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SBOE Recap: Rules Approved, SBEC Cautioned
The State Board of Education gathered in Austin from April 9-12 for what promised to be consequential meetings related to educator certification, as well as other topics important to our members. Tuesday has become “instructional materials day” on the SBOE’s agenda. Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff presented an update on the inaugural instructional materials review and adoption process (IMRA) and a...
Read MoreDec. 15, 2023: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 What a Year We are wrapping things up for 2023. Texas AFT offices will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 21 through Friday, Jan. 5. After one regular legislative session, four special sessions, and an election, we are all ready for a long winter’s nap. This will...
Read More2023 in Review: The Highs, Lows, & Whoas for Texas Public Schools
Photo by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. It seems like we say this every year now, but 2023 has been an interesting year for Texas public schools, as well as for everyone who works and learns in them. We say “interesting” deliberately. While it seems like there’s a flood of bad...
Read MoreTexas AFT Names New Secretary-Treasurer with Historic Appointment
2024 marks Texas AFT’s 50th anniversary as a statewide federation, and now we are marking another milestone: the appointment of the first Hispanic woman to hold one of our state federation’s elected leadership roles. Wanda Longoria, president of Northside AFT in San Antonio, will assume the role of Texas AFT...
Read MoreTRS Board Talks COLA, Pension Fund Health
Last Thursday and Friday, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees met for its final quarterly meeting of 2023. At this meeting, the board discussed the financial health of the TRS pension fund and the pension cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that will be applied to the checks of...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: All the Rubrics and Library Books
At the special called meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) on Dec. 13, the board discussion focused on HB 1605 requirements, specifically instructional materials review rules, processes, and rubrics, as well as the library collection development policy required by HB 900. The quality review rubrics are still under...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Educator Preparation and Assessment Changes
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin last week on Dec. 7-8. During this meeting, the board gave preliminary approval to two significant proposals affecting educator training and certification. Over the last several months, Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff have been engaged in a major update and...
Read MoreTexas AFT Names Wanda Longoria as Its New Secretary-Treasurer
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 14, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org As the statewide union federation enters its 50th year, Longoria becomes the first Hispanic woman to serve as a Texas AFT officer. AUSTIN, Texas — 2024 marks the 50th anniversary of the formation of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, and now...
Read MoreDec. 8, 2023: COLA Controversies
Friday, Dec. 8, 2023 You tracked your working conditions. Here’s what we learned. This fall, over 600 K-12 and higher education employees participated in Texas AFT’s Strive to Thrive working conditions project. It was the largest statewide effort of public school employees in Texas to document the real issues in...
Read MoreYou tracked your working conditions. Here’s what we learned.
This fall, over 600 K-12 and higher education employees participated in Texas AFT’s Strive to Thrive working conditions project. It was the largest statewide effort of public school employees in Texas to document the real issues in our schools. Every week from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, participants tracked certain...
Read MoreAs 4th Special Session Wraps, Retired Educator COLA Faces Legal Challenges
This week, the fourth special session called by Gov. Greg Abbott came to a close without a single education bill passed — including Abbott’s private school voucher scheme. At least for the time being, it seems that Abbott does not intend to call another special session, and instead intends to...
Read MoreSBOE: Public Comments Needed on Instructional Materials, Library Policy
The State Board of Education (SBOE) is holding a special called meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 13. Ahead of that meeting, there are two important topics for Texas educators to weigh in on. HB 1605: Instructional Materials Rubrics Among its agenda items, the board intends to review and approve the rubrics...
Read MoreKaty ISD Students File a Federal Complaint Against New ‘Gender Policy’
A student-led group called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) is fighting back against Katy ISD’s new anti-trans policy. On Monday, Nov. 13, SEAT filed a formal discrimination complaint with the US Department of Education, citing Title IX violations and decrying the adverse effects of the policy on trans students....
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