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Yes, you are responsible for turning over public information on your phone, but there’s no reason to panic

Publish Date: October 11, 2019

A new law on the books this fall about public records has raised quite a few questions from teachers and other school employees about its impacts. Texas AFT breaks it down for you in the Know Your Rights section of our website, but here’s a practical look at the implications of the law.  Senate Bill 944, passed the last legislative session and effective as law on September 1, adds specific language to state code outlining your responsibilities as a public school employee in maintaining and delivering public information. It applies only to information you collect on or after September 1, 2019.  Any information that normally is considered public records from government agencies remains available to the public even if it’s on your personal devices. So,...

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One of the great champions of public education is retiring

Publish Date: September 13, 2019

Texas state Sen. Jose Rodriguez, an El Paso Democrat, announced today he is retiring from the post in 2021 after 10 years in the Legislature. Rodriguez is a staunch supporter of public education, school employees and our union’s efforts. While we will miss the Senator, his lasting legacy is the 5.4 million public school children in Texas.   "I started my tenure in...

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Democratic hopefuls address charter schools in debate, and now is a good time to push for more discussion on education issues

Publish Date: September 13, 2019

Democratic challengers for president took the debate stage yesterday in Houston and addressed a question about charter schools and other education issues like school discipline and teacher diversity. You can see comments from the candidates on the subject on Chalkbeat and in Education Week.   As part of AFT endorsement 2020 plan,...

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A-F Accountability Ratings: Charters vs. School Districts

Publish Date: August 23, 2019

A-F Accountability Ratings: Charters vs. School Districts Last week, the TEA released their A-F accountability ratings for each campus throughout the state and the comparison between ISDs and charters is shameful considering the state spends $3 billion per year on inefficient, unaccountable, and subpar charters: 25.1% of ISDs earned an...

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