Topic: Policy

The Flaws in Texas’ English Proficiency Testing Hurt Our Students 

English-learning students across Texas have faced an uphill battle with the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). In 2018, the test was redesigned, and the shift to automated computer scoring has led to a troubling trend — drastically lower scores that don’t seem to reflect students' true abilities, according to a Texas Tribune analysis.   For years, TELPAS was a...

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Texas ACLU Finds Dress Codes of 51 School Districts Violate CROWN Act  

In 2023, Greg Abbott signed HB 567, also known as the Crown Act, into law to ban hair discrimination in schools and workplaces.  Since then, many school districts have altered their dress codes to adjust to the new regulations put in place by the CROWN Act. However, the ACLU of Texas found that, still, many districts in Texas have not...

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NEXT WEEK: Texas House Public Education Committee Hearings on Aug. 12-13

Next week, the Texas House Public Education Committee will hold critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13. The committee will discuss key issues shaping public education's future in our state. These hearings provide an opportunity for us to make our voices heard and influence upcoming legislation.  What Are Interim Committee Hearings?  Interim committee hearings are crucial to...

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Urgent Action: Testify or Submit Public Comments to the House Public Education Committee 

Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions.  The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. These hearings present a unique opportunity for...

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“Broken Promises’: A Chronicle of Charter School Failures 

Given the recent approvals of four new charter schools by the State Board of Education this summer, we want to revisit the important research that has informed Texas AFT’s continued insistence on a charter school moratorium in this state.   First, let’s start with the national education policy think tank Network for Public Education (NPE), which has released many relevant...

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Urgent Call to Action: Texas House Public Education Committee Hearings on 08/12 and 08/13 

The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13 on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. Perhaps most critically, the committee will consider the implementation of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers and the effect that the increasing quantity of uncertified...

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