We are at a critical point with SB 37, the “Death Star” bill for higher education. It’s currently pending in the House Higher Education Committee, with a little over a week until the deadline to pass it from committee.
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A sweeping new report from the Texas Education Leadership Lab at UT Austin reveals alarming trends in Texas public schools' long-term failure to comply with federal special education law. The report, which evaluates 25 years of implementation under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), highlights deep and systemic issues...
Read MoreWhen Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) was founded in 2007, the group claimed to represent progressive values in education: fighting for better funding, stronger public schools, and equal opportunities for all students. But increasingly, its agenda has taken a hard turn away from public schools and toward vouchers and Education...
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Today, Texas AFT again calls on the Texas Senate to set House Bill 2 for a public hearing and expedite the passage of new funds for public schools.
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On Saturday, surrounded by many of the Republican lawmakers he threatened along the way, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law his long-sought private school voucher program.
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Senate Bill 37, the “Death Star” bill for Texas colleges and universities, had its last public hearing this past Tuesday (May 6).
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In May 3 local elections, voters across Texas sent a powerful message: public schools should be focused on education, not pushing privatization or political interference.
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TEA fought for months to release 2022-2023 school accountability ratings. So why isn’t the state holding charter schools accountable for consistently poor scores?
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Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, two cases when taken together that could upend the separation of church and state and profoundly undercut public education across the country.
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Now that vouchers have been signed into law, there is no reason not to move a finance bill that meaningfully funds public schools. Texas has the means to invest in both educator pay and the basic allotment.
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Today, Texas AFT is calling on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Education K-16 Chairman Brandon Creighton to set House Bill 2, the House’s school finance proposal, for a hearing.
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It’s been a roller coaster for higher education this week. We had a major win, but unfortunately the fight against bad bills persists. For most of this legislative session, the House Higher Education Committee’s focus has been on addressing workforce shortages, expanding research funding, and improving access to higher education....
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