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This Week in the Legislature: Is This ‘Teacher Appreciation?’
On Saturday, surrounded by many of the Republican lawmakers he threatened along the way, Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law his long-sought private school voucher program.
Read MoreAFT Releases Statement on Supreme Court Immunity Ruling
This Monday, at the end of its current term, the Supreme Court of the United States released a bombshell ruling that dramatically expanded the legal immunity afforded to former presidents. The 6-3 majority ruling in the case Trump v. United States is a huge win for former President Donald Trump...
Read MoreJune 28, 2024: Religious Freedom Fight
Friday, June 28, 2024 America’s teachers feel stress, burned out, and unfairly paid at about twice the rate of comparable working adults, according to the 2024 State of the American Teacher Survey from RAND, the nonpartisan nonprofit. Que sorpresa. What’s driving this rampant level of distress? Many of the same...
Read MoreThe Growing Financial Strain of Charter School Expansion on Texas Public Schools
Every year, the State Board of Education (SBOE) approves new charter schools following a comprehensive application, review, and public hearing process that culminates in late June. The commissioner of education also approves dozens of new charter schools through the charter expansion amendment process each year, a process which lacks SBOE...
Read MoreOklahoma Education Under Attack: Supreme Court Blocks First Religious Charter School, Superintendent Requires Teaching of the Bible
Efforts to send taxpayer dollars to religious entities suffered an important blow this week as the Oklahoma Supreme Court decided that state funding for a religiously affiliated charter school violated not only the Oklahoma Constitution but also the U.S. Constitution....
Read MoreOur Kids Can’t Wait: Texas Ranks 43rd in Child Well-Being
Texas has landed near the bottom of the list in the latest annual Annie E. Casey Foundation Kids Count Data Book, ranking 43rd in the nation for child well-being. The report paints a concerning picture, with Texas children facing significant challenges in economic stability, education, health, and family and community...
Read MoreStudent Activists, 30+ Organizations Defend Title IX Protections for All Students
This past week, Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT) was joined by 30+ organizations, including Texas AFT, in sending an open letter to more than 1,000 superintendents of Texas public schools, urging them to uphold the legal protections promised by Title IX. The letter calls on superintendents “to clarify federal...
Read MoreTexas AAUP-AFT Welcomes New Chapters at 12 Universities Across Texas
Texas AAUP-AFT President Brian Evans speaks to media in May 2024 with allied groups and elected officials, including state Rep. Ron Reynolds (D-Houston) and state Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio). In the wake of last year’s unprecedented attacks against higher education in the Texas Legislature and the draconian crackdowns on...
Read MoreTexas Elections Are Awash in Money. McAllen Voters Could Change That Locally This November
Texas AFT applauds our coalition ally Ground Game Texas for turning in over 5,000 signatures to qualify for a McAllen ballot measure that would limit campaign contributions and give city voters the powers of initiative, referendum, and recall. Educators were aghast at the unlimited PAC money that unduly influenced Republican...
Read MoreLouisiana passes bill requiring 10 Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms
In Louisiana, lawmakers passed a law that would require all public schools to display the 10 Commandments in classrooms. The bill, which was signed into law by Governor Jeff Landry last week, has drawn lots of legal challenges, but many conservative states are hoping to pass similar laws soon. Texas...
Read MoreJune 21, 2024: The Whole Truth
Friday, June 21, 2024 The Whole Truth “We have simply got to make people aware that none of us are free until we’re all free.” — Opal Lee, the “Grandmother of Juneteenth” On June 19, 1865, Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger proclaimed the end of slavery to individuals in Galveston,...
Read MoreSBOE Preview: New Charter Schools up for Consideration
The State Board of Education (SBOE) will begin its regular meeting in Austin on Tuesday, June 28. The packed agenda is dominated by an issue that Texas AFT monitors very closely: the review and approval of new charter school campuses. We want to preview this topic for you now, as...
Read More4 New Citizenship Clinic Pre-Screenings Added in Houston Area
Northeast Houston AFT hosted a pre-screening for permanent legal residents ahead of the July 21 citizenship clinic (center). Find information on the clinic, as well as the remaining pre-screening dates, in the linked English and Spanish fliers. The AFT national union, Texas AFT, and its local unions in Harris...
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