On Wednesday, within hours of a federal lawsuit filed against Texas over our state’s decades-old DREAM Act, Attorney General Ken Paxton readily sold out the future of our state and urged the court to side with the Trump Administration.
As a result, our undocumented students across Texas will no longer be eligible for in-state tuition. As we said in our statement Thursday, the decision is not only cruel and cowardly, but also un-Texan:
“The Texas DREAM Act was one of the few policies in recent memory in which our state led the nation in a positive direction – and it did so in a bipartisan fashion with Gov. Rick Perry as one of its leading champions.
Every Texas student has the right to a high-quality, affordable education, regardless of their zip code, race, socioeconomic bracket, or immigration status – all factors outside of their control.”
As educators, we will do everything in our power to protect and serve students, regardless of their immigration status. But this is yet another shameful day in Greg Abbott and Ken Paxton’s Texas.
In this week’s Hotline:
Recaps of where K-12 & higher education bills ended this session
On Monday, June 2, the regular session of the 89th Legislature came to an end, with dealmaking on high-impact pre-K-12 and higher education bills happening until the bitter end.
Over the summer, Texas AFT will break down those impacts weekly in the Hotline, and how they pertain to the 10 essential rights our members outlined in the Educator’s Bill of Rights. For now, though, here are some key items to be aware of.
The 2025 legislative session has been one of the most consequential for Texas schools and libraries in recent memory. Lawmakers approved a school voucher program. They’ve added billions in school funding. They’re overhauling student discipline rules while requiring the Ten Commandments to hang on classroom walls. On Wednesday, June 11, join the Tribune’s weekly podcast, Tribcast, at the downtown Austin Central Library Special Event Space or online to discuss what happened and look ahead toward the impact on Texas schools and libraries.
This was a long, brutal legislative session for education across the board, but because of our members’ tireless work against these destructive efforts, we were able to push the needle and reduce harm for our communities.
We’ve gathered some key updates in this week’s Hotline. But join us for a statewide higher education legislative debrief on July 29 for a more in-depth debrief. RSVP for the virtual event here.
We expect that those we elect to the presidency and to Congress will help our families and our country thrive. That’s what our members do every day: They create opportunities for our kids and our communities to succeed. But right now, the very things working people rely on — public schools, decent health care, retirement, good wages and a voice at work — are all under attack by this Congress and the current president.
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.
Last week, the Texas Education Agency announced that it would extend the state takeover of Houston ISD until at least June 1, 2027, keeping Commissioner Mike Morath’s appointed Board of Managers, and controversial Superintendent Mike Miles, in control of the state’s largest school district for another two years.
The decision has been met with fierce criticism from public education advocates, including the Houston Federation of Teachers. HFT President Jackie Anderson blasted the extension, saying, “It’s clear to me today that TEA and Mike Miles won’t feel like their job here is done until there’s no teacher left in Houston ISD.”
A Houston ISD student addresses the crowd at the No More Harm rally outside the AFT convention in July 2024. Photo by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios.
Texas AFT has joined over 140 national, state, and grassroots organizations, including labor unions, civil rights groups, and education advocates, in signing a forceful letter opposing any federal attempt to create a private school voucher program.
Education news from around the state and nation that’s worth your time.
📖Union-backed trustees, now a majority, flex muscle on Northside ISD board. Union-endorsed trustees are flexing their muscle in San Antonio’s largest school district. The May 3 election put union-backed trustees in control of the Northside Independent School District board. On Tuesday, they locked down all three officer positions. (San Antonio Express-News, May 30)
📖After-school programs, a boon for learning, could face Trump cuts. In his initial budget proposal, President Trump has called for consolidating and eliminating several federal education grants. While the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) grant is not specified by name, advocates for afterschool programs believe it could be among those on the chopping block. (NPR, May 27)
📖 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)
🎧 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)
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