Despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the Texas House for House Bill 2 — a comprehensive, if flawed, $7.7 billion investment in public education — the Texas Senate has yet to act on this critical legislation. Meanwhile, the Senate swiftly passed the House’s version of Senate Bill 2, establishing a $1 billion private school voucher program, which Gov. Greg Abbott is expected to sign into law this weekend.
HB 2 aims to increase the basic per-student funding allotment from $6,160 to $6,555, provide raises for experienced teachers, and overhaul special education funding to better serve students with disabilities. These measures are essential for addressing the challenges faced by Texas public schools, including budget deficits, teacher shortages, and the need for improved special education services. The bill, as passed by the House, also includes state funding for full-day pre-K, as Rep. Salman Bhojani’s HB 1048 – an Educator’s Bill of Rights bill – was amended onto HB 2 before passage.
The Senate’s inaction on HB 2 raises concerns about legislative priorities. While the Senate has focused on advancing voucher programs, it has not addressed the pressing needs of the 5.4 million students in Texas public schools. This delay in funding public education undermines efforts to provide equitable and quality education for all Texas students.
Texas AFT urges the Senate to prioritize HB 2 and invest in the future of Texas public education. Our students, teachers, and communities deserve a commitment to strengthening public schools, not diverting resources to private institutions.
HB 4 Update: Testing Reform Advances Out of House Public Education Committee
On Tuesday, the House Public Education Committee advanced HB 4, a major education reform bill by Chairman Brad Buckley that would overhaul Texas’s current standardized testing and accountability system. Texas AFT members had grave concerns about the originally introduced version of the bill, which put more power over assessments in the hands of the education commissioner. We’re pleased to report the substitute version of the bill addresses bipartisan concerns about over-testing and aims to restore trust and transparency in student evaluations and ultimately the state’s accountability system.
Key Provisions of HB 4:
- Replaces STAAR with a nationally norm-referenced, through-year progress monitoring system in math, reading, and science.
- Eliminates stand-alone writing exams and narrows testing to minimum federal requirements.
- Students, parents, and teachers receive prompt, user-friendly feedback on performance — allowing instruction to adjust throughout the year rather than after high-stakes testing.
- Keeps A–F campus and district domains.
- Adds optional local indicators into accountability metrics for elementary and middle schools.
- All Texas Education Agency (TEA) accountability standards must be finalized by July 15 each year, giving schools more planning time before instruction begins.
- Any major changes to domains or performance indicators must be approved by the Legislature, not just the commissioner and TEA.
- Sets up a fast-track court process for schools to challenge potential accountability disputes.
During Tuesday night’s hearing, which lasted until the wee hours of the morning, multiple witnesses — including district leaders, education organizations, and assessment experts — testified both in support and with caution.
Supporters praised the shift from high-stakes tests to growth-focused assessments and the added local flexibility in accountability. Skeptics raised concerns about the lack of detail around vendor selection and how real-time data would be used or protected. The committee ultimately voted the bill out favorably as substituted, moving HB 4 to the full House floor for consideration.
Cy-Fair AFT President Nikki Cowart, a mother to four Cy-Fair ISD students, testified in the early morning hours on behalf of the tens of thousands of Texas AFT educators and parents to deliver a clear message: “The current system of accountability in Texas does not work … Our kids are over-tested and our teachers are over-worked.”
Texas AFT ally, educator, and community leader Ruth Kravetz testified on behalf of Community Voices for Public Education and stressed the need for accountability and oversight, citing the example of HISD superintendent Mike Miles and reported STAAR “gains” in Houston, “Historic gains when you only test ‘some’ students, but at what cost to their education?”
Educator’s Bill of Rights Update: Bills on Custodian Workloads, Employee Grievance Rights Heard in House Public Education Committee
Over seventy bills were filed in support of our Educator’s Bill of Rights, and we’re glad to report several of them are on the move as this session winds down. We’re thankful for legislators like Rep. Venton Jones who laid out HB 1573, which requires districts to adopt custodian workload policies and establish square footage benchmarks for eight-hour shifts.
