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Thursday, May 1 at 6 p.m. CT Money-starved schools. School employee layoffs. Student program cuts. Educators heading for the exits. That’s the reality right now for Texas public schools and the 5 million+ kids they serve. And that’s the backdrop for the 89th Legislature. Join Texas AFT for a special May Day edition of our livestream legislative updates as we report back to you what’s happening at the Capitol, what it means for your school, and what you can do to advocate for yourself, your kids, and your community.
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— Higher Education |
This Week in Higher Education: Amid Latest Attack on Immigrant Students, Federal News on Revoked Student Visas |
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This week’s attack on mixed-status students in the Senate Education K-16 Committee comes amid a broader attack on international students. As of today, more than 260 international students in Texas have had their visas revoked, as well as at least one professor. These students have had their legal status changed or have been dropped from the federal database, Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). |
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—Texas Education Agency |
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On the left, results for Austin ISD schools in the Texas Education Agency’s ratings for the 2022-2023 school year. F-rated schools are clustered on the east side of Interstate 35, a stark reminder of the city’s 1928 Master Plan that institutionalized racism. As The Texas Tribune points out, poverty and under-resourcing are on display in this year’s ratings. |
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Starting May 5, the U.S. Department of Education will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans, ending a five-year pause that began during the pandemic. For over 5 million borrowers already in default, and another 4 million in late-stage delinquency, wage garnishments, tax refund seizures, and even Social Security offsets could begin as early as this summer. This isn’t just another policy shift—it’s a direct hit to working families, especially educators. |
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Recommended Reading |
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Education news from around the state and nation that’s worth your time. |
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🎧 The Shocking Billionaire Plot to Dismantle Public Education. Texas is on the verge of passing a law that could defund public education. Vouchers send public taxpayer dollars to private schools. It could cost taxpayers $10 billion by 2030. And it could destroy Friday Night Lights. (More Perfect Union, April 22)
📖 The Lege’s ‘Big Government Intrusion’ into University Academics. Expanding on last session’s anti-DEI campus crackdown, some Republicans in the Legislature are now going after gender and ethnic studies programs and faculty independence. (Texas Observer, April 24)
📖 Women could be most affected by Trump’s penalties for overdue student loans. The move by the Trump administration is set to begin May 5, and borrowers with delinquent payments could have their wages garnished as early as the summer. (The 19th, April 23)
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