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It’s that time…the last day to register to vote for the November election!

Publish Date: October 9, 2018

The deadline to register to vote in the November 6 election is today, October 9. Now is the time to make sure you are registered properly–e.g. at the right address. And yes, you should check even if you haven’t moved in years and have voted in every election possible, as we’ve seen media coverage of voters in that situation who have nonetheless faced being purged (deleted) from voter rolls. Here’s what you can do to make sure you are ready to vote on November 6. If you need to register to vote, check here for information on registering and where to get an application. Visit the state’s website to check your voter registration status. (It’s best to have either your voter registration card or drivers license number handy,...

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State committee looks at how to pay for school safety

Publish Date: October 8, 2018

We will be monitoring tomorrow’s Texas House Committee on Appropriations meeting as lawmakers discuss how to pay for school safety proposals. Texas AFT believes creating safe communities and safe sanctuaries for our children to learn and grow requires a balanced approach, from measures to prevent gun violence to increased mental-health services and resources for...

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State board keeps CTE certification standards in place

Publish Date: October 8, 2018

Last month, the Texas State Board Of Education Subcommittee on School Initiatives unanimously rejected a rule approved by the State Board for Educator Certification that would have significantly reduced the number of pre-service training hours from 180 to 110 for those seeking to teach Career and Technical Education in the...

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More on school finance bilingual funding recommendations

Publish Date: October 3, 2018

We’re continuing our deeper dive on the Texas Commission on Public School Finance Expenditures Working Group recommendations, which propose to increase the bilingual education weight within the school finance formulas from 0.10 to 0.15, at an annual cost to the state of $15 million to $50 million. (Weights are used...

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El Paso AFT fights grant paving way for charter takeovers

Publish Date: October 3, 2018

Tomorrow, El Paso AFT will be taking on the pro-privatization charter industry at a Special Meeting of the El Paso ISD School Board. The Board is scheduled to consider a $5 million Texas Education Agency Transformation Zone grant, which would effectively turn over management of eight district schools to one or...

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Candidate Profile: Rep. Mary Ann Perez

Publish Date: October 2, 2018

The election on Nov. 6 will be crucial in ensuring we have allies of public education at the Capitol this spring, and thus, we'll spend the next few weeks profiling our endorsed candidates in the Hotline. Every race and every vote counts for our effort to secure more funding for our...

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AFT president speaks out against problems with student loan forgiveness program

Publish Date: September 28, 2018

Eleven years ago, Congress created the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program to forgive the education debts of borrowers who dedicate a decade of their lives to jobs in the public sector--including teachers--and who make ongoing payments for those 10 years. Texas AFT and our national affiliate, the American Federation of...

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