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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 MoreSurvey Says (Again) Little Support for Vouchers Among Texans
Last week, the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation released the results of its poll tracking likely Texas voters’ opinions on key legislative and political issues. Gov. Greg Abbott’s quest for a private school voucher program was among the topics posed to likely November voters, and the results are what everyone (except...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Updates on Educator Preparation, Pedagogy Standards
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) convened in Austin last Friday for its regularly scheduled meeting. Early in the agenda was a Texas Education Agency (TEA) recap of decisions made at the State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting in April.
Read MoreTitle IX Tensions: Texas Clashes with Biden Administration Over Title IX LGBTQ+ Student Protections
In a defiant move against the Biden Administration's reinterpretation of Title IX, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have chosen to fight federal mandates that expand protections to include gender identity and sexual orientation. The administration's revised...
Read MoreTexas House Committee Investigates AI & Its Impact
On Monday, the newly formed State House Select Committee on Artificial Intelligence (AI) & Emerging Technologies held its first meeting. The committee, which was formed to determine “the ways AI is integrated into our everyday lives and the potential security risks that come along with the emerging technology,” met to...
Read MoreAmid Protests of Students, Faculty, and Staff, the State Tightens Its Grip on the University of Texas at Austin
In April, state leaders’ attempted stranglehold over the University of Texas at Austin, Texas’s premier public university, came to a head in several ways. The month began with the university laying off dozens of employees who formerly worked in positions...
Read MoreApril 26, 2024: A Sorry Week for Texas
Friday, April 26, 2024 A post on X (formerly Twitter) from Lily Kepner, the higher education reporter for the Austin American-Statesman, shows UT AAUP President Polly Strong addressing students, faculty, and community members at a Thursday protest, one day after local and state law enforcement agents violently responded to a...
Read MoreFact Check: Do Voucher Programs Really Increase Public School Funding?
Governor Abbott's “School Choice” Claims Don't Hold Up to the Facts Gov. Greg Abbott has recently made some bold claims about the impacts of voucher programs like Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) on public school funding. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Abbott stated that, "In 97% of states with...
Read MoreIn His Latest Attack on LGBTQ+ Texans, Gov. Abbott Calls for an “End” to Transgender Teachers
In the latest of a long series of alarming attacks on educators, Gov. Greg Abbott has set his sights on transgender educators. During his keynote speech at the Young Conservatives of Texas convention this past weekend, Abbott jeopardized the livelihoods...
Read MoreFederal Court Temporarily Blocks Texas HB 900, Citing Constitutional Concerns
Last week, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals declined to reconsider their earlier decision on Texas House Bill 900 (HB 900). The court specifically blocked the provision of the bill that would have required private book vendors to assign ratings to reading materials based on criteria set by the Texas...
Read MoreTexas AFT, Texas AAUP-AFT Statement on UT-Austin Protests
Echoing earlier sentiments from concerned UT Austin faculty and the Texas AAUP-AFT and Texas NAACP, Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and Texas AAUP-AFT President Brian Evans have issued the following statements.
Read MoreApril 19, 2024: In the Room
Friday, April 19, 2024 This past Tuesday, April 16, the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security held a meeting to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions that heavily penalize many Texas educators and public employees. AFT members from across the...
Read MoreReminder: Early Voting Starts April 22 for May 4 Municipal Elections
It’s that time of year again: early voting season! As we get closer to the municipal election date (May 4), it’s hugely important that we make our voices heard in this upcoming election. As the war on public education — and public educators — continues, we must elect candidates, especially...
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