Education Newsfeed

Voters have spoken; though, 7 million registered voters in Texas sat out this election. As leaders of your union, we are deeply concerned with the direction our state will now take, specifically as it relates to public education, but we respect the will of the people who showed up and the peaceful transfer of power. … [ more ]

Across the state, dozens of school districts held Voter-Approval Tax Rate Elections (VATREs) this week seeking to generate additional local and state revenue to provide educators and school employees with enhanced raises and help meet other pressing needs such as school safety and security. These VATREs are necessary because state funding for public education has remained stagnant since 2019 despite historic inflation during that time.

In many ways, any school bond election is a referendum on trust. Do voters trust district leaders to appropriately use taxpayer dollars, numbering into the millions and billions, to improve the learning conditions of their kids?

Charter schools in Texas have become synonymous with instability, especially as the state has a 30-34% closure rate for charter schools according to a new report from the National Center for Charter School Accountability and the Network for Public Education.

The Texas Legislature has shown itself to be incapable of walking and chewing gum at the same time, prioritizing property tax relief over fully funding public education in the past several years, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, historic inflation, and record-breaking state budget surpluses. The implications for our public schools have been dire.

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 ]

Left: Texas AFT COPE-endorsed Democratic candidate for House District 146 Lauren Simmons, pictured at a March rally with the Houston Federation of Teachers, prevailed in Tuesday’s primary runoff election. Right: Aldine AFT members write postcards to voters on behalf of Charlene Ward Johnson, endorsed candidate for HD 139, who also prevailed on Tuesday. This past… [ more ]

Two years have passed since the horrific shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, where 19 children and two teachers were tragically killed by a lone 18-year-old gunman armed with an AR-15 as hundreds of law enforcement officers waited nearby. As we mark this somber anniversary, it is disheartening that gun violence remains a pressing… [ more ]

Educators in Spring ISD and Brownsville ISD are celebrating a significant milestone, as Texas AFT organizing committees in each district officially voted to charter as full local unions. In the past week, both Spring AFT and Brownsville Educators Stand Together (BEST AFT) voted to affiliate with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Texas AFT, and… [ 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 ]