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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 MoreFact Check: Have millions of Texans registered to vote without photo ID this year?
In an April 2 post on X (formerly Twitter) that received 56,000 likes and attention from both Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump, an account named @EndWokeness claimed that 1,250,710 voters registered without a photo ID in Texas since the start of 2024. This claim is blatantly false and...
Read MoreState Leaders Call for TRS-Care Premium Reduction, Re-Enrollment for Medicare-eligible Retirees
Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Senate Finance Chair Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston) sent an open letter to TRS Board of Trustees Chair Jarvis Hollingsworth asking him to examine the possibility of reducing premiums for Medicare-eligible retirees. Due to the prospective premium decrease, the letter also directed the TRS...
Read MoreSBEC Preview: Back to the Drawing Board
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) will meet in Austin on Friday, April 26. We anticipate a relatively quiet agenda except for the recap of the State Board of Education proceedings and anticipated discussion of the revised request for proposal (RFP) for a Texas-specific performance assessment. We covered the...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: Rules Approved, SBEC Cautioned
The State Board of Education gathered in Austin from April 9-12 for what promised to be consequential meetings related to educator certification, as well as other topics important to our members. Tuesday has become “instructional materials day” on the SBOE’s agenda. Texas Education Agency (TEA) staff presented an update on the...
Read MoreLt. Gov. Announces Politicized Interim Charges for Higher Education
Last week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released his interim charges, outlining the items that Patrick intends for senators to study in preparation for the next legislative session. In our last edition of the Hotline, Texas AFT unpacked each of interim charges that affect K-12 public education. This week, we’re diving...
Read MoreApril 12, 2024: Full Speed Ahