Featured News
7 Million Americans Rally for Democracy in Latest No Kings Day of Action
Photo courtesy of the Houston Federation of Teachers This past Saturday, Oct. 18, 7 million Americans turned out to more than 2,700 peaceful marches and nonviolent for the second No Kings Day of action. At least one event took place in all 50 states in opposition to democratic backsliding, as well as large global protests led by Americans abroad. ...
Read MoreTrump Administration Restarts Income-Based Loan Forgiveness After Legal Pressure
After months of uncertainty and an AFT lawsuit, the Trump Administration has resumed student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program.
Read MoreUT Austin Faced with Loyalty Oath to the Trump Administration
On Oct. 1, the Trump Administration sent a letter to nine universities, inviting them to sign on to a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”. By signing the letter, the invited institutions commit to implementing the 10 points listed in the document.
Read MoreOct. 10, 2025: ‘Empty School Buildings’
Friday, October 10, 2025 Read the full story from ProPublica ‘Empty School Buildings’ If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter – even if you’re not a member of our union – there is one thing we know about you: you care about Texas public schools. (If you don’t,...
Read MoreHigher 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,...
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 MoreOct. 3, 2025: What the shutdown means for Texas
Friday, October 3, 2025 What the shutdown means for Texas The federal government has shut down, and that is bad news for Texas. As the Texas AFL-CIO notes, our state is home to the third-most federal workers in the country and the highest number of American Federation of Government Employees...
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....
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