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This Week in the Legislature: Inside the Turbulent Fights Over Vouchers, School Finance
Over the past two weeks, the Texas House has witnessed dramatic and defining developments in the fight over school finance and the introduction of private school vouchers. We have a breakdown of where things stand on those fronts, along with your recap of good and bad bills heard and voted on in both the House and Senate education committees.
Read MoreWith New Federal Policy Shifts, the Student Loan Trap Tightens
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...
Read MoreTEA Releases 2-Year-Old Ratings Designed to Undermine Public Schools
After months of legal back-and-forth, the Texas Education Agency has released its long-delayed A–F accountability ratings for the 2022–23 school year. This comes after a Texas appellate court ruled earlier this month that TEA could move forward with the release, despite widespread criticism from school districts and education advocates.
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Education: Amid Latest Attack on Immigrant Students, Federal News on Revoked Student Visas
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...
Read MoreApril 18, 2025: We Need Real Solutions
Friday, April 18, 2025 Can We Talk About Real Solutions? There is no shortage of news out of the Legislature this week, and we will break down all that public school employees and parents need to know about this week’s votes on public school funding and private school vouchers. ...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: ‘A Damn Sad Day’ for Public Education
Under normal circumstances, the Texas Legislature is a wild and weird place. But ‘Private School Voucher Day’ at the Texas Capitol truly took the cake, from far-right conservatives offering amendments that would have increased the basic allotment by more than $1,000 to one Democrat arguing against transparency and accountability for...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: Charters Schools, TEA Complaints, & Social Studies TEKS
Eagle-eyed Hotline readers will wonder why we are jumping straight to a recap of the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting without ever previewing the agenda. This is because without notice, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) ended a decades-long practice of hosting an in-person meeting with stakeholders to preview the...
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Education: Senate Passes SB 37
This week, the House Higher Education Committee heard more bills aimed at addressing health care workforce shortages by incentivizing students and funding health institutions. While the House committee continues its important work to support our higher education institutions, the Senate continues its rampage against academic freedom. Senate Bill 37, the...
Read More‘What Are Block Grants?’: Flexibility at the Expense of Equity
Our union is continuously monitoring developments with the Department of Education and proposed Trump Administration changes to how federal education funding and services are delivered to states. Recently, as several states have put forward proposals to “cut strings” tied to federal education dollars, we’ve fielded many questions from educators and...
Read MoreTexas House denies voters a say in private school voucher scams
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2025 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org Governor Abbott calls in President Trump to bail him out with his own caucus. AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Texas House gave initial approval to Senate Bill 2, the private school voucher scam legislation. Never one to fight his own...
Read MoreTexas House kicks the can down the road again on school funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 16, 2025 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org Small increase to the basic allotment means underfunded schools will continue to struggle. AUSTIN, Texas – Today, the Texas House of Representatives gave initial approval to House Bill 2, its attempt at a school finance bill. Both the process and...
Read MoreICYMI: Educator argues vouchers won’t help her most vulnerable students
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 15, 2025 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org ICYMI: Educator argues vouchers won’t help her most vulnerable students Parents and educators joined State Rep. James Talarico for a statewide TV interview. AUSTIN, Texas – Yesterday, Nexstar television stations across the state aired a special broadcast, “Texas Education: Funding...
Read MoreApril 11, 2025: We can – and must – do better
Friday, April 11, 2025 McAllen AFT President Sylvia Tanguma (left) and members attend their school board meeting Tuesday with a message to trustees: stand with us in fighting against the privatization of our schools. We can – and must – do better This week, the Texas House passed its...
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