Publish Date: March 25, 2024 5:03 pm Author: Texas AFT
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Friday, March 22, 2024
Corpus Christi AFT president Nancy Vera presents about unions, Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and social justice to high school students at the Garcia Arts and Education Center on March 13.
The Work Doesn’t Stop Here.
At the end of the month we celebrate César Chávez Day, who, along with Dolores Huerta, co-founded the National Farm Workers Association, which later merged with the Agricultural Workers Organizing Committee to become the United Farm Workers (UFW) union. Together through much organizing and action, they gained better rights, better working conditions, and better pay for farmworkers nationwide. That work has shaped union practice and will continue to do so for years to come.
We’re taking the opportunity to respond to Abbott’s ‘Report to the People of Texas.’
A breakdown of the current status of SB 4 in the state as the U.S. Supreme Court intervenes.
Updates from Houston ISD. Spoiler alert: things are not improving.
An opportunity for educators to expand their grasp on Asian American Studies through Asian Texans for Justice.
— Texas Legislature
Rebuttal to Governor Abbott’s False Narrative in the “2024 Report to the People of Texas”
Gov. Greg Abbott’s “2024 Report to the People of Texas” paints a picture of a state thriving economically, leading in job creation, and investing in its future. However, a critical analysis, especially from the perspective of public education and the decisions made by the 88th Texas Legislature, reveals significant gaps between the report’s optimistic portrayal and the reality faced by Texas educators and school employees, students, and families.
The legal battle over Texas’s controversial SB 4, a cruel and racist law designed to create a state-level immigration enforcement system, has become increasingly chaotic in the past several days as the Supreme Court of the United States and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a slew of orders allowing the law to briefly take effect before once again blocking its implementation.
How did we get here and what do legal experts expect to happen next? Read more online.
Any registered voter! If you voted in the March ‘24 primary, youmust vote in the same party runoff. If you did NOT vote in this year’sprimary, you can vote with either party.
2. What triggers a runoff election in Texas?
If a party does not have a candidate with 50% or more of the votes a runoff breaks the “tie” to decide the nominee for that party.
3. How can I confirm my voter registration status?
Go to VoteTexas.gov, click on “AM I REGISTERED” then “Selection Criteria.” Search by Name/County/Date of Birth. You can also use your Texas driver’s license/DOB or number on your voter registration certificate (VUID)Or call your local county elections office.
4. What if I’m not registered but want to vote in the next primary election?
You must be registered to vote by April 29to vote in the 2024 runoff elections. Texas does not have online voter registration. You can print a voter registration application form online or request one be mailed to you. Check for registration drives in your community through social media, and public services (library, county/city offices, churches, schools etc.)
5. What happens after I submit my registration application?
Once you send in your application and it is accepted, the county election office will add your name to the voter registration list, generate your voter certificate, and mail it to you.
6. I moved recently; how can I ensure I won’t have voting issues?
Update your voter registration by completing andsubmitting a new application before the registration deadline. If updating online at VoteTexas.gov keep in mind that it can affect WHERE your polling location will be (most problematic when you have moved several counties away).
AFT endorses new legislation to help students obtain mental health services
In January, the bipartisan Expanding Mental Health Services Access in Schools Act was introduced in Congress. This bill would create multiple grant programs that schools could apply for to access mental health services funding and would be accessible to millions of students across Texas.
Another week, another disappointing series of announcements from Texas’ most trod upon district. In the 11 months since the Texas Education Agency first announced that it would be taking over Texas’s largest school district, we have unfortunately come to expect bad news from Houston ISD. Recent announcements have been no exception.
If you or someone you know are passionate about building a future where Texas students feel bold in their belonging, we invite you to apply for the inaugural Asian American Studies Academy, to be held June 24-27 at the University of Texas at Austin.
Pensions at Risk: Join Texas Climate Jobs Project, Texas AFT for Webinar on Threats to Texas Public Employees’ Retirement
Laws have been enacted in Texas that may be putting the futures of our public sector workers and retirees at risk. These laws dictate how public pension funds can be invested or divested without considering the performance of the investments. State lawmakers have tried to limit the ability of Texas public pension funds to invest in clean energy projects — even if it’s in the best financial interest of the fund.
Workers and retirees deserve a voice in the decisions that will affect their pensions. By standing together, public sector workers can call on lawmakers to ensure they have the freedom they need to ensure their pensions are being invested responsibly and without jeopardizing future earnings.
Texas politicians should not gamble with retirees’ future.
Learn from experts and retirees about the connection between climate and pensions, and how Texas laws are affecting the pensions of public employees in Texas at a free webinar at 6 p.m. CST, Tuesday, March 26. You can register online now.
No purchase necessary to enter or win. Must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Not valid in Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Washington and West Virginia and where otherwise prohibited by law. Visit horacemann.com/programs/giveaways for Official Rules.
Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to familiarize association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. Contact association.relations@horacemann.com for more information.
EMX-00166 (Feb. 24)
Recommended Reading
Texas education news from around the state that’s worth your time
📖‘This school district has failed him’: Trans Katy teen drops out after gender policy passes.The unrelenting struggles 17-year-old Kadence Carter, a transgender male attending a Katy ISD high school, faced came to a head in August 2023, when the district’s board of trustees passed a controversial gender identity policy opposed by many LGBTQ+ students and advocates. One day after the policy went into effect, a teacher held up the attendance roster in front of Kadence, pointed to his deadname and said, “We’re going back to this one now,” he recalled.(Houston Landing, March 13)
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