A new report from Our Schools Our Democracy (OSOD) lays out a damning reality: while Texas public schools struggle with historic underfunding, privately run charter schools are expanding unchecked and draining billions from local school districts with little oversight or accountability. It’s time for Texas parents and the public to...
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The Legislature’s 89th session is seeing a wave of proposed legislation that could reshape workplace democracy in public schools for the better, a key right outlined by our K-12 and higher ed members in our Educator’s Bill of Rights. From expanding collective bargaining rights to strengthening grievance procedures, these bills...
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The U.S. Congress is discussing a budget proposal that will mean steep cuts to Medicaid, a program that supports people from birth to retirement and beyond. Last week, House Republicans narrowly passed a budget resolution that directs the House Committee on Energy and Commerce to find $880 billion in “savings”;...
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The Texas House made news last week with a new slate of committee assignments that will determine the fate of the Educator’s Bill of Rights and other critical education policies, including school finance, teacher and school staff pay, and private...
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The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin on Feb. 14. There were three items up for adoption that Texas AFT has been closely following for many months. Texas AFT, in alignment with its partners at the Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation (TCEP), was active throughout the rulemaking...
Read MoreA new report from the Albert Shanker Institute, “Does Money Matter in Education?” confirms what educators have long known: money matters in education, and even more so for students in underfunded communities. The study, a comprehensive review of decades of research, finds that increased investment in schools leads to better...
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The 89th Texas Legislature is in full swing, and with it comes a new slate of committee assignments in the Texas House. These assignments are more than just titles—they will determine the fate of the Educator’s Bill of Rights and other critical education policies, including school finance, teacher and school...
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Texas educators and students deserve classrooms free from political censorship, universities that protect academic freedom, and schools that foster open inquiry and debate. Yet, recent legislative attacks — through tenure rollbacks, bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs in higher education, and curriculum restrictions — have weakened Texas public...
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In 2013, the Texas Legislature revamped Texas high school graduation requirements to the current Foundation High School Program. This new plan created multiple pathways to graduation and though it still emphasized college readiness, the new program also elevated career and technical education (CTE) as an equal pathway to postsecondary success....
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Yesterday, Linda McMahon, former WWE executive and President Donald Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Education, faced the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee for her confirmation hearing.
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The newly minted State Board of Education (SBOE) met for its first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 28-31 in Austin. The first order of business was to swear in the three new members to the SBOE: Gustavo Reveles (District 1- El Paso), Brandon Hall (District 11-Aledo), and Dr. Tiffany Clark...
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The State Board of Educator Certification will meet in Austin on Friday, Feb. 14. The November 2024 meeting was the final meeting for longtime members Tommy Coleman and Dr. Scott Muri, however Gov. Greg Abbot has not named new members to this entirely appointed body. There is an item...
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