FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 11, 2019 CONTACT: Rob D’Amico, 512-627-1343 Texas AFT is happy that the governor—by signing HB 3--listened to the thousands of educators, parents, and activists calling for a much-overdue investment in our schools and a package of fixes to the school finance system that will give a solid foundation for funding our future. The new school finance system also provides a framework for continuing pay raises for our teachers and the entire school employee team. “The bill signed into law today is a significant building block that will allow our state to continue funding public education to a level that’s needed to meet the challenges of our increasingly diverse state,” said Texas AFT President Louis Malfaro. “We still have a long way...
The last couple of Hotlines have laid out many of the recommendations emanating from the Texas Senate Education Committee in an interim report to the 2011 legislature issued last week. You can see the full report at this site: http://www.senate.state.tx.us/75r/Senate/commit/c530/c530.InterimReport81.pdf. More of the committee’s recommendations are worth noting here. Under...
The previous Hotline described notable committee recommendations, in an interim report intended to guide legislative action in 2011, on the topics of charter schools, teacher evaluation, modification of class-size limits, and educator contracts. Additional topics addressed include: --Teacher pay: The committee’s interim report calls for providing “flexibility to school districts...
The Texas Senate Education Committee, chaired by Plano Republican Sen. Florence Shapiro, has come out with a wish list of policy changes that Shapiro can be expected to seek in the 2011 session of the legislature. Not all of them have the full backing of her committee members, however. Controversial...
In a recent magazine article, billionaire Bill Gates, who has used grants from his philanthropic foundation to assume a key role in steering educational policy across the nation, reproaches education historian Diane Ravitch for saying his version of education reform is hurting America’s schools. Unfortunately for Gates, Ravitch has now...
As early as Friday, Congress may vote on the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, bipartisan legislation that would ensure thousands of immigrant children who have grown up in the United States can get the post-secondary education they need to contribute to society. Under the DREAM Act,...
The victory of Juliet Stipeche in today's runoff election for a seat on the Houston ISD school board has national implications. Stipeche, running with the strong support of the Houston Federation of Teachers, prevailed in a close race over a well-funded candidate backed by business groups and out-of-state political interests...
At a time when more Americans remain unemployed, through no fault of their own, than in any era since the Great Depression of the 1930s, the U.S. Congress has made matters worse by allowing long-term unemployment benefits to run out. As of tomorrow, more than 800,000 unemployed workers will have...
The co-chairs of a presidential advisory commission have recommended deep cuts in Social Security benefits as part of a federal deficit-reduction program, even though Social Security has played no part in creating the problem of the federal deficit. Their proposal would raise the retirement age over time to 69, cutting...
A Texas AFT member in San Antonio is thrilled to be the recipient of the mobile home that Gov. Rick Perry spurned even though it was offered to him for a dollar a year. Hilda Cantu yesterday received the keys...
On Friday the State Board of Education found another $300 million for the state budget in the coming biennium, thanks to a transfer of unanticipated funds from the School Land Board into the Permanent School Fund. Legislative leaders, who have been pushing for budget cuts, said they welcomed the decision...
Thanks to a legislative blockade orchestrated by a minority of U.S. House members and U.S. senators, some two million American workers who have lost their jobs and have been unable to find work in the current sluggish economy will lose their unemployment benefits, effective December 1. Among them are nearly...
Over the objections of Texas educators, the State Board of Education today allowed a problematic revision of the educators’ code of ethics to take effect. Texas AFT and other statewide educator organizations took a stand against the revision emanating from...
