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89th Legislature in Review: Your Right to Healthy, Safe Working Conditions 

Texas AFT United members visit a lawmaker’s office during the 89th legislative session and discuss the need for our Educator’s Bill of Rights.   This plank in your Educator’s Bill of Rights states that “safety is a prerequisite for learning.” If our educators and students do not feel secure in their classrooms, then teaching and learning cannot take place effectively....

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Feb. 7, 2025: 2025 prices, 2019 dollars

Friday, Feb. 7, 2025 2025 prices, 2019 dollars  What a month this week has been, huh?  We’ll get it into the details of chaos at the federal level, Gov. Abbott’s State of the State address, and the vote on vouchers in the Texas Senate later in this Hotline. But first,...

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SBOE Recap: Not Slowing Down 

The newly minted State Board of Education (SBOE) met for its first meeting of 2025 on Jan. 28-31 in Austin.  The first order of business was to swear in the three new members to the SBOE: Gustavo Reveles (District 1- El Paso), Brandon Hall (District 11-Aledo), and Dr. Tiffany Clark...

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SBEC Preview: New Members, Familiar Agenda 

The State Board of Educator Certification will meet in Austin on Friday, Feb. 14.   The November 2024 meeting was the final meeting for longtime members Tommy Coleman and Dr. Scott Muri, however Gov. Greg Abbot has not named new members to this entirely appointed body. There is an item...

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Uncertainty, Anxiety in Higher Education Following Trump’s Freeze on Federal Grant Funding 

Last week, the Trump Administration issued an executive order that temporarily halted federal funding for grants in higher education, research, and programs related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The move, along with other education-related orders from President Donald Trump, sent shockwaves across universities and research institutions, as agencies like...

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Jan. 31, 2025: Good news?!

Friday, Jan. 31, 2025 Via Texas AFL-CIO  Good news?!  In an exceptionally long and fraught January, here’s a glimmer of good news. This week, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its annual report on union density in the country, showing that the number of Texas union members is the...

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