Featured News
Higher Education Update: Academic Freedom Whiplash Across Texas Campuses
One sign at a rally in support of Dr. Tom Alter in San Marcos last week. Courtesy of the Texas AFL-CIO. Texas higher ed is lurching through a turbulent stretch: a court-ordered reinstatement of a fired professor at Texas State, new classroom speech limits across the Texas Tech System, and the University of Texas System’s abolition of faculty senates....
Read MoreTeacher Pay Penalty Reaches Record High
We wish we were surprised by the latest report from the Economic Policy Institute, which has tracked relative wage data for teachers and other degreed professionals for more than four decades. The results for 2024 are in: the “teacher pay penalty,” the wage gap between teachers and similarly educated professionals...
Read MoreTen Commandments Legislation Update: Lawsuits Expand Across Texas
The controversy surrounding Senate Bill 10, the Texas law requiring every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments, shows no sign of slowing down. Fourteen additional school districts are now facing lawsuits over the mandate, broadening what was already one of the most closely watched education-related legal battles...
Read MoreCy-Fair AFT, Texas AFT Launch iTeach Program
To help our members continue to grow professionally, Texas AFT has adopted a union's approach to alternative teacher certification. This summer, delegates to the Texas AFT convention in Dallas directed our union to explore the feasibility of a Texas AFT-owned accredited alternative certification program (ACP). But a first step was visible...
Read MoreJudge’s Order Clears Way for Fired Texas State University Professor’s Reinstatement
On Friday, in a ruling from the bench, Hays County Judge Alicia Key granted a temporary restraining order in favor of Dr. Thomas Alter, who was terminated by Texas State University on Sept. 10, after comments he made at an outside conference in his personal capacity were posted online.
Read MoreMaximizing House Bill 2’s Promise: Support Staff Raises – New Texas AFT Analysis
Socorro AFT members at our Public Education Advocacy Day on March 10, 2025, at the Texas Capitol. For years, Texas AFT and our union’s members have been the lone voice at the Capitol fighting for pay raises for support staff, the indispensable employees who keep our schools running: paraprofessionals, bus...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Discipline and Educator Preparation
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin on Sept. 18 and 19 for a discussion-heavy agenda. The board’s legislative implementation load is significant after the 89th session and covers two primary lanes of rulemaking work for the body: educator discipline and educator preparation. Educator Discipline Senate Bill...
Read MoreTexas Election Preview: November 2025
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, Texans will head to the polls for an election that, while not featuring statewide executive offices, carries major consequences for public schools and communities. The ballot includes 17 proposed constitutional amendments, as well as numerous local races for mayor, city council, school board, and bond measures....
Read MoreHouston Federation of Teachers Secures Court Victory in Pay-for-Performance Dispute
Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson speaks at the No More Harm rally outside the AFT convention in July 2024. Houston educators scored a significant legal win this month when a Harris County judge issued a partial injunction against Houston ISD’s plan to distribute state-mandated teacher raises through a...
Read MoreFederal, State Policies Destabilize Higher Education Landscape
On Thursday, Texas AAUP-AFT, TSEU, and CWA members joined with the Texas State University and San Marcos community to rally in support of Dr. Tom Alter, a tenured professor fired earlier this month without due process at the urging of Gov. Greg Abbott. Courtesy of Texas AFL-CIO. Higher education has...
Read MoreEducators Denounce Latest Attack on Academic Freedom, Freedom of Speech – this time at Angelo State University
This week, the fight for the First Amendment runs through Angelo State University, the latest stop for the ongoing statewide assault on free speech, due process, and academic freedom.
Read MoreTexas AFT Joins Lawsuit Against Discriminatory SB 12
On Tuesday, Texas AFT joined ongoing litigation against Senate Bill 12, a new state law that bans gay-straight alliance (GSA) clubs, prevents educators from using students’ chosen names and pronouns, and prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts from public and charter K-12 schools. The lawsuit, filed by GSA Network and...
Read MoreFree Speech Crackdowns Across K-12 and Higher Education Intensify
As quickly as our union has been responding to the events from last week, it seems like state leaders are also working overtime to make educators’ lives harder. In just one week, two faculty members have been fired, the Lieutenant Governor established a new education committee in the House and...
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