Education Austin President Ken Zarifis submitted written testimony to the committee in support of this bill and his custodial members:
“Custodians are the unsung heroes of our schools. They keep our campuses clean, safe, and healthy — a responsibility that became even more critical during the pandemic. Yet too often, they are expected to do more with less. Shrinking budgets, added building space without added staff, and years of deferred maintenance have left many custodians responsible for impossible workloads. When we overload our custodians, schools suffer. Classrooms aren’t cleaned as thoroughly. Health and safety risks rise. And teachers are pulled away from their primary duty — educating students — to fill in the gaps.”
The committee also considered Rep. Alma Allen’s HB 2336, which explicitly states that school district employees have the right to present grievances in person to the district board of trustees. This addition aims to eliminate ambiguity in current policies that may not guarantee face-to-face grievance hearings. As Cy-Fair AFT President Nikki Cowart said in her testimony supporting the bill, we’re thankful for legislators like Allen that continue to take school employee due process rights seriously.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t all good news. Late into the night, the committee also heard SB 10, a proposal that would mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom across the state. The bill, authored by Sen. Phil King, has already passed the Senate and is now under consideration in the House.
Key Provisions of SB 10:
- Mandatory Display: SB 10 requires that the Ten Commandments be displayed in a specific size (16″ x 20″) and format, using the exact wording found on the monument outside the Texas State Capitol. The display must be visible from anywhere in the classroom, and no other content is allowed on the displays.
- Funding and Donations: Schools lacking compliant displays would be compelled to accept privately donated ones, and they may use tax dollars to purchase them.
Proponents argue that the Ten Commandments are historically significant and morally instructive. Conservative policy groups like Texas Values testified that students are searching for moral clarity and that displaying the commandments would serve both educational and cultural purposes.
Civil liberties groups, educators, and faith leaders argue that the legislation infringes on the constitutional separation of church and state. Opponents also say the bill would force religious instruction onto students of diverse backgrounds and beliefs, violating their religious freedom. By contrast, HB 1390 by Rep. Erin Zweiner, supports the right to the freedom of religion outlined in our Educator’s Bill of Rights by requiring a one-week written notice to a student’s parent/guardian before the student encounters any curriculum, instructional material, or school activity providing instruction on religion or religious values.
After the hearing, SB 10 was left pending in the House Public Education Committee. The bill’s future will depend on whether it advances out of committee for a full House vote.
Meanwhile, in the Texas Senate …
We did not see a lot of sunshine and rainbows from the Senate gallery this week.
After a lengthy floor debate on Thursday, SB 2330 by Sen. Tan Parker passed the Senate. This bill takes direct aim at workers by eliminating the option to have union or organizational dues deducted from their paychecks. Sens. Carol Alvarado, Royce West, Molly Cook, and José Menéndez spoke eloquently in defense of employees’ rights to send their money where they choose. The bill was unfortunately voted out on party lines, with only Sen. Robert Nichols voting with Democrats to protect labor rights.
But the fight is not over; the bill now moves to the House where a similar bill has not yet had a hearing.
Also this week, two bills related to the reporting of educator misconduct, SB 1832 by Parker and SB 2392 by Sen. Phil King, passed the Senate chamber. Texas AFT wants to see all students protected in all circumstances. However, these bills do not contain the critical safeguards for educators’ due process and could unintentionally lead to overreporting.
Last, SB 2253 passed the Senate unanimously. This bill by Sen. Brandon Creighton would make significant changes to educator certification requirements and aim to gradually reduce the number of uncertified teachers in Texas classrooms. Notably, the author offered an amendment on the floor that removed the authority of the commissioner of education to adopt rules for the new certificate classes named in the bill. The Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation (TCEP), of which Texas AFT is a member, provided feedback in committee that State Board for Educator Certification is the appropriate governing body to address matters of certification. The bill now travels to the House.