores Actually Measure: Beyond the Classroom 

Publish Date: June 14, 2024

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released data on high school STAAR test results, showing an improvement in students’ performance on English II but remaining largely stagnant from the prior year and still catching up to pre-COVID levels.  The Austin American-Statesman reported that, “Students who met grade level for the English I test remained at 54% this year, while the students...

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AI Technology in Education: Share Your Thoughts & Win a Gift Card! 

Publish Date: June 14, 2024

The headlines we've seen in recent months about artificial intelligence (AI) can be anxiety-inducing.  Texas AFT members have reported concerns about students using tools like ChatGPT to skirt assignments, while the Texas Education Agency has begun using computers to grade students' written answers on this year's STAAR. However, this emerging technology can also be exhilarating for those looking for new...

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Texas AFT Members Are Building a True Educator’s Bill of Rights 

Publish Date: June 7, 2024

By now, you probably already know the story, but it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves: Last year, the state of Texas had a $33 billion budget surplus – not a dime of that went to increasing public education funding. Over a 140-day regular session and four 30-day special sessions, the governor and his allies in the Legislature held public education...

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Save the Date: Free Citizenship Clinic for Permanent Residents in Houston Area on July 21  

Publish Date: June 7, 2024

Click to download English- and Spanish-language fliers for the upcoming Citizenship Clinic & Community Fair in Houston.  The AFT national union, Texas AFT, and its local unions in Harris County are joining our extended labor family to offer a free citizenship clinic in Houston this summer to support lawful permanent residents who wish to apply for U.S. citizenship. The pathway...

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