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Texas loses more education funding than any other Republican-led state in latest cuts to fund billionaires
The Trump Administration has announced that it will illegally freeze $6.2 billion in federal education funding nationwide across five federal programs that support our public schools.
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...
Read MoreJune 14, 2024: The Future of Our Schools
Monday, June 17, 2024 Last week's Hotline was delayed to today due to technical difficulties on Friday, June 14th. Texas Democrats Unite to Defend Public Education at 2024 State Convention This past weekend, Texas Democrats gathered in El Paso for their 2024 state convention, and the tone could not have...
Read MoreTexas Democrats Unite to Defend Public Education at 2024 State Convention
This past weekend, Texas Democrats gathered in El Paso for their 2024 state convention, and the tone could not have been more different from the Texas GOP Convention held in San Antonio in late May. As speaker after speaker took the stage, one issue resonated above all others: the urgent...
Read MoreWhat STAAR Scores Actually Measure: Beyond the Classroom
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently released data on high school STAAR test results, showing an improvement in students’ performance on English II but remaining largely stagnant from the prior year and still catching up to pre-COVID levels. The Austin American-Statesman reported that, “Students who met grade level for the English...
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