If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter – even if you’re not a member of our union – there is one thing we know about you: you care about Texas public schools.
(If you don’t, then maybe this isn’tthe email for you …)
Amid an increasingly turbulent environment,our public schools and all who work and learn in them need support and attention more than ever.
This in-depth reporting peers inside Secretary Linda McMahon’s Department of Education, where in just eight months:
“Department officials have opened a $500 million tap for charter schools, a huge outlay for an option that often draws children from traditional public schools. They have repeatedly urged states to spend federal money for poor and at-risk students at private schools and businesses. And they have threatened penalties for public schools that offer programs to address historic inequities for Black or Hispanic students … [And the department] created a pot of funding dedicated to what it calls “patriotic education,” which has been criticized for downplaying some of the country’s most troubling episodes, including slavery.”
The stated goal of these rapid-fire directives, as put by one top advisor appointed by McMahon? “A lot of empty school buildings.”
The federal government has shut down, and that is bad news for Texas. As the Texas AFL-CIO notes, our state is home to the third-most federal workers in the country and the highest number of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members. This shutdown will lock out hundreds of thousands of federal employees from doing their jobs while forcing hundreds of thousands more — like TSA officers or VA caregivers — to work without pay.
Let’s be clear: We do not want this shutdown. Our members, our families, and our communities deserve stability. But we also cannot support a deal that slashes Medicaid and ends Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax creditsthat keep health care premiums affordable for millions of Americans.
San Antonio educator and Texas AFT member Adrian Reyna is running for the Texas House in District 125, which covers a large part of northwest San Antonio. As a longtime member and vice president of the San Antonio Alliance, representing San Antonio ISD employees, Reyna brings more than 15 years of education and labor experience to the table.
Reyna comes from a long line of public school teachers, which inspired him to become one himself. He teaches U.S. History in SAISD and has built his career around service, public education, and advocating for working families.
On Oct. 1, the Trump Administration sent a letter to nine universities, inviting them to sign onto a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”. By signing the letter, the invited institutions commit to implementing the 10 points listed in the document. In exchange, the letter promises “multiple positive benefits,” for participating institutions, although the exact advantages are not specified.
On Friday, Oct. 18, union members, educators, parents, students, and community allies will once again come together for “No Kings Day,” a nationwide day of action reminding lawmakers that the United States is a democracy, not a monarchy, and that no one—including the Supreme Court or the wealthy donors who influence it—should have unchecked power over our public schools, our rights, or our votes.
After months of uncertainty, the Trump Administration has resumed student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program, providing relief to borrowers who had been left in limbo after the program was paused in July.
The IBR plan allows borrowers to have remaining balances canceled after 20 or 25 years of qualifying payments. Earlier this year, the Department of Education (DOE) halted discharges, citing system updates tied to court injunctions affecting other income-driven repayment programs, even though IBR itself remained statutorily authorized. The pause left many borrowers, including educators, nurses, and public servants, uncertain whether forgiveness would ever resume.
Our long-time corporate partner Horace Mann believes those who dedicate their lives to education deserve more — from their insurance and from the companies they trust. Get a quick quote today and see how much you could save.
Horace Mann Insurance Company and its affiliates underwrite Horace Mann auto insurance. The coverages listed are only a general description of coverage and do not constitute a statement of contract. Additional terms and conditions, as described in the policy, must be met for the coverage to be provided. Not all discounts and benefits available in all states.
Horace Mann Service Corporation and certain of its affiliates (Horace Mann) enter into agreements with educational associations where Horace Mann pays the association to provide services aimed at familiarizing association members with the Horace Mann brand, products or services. For more information, email your inquiry to association.relations@horacemann.com.
Recommended Reading
Education news from around the state and nation that’s worth your time.
📖 Rural Americans who rely on Head Start worry about its future: ‘Without free childcare I couldn’t work’.In small towns and rural areas throughout the country, voters like Ohio massage therapist Sara Laughlin were key to both Donald Trump’s election victories. Laughlin was “dumbfounded” when she heard that Head Start, the early childhood program she credits for providing stability for her family, was on the chopping block in Trump’s budget proposal.(The Guardian, Sept. 28)
📖 FCC removes school bus Wi-Fi, hotspots from E-rate. The Federal Communications Commission voted 2-1 last month to remove both school bus Wi-Fi and internet hotspot services from eligibility for federal E-rate funds. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the expansions of these reimbursements violated the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which called for the funding to enhance access in classrooms and libraries. “A school bus is neither,” Carr said. “We cannot simply reinterpret the statutory term ‘classrooms’ to mean any place where learning might occur.” (K-12 Dive, Sept. 30)
📖 Former A&M athletic recruiter examines backslide in school integration through the lens of football.During the fight for school integration in the 1960s and ’70s, high school football teams were often caught in the crossfire. But Don Albrecht, a former Texas A&M athletic recruiter, argues in his new book that many of the strides made in integration around high school have faltered over the past three decades. (Texas Standard, Oct. 1)
📖 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)
This Education Department Official Lost His Job. Here’s What He Says Is at Risk. Fewer teachers. Incomplete data. Delays in addressing problems and getting financial aid information. Those are just some of the impacts Jason Cottrell, who worked as a data collector at the Department of Education for nine and a half years before being laid off along with more than a thousand other agency employees, warns the Trump Administration’s massive cuts to the department’s funding and workforce could have on the country’s education system. (Time, July 18)
This Education Department Official Lost His Job. Here’s What He Says Is at Risk. Fewer teachers. Incomplete data. Delays in addressing problems and getting financial aid information. Those are just some of the impacts Jason Cottrell, who worked as a data collector at the Department of Education for nine and a half years before being laid off along with more than a thousand other agency employees, warns the Trump Administration’s massive cuts to the department’s funding and workforce could have on the country’s education system. (Time, July 18)
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