Earlier this month, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) held a long-awaited webinar in its House Bill (HB) 1605 series, Planning and Non-Instructional Duties of Teachers. The webinar provides an overview of the new statutory protections of planning time for classroom teachers and guidance on the supplemental duty agreement with a...
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The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) convened in Austin last Friday for its regularly scheduled meeting. Early in the agenda was a Texas Education Agency (TEA) recap of decisions made at the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting in April.
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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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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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While the rest of Texas basks in the total eclipse afterglow, the State Board of Education (SBOE) will begin its regular meeting in Austin on Tuesday, April 9.
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Friday, March 29, 2024 Why we keep going As has become the norm, much of the news we have for you this week is bleak. In times like these, as districts announce cuts and layoffs and as the attacks on education from the state government continue, many teachers and...
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Gov. Greg Abbott's "2024 Report to the People of Texas" paints a picture of a state thriving economically, leading in job creation, and investing in its future. However, a critical analysis, especially from the perspective of public education and the decisions made by the 88th Texas Legislature, reveals significant gaps...
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The regular January meeting of the State Board of Education began Tuesday, Jan. 30, in Austin with new Chair Aaron Kinsey presiding. It was a long four days of rule-making, and our recap highlights a few choice bits of the agenda: Instructional materials review and adoption process overhaul (House Bill...
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Readers of the Hotline will remember that in December, the governor appointed Aaron Kinsey, who represents District 15, as the new State Board of Education (SBOE) chair, replacing Dr. Keven Ellis, who has served as chair since 2019. Next week’s regular meeting of the board will be Kinsey’s first in...
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In December, we looked back at the year that was — and all the highs, lows, and whoas for public education 2023 provided. Now we’re ready to look ahead to what promises to be a busy, uncertain year for our Texas public schools. 2024 is a presidential election year, with...
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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...
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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...
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