Education Newsfeed

The public comment window for social studies and the literary list remains open through June 15. We urge concerned parents and teachers to submit comments via the TEA website below and to contact your State Board of Education (SBOE) representative to provide direct feedback. SBOE Proposed Rules Several organizations have developed resources to assist with public comments. If this is your first time commenting on SBOE rules, they can help provide guidance. Texas Rising and

School districts across Texas are heading into one of the most difficult budget cycles in years, with administrators warning that many districts are nearing a fiscal cliff driven by declining enrollment, inflation, expiring federal funds, rising insurance and healthcare costs, and holes in a school funding system that still haven’t fully caught up with the realities districts are dealing with. Some public finance analysts estimate that at minimum, 40% of Texas districts co

The House Public Education committee met in Austin on Mon., June 1 to take up three charges all related to House Bill (HB) 2: Implementation of HB 2 Teacher Recruitment and Retention Investment in Special Education This was a 231-page bill, so the hearing to assess its impact during 2026-2026 was proportionately long. Stay with us, readers. Implementation of HB 2 The first panel represented Texas Education Agency (TEA) leadership and went through each of the articles

The National Assessment Governing Board (NAGB), which sets policy for the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), recently approved a new testing schedule for “The Nation’s Report Card” that allows for state-level results in grade 12 math, reading and civics; and grade 8 science and civics. The updated schedule would take effect in 2028 for grade 8 civics and grade 12 math and reading. The grade 8 science test would be administered in 2029 and seniors would take a

The SBOE opened the official public comment windows for the proposals that were voted on at its April meeting. We invited concerned parents and teachers to submit comments on the required literary list that correlate to the K-12 English language arts standards and the K-8 Spanish language arts and reading. SBOE Proposed Rules At the April SBOE meeting, Texas AFT testified that the lists were too long and may rob teaching from other areas of ELAR or SLAR instruction, also leav

Texas University Systems are meeting this month to review and vote on proposed system policies. With each quarterly meeting, regents continue to introduce and approve policies that encroach on course curriculum and faculty teaching methods. The University of Texas, Texas Tech, University of North Texas, and Texas State University systems all held their committee meetings this past week, and our Texas AAUP-AFT members stood alongside students and alumni to stand up to policie

Attendees gather at the 2023 Public Education Advocacy Day, rallying with signs for respect for public schools. Photo by: CCR Studios. For years, conversations about Texas public schools have revolved around test scores, accountability ratings, vouchers, and curriculum fights, but two newer sets of numbers tell a different story about what is happening inside schools across the state. Texas is losing students before graduation, and at the same time, schools are struggling to

Current voter turnout is low for the Primary Run-off Election on May 26. Elections in November are won now by selecting strong nominees for the General Elections who we can count on to fight for public schools and our educators. If we don't show up now, we are giving an advantage to those who want to keep things exactly as they are, eroding public education and increasing our cost of living. As educators, we have long been experiencing the increase in cost of living, the at

By now, you probably already know the story, but it doesn’t hurt to remind ourselves: Last year, the state of Texas had a $33 billion budget surplus – not a dime of that went to increasing public education funding. Over a 140-day regular session and four 30-day special sessions, the governor and his allies in… [ more ]

Imagine a Texas where every child, from the Panhandle to the Rio Grande Valley, had access to a fully funded, high-quality public education. A state where educators are respected and compensated fairly for their vital work, students’ diverse needs are met, and schools serve as community hubs that support the whole child. Sound like a… [ more ]