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TRS officials tell legislators: The fund is healthy and can support a cost-of-living increase for retirees
Texas AFT Retiree Plus member Lydia Carrillo-Valdez testifies at the Capitol for a cost-of-living increase for TRS pensions. But you’ll still need to fight for something that makes a difference for your retirement This past week, the Teacher’s Retirement System of Texas (TRS) considered some massive changes that could have a significant impact on the health of the pension fund...
Read MoreLet us know what makes you feel appreciated and be entered in drawing to win $450 gift card
Tuesday is Teacher Appreciation Day! Thanks to all our educators who work so hard each day to inspire and nurture our students. Texas AFT is here to support you, and we appreciate everything you do. Enjoy the day, and the week! That said, we also know that you can’t pay...
Read MoreApril 22, 2022: Time to pump up your activism with upcoming hearings and elections; Tuesday is for Texting
House committee embarks on interim charges in Tuesday hearing on immigration impacts and investments related to Russia The House Public Education Committee will be looking at the impacts immigrants have on schools and reports on investments in Russia by public...
Read MoreHouse committee embarks on interim charges in Tuesday hearing on immigration impacts and investments related to Russia
The House Public Education Committee will be looking at the impacts immigrants have on schools and investments in Russia by public education funds when it meets Tuesday morning to start its work on interim charges—studying issues in preparation for the...
Read MoreApril 15, 2022: New reports shows a ‘Lost Decade’ for public ed with declining school employee wages; TEA policy on ‘obscene’ books
New report shows the key driver for teachers ready to call it quits: making less money than they did in 2010 ‘The Lost Decade: Texas schools are underfunded & facing devastating staffing shortages’ Without significant statewide investment in public school...
Read MoreTEA creates model local policy for preventing and removing ‘obscene’ library content
The Texas Education Agency this week released a model policy on reviewing library books for “obscene” content. School districts do not have to adopt the policy, but have been asked by TEA to consider it for adoption or to expand upon existing local policy. In a letter to districts, TEA...
Read MoreNew report shows the key driver for teachers ready to call it quits: making less money than they did in 2010
‘The Lost Decade: Texas schools are underfunded & facing devastating staffing shortages’ Without significant statewide investment in public school funding, Texas is facing a retention crisis for certified teachers and qualified school staff. That's not just a disaster for those...
Read MoreApril 8, 2022: More student loan relief on the way; Patrick introduces divisive agenda for next session; SBOE adds new courses
With interim charges, Lt. Gov. Patrick eyes legislation on book bans, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released interim charges for the Texas Senate this week, a highlight of the destructive culture wars he intends to pursue in...
Read MoreWith interim charges, Lt. Gov. Patrick eyes legislation on book bans, ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released interim charges for the Texas Senate this week, a highlight of the destructive culture wars he intends to pursue in the next legislative session in January 2023. State senators sent Patrick some 600 policy recommendations to study as interim charges. The 84 assigned by Patrick...
Read MoreEducation groups call for inclusion of more ethnic studies as SBOE works toward new social studies TEKS
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo On Wednesday, Texas AFT participated in a press conference with allied Mexican-American studies organizations calling on the State Board of Education (SBOE) to provide an equitable education that prepares students for the future by learning...
Read MoreBiden administration extends pause on student loan payments
The Biden administration has extended the pause for federal student loan payments, interest, and collections, until August. 31. The move follows other extensions for the pause, which was instituted in March 2020 to help borrowers impacted economically by the pandemic. The U.S. Department of Education also is creating a process...
Read MoreTEA announces another round of “hold harmless” funding for districts with low attendance rates
Under the commissioner of education’s authority, TEA has issued a letter to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools (LEAs) eligible for a reduction in the required 75,600 minutes of operation. Many LEAs have experienced losses in average daily attendance (ADA) due to low attendance rates caused by the ongoing COVID-19...
Read MoreBiden administration pushes new restrictions on charter-school access to federal grants
On March 10, the U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passed a spending bill that includes a proposal for stricter requirements for federal grants used for charter-school expansion. One such change would affect the for-profit management companies that often run charter schools. By law, charter schools seeking federal grants must be run by...
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