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June 7, 2021: TEA releases remaining federal relief dollars to school districts … with a catch
TEA releases remaining federal relief dollars to school districts — with a catch After months of urging by our union and Texas education organizations, the Texas Education Agency announced Thursday that districts could begin applying for their shares of the remaining federal COVID-19 relief owed to Texas schools. This $5.5 billion is from the second of three federal aid...
Read MoreLocal unions successful in winning pay raises, retention bonuses
Unlike 2019’s state legislation that sent new money to school districts for required pay increases, local school boards are responsible for all compensation changes. Our local unions have been working on campaigns for the past two months pushing for higher pay for all school employees. Here’s a list of recent...
Read MoreSBOE meets next week to consider new charter application
And...Court case invalidates bill giving charters property tax breaks on leases Seven new charter applications have been approved by the commissioner of education and are up for final approval or veto by the elected State Board of Education next week. It’s important to remember that once a charter is approved...
Read MoreGovernor: ‘More must be done’ to ban Critical Race Theory
Abbott says he will add the issue to a special session As if HB 3979 wasn’t bad enough already, Gov. Greg Abbott announced last week that he will add the bill’s topic—bans on controversial subjects, particularly those around racism, from being taught in the classroom—to an impending special session. That...
Read MoreLocal Leader Spotlight: Wanda Longoria, President of Northside AFT
Wanda Longoria Historically, Northside ISD was a small, rural district in the San Antonio area. In the past 20 years, though, it has expanded to the fourth-largest district in Texas. In this rapidly changing pocket of Bexar County, the school board has remained largely the same, with members having served...
Read MoreTexas AFT Higher Education Committee Explores the Intersection of Immigration and Education
“We do this work because the experiences of our students and our wider community and our work cannot be separated.” That sentiment from Karen Reyes, an Austin ISD teacher and Education Austin board member, framed a virtual discussion on immigration and education hosted by Texas AFT’s Committee on Higher Education...
Read MoreTEA releases remaining federal relief dollars to school districts — with a catch
After months of urging by our union and Texas education organizations, the Texas Education Agency announced Thursday that districts could begin applying for their shares of the remaining federal COVID-19 relief owed to Texas schools. This $5.5 billion is from the second of three federal aid packages. Its release comes...
Read MoreTRS Board Discusses Premium Raises, New Rules from the Legislature
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas’ Board of Trustees held a special meeting this past Thursday to address several statutory changes resulting from legislation passed during the 87th session. The board also announced now customary bad news: Premiums from the upcoming year are expected to rise. Of the changes introduced...
Read More2020-2021 high school seniors eligible for graduation by committee decision
Credit: Dallas Morning News This year’s seniors who have not passed all of their end-of-course STAAR exams are eligible to graduate via an Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) decision, thanks to the passage of House Bill 999 (Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, sponsored by Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio) Passed by the...
Read MoreLocal Leader Spotlight: Jackie Anderson, President of Houston Federation of Teachers
Jackie Anderson In December, the Houston Federation of Teachers won a significant victory on behalf of its members in Houston ISD. The local union, along with Houston Educational Support Personnel (HESP), won elected consultation after trying to have a bigger voice in district decision-making for years. “It took a lot...
Read MoreMay 31, 2021: Walkout stops voter suppression bill; How public ed fared in the session
Walkout by Democratic reps kills voter suppression bill, but governor guarantees a revisit in special session Empty chairs last night signaled a Democratic walkout. Fighting an expansive voter suppression bill to the last minute, Democratic House members staged a walkout late Sunday evening, breaking the quorum needed for a...
Read MoreLegislative Update: How public ed fared in the session ending today
Walkout by Democratic reps kills voter suppression bill, but governor guarantees a revisit in special session Empty chairs last night signaled a Democratic walkout. Fighting an expansive voter suppression bill to the last minute, Democratic House members staged a walkout late Sunday evening, breaking the quorum needed for a vote...
Read More‘I knew I needed an education’: Member’s daughter earns free degree with union benefit
Christine Jones Christine Jones found the traditional college experience to be difficult with the lack of financial aid, the need to take on student loans, and the struggle of balancing a commute while working full-time. Then Hurricane Harvey came and...
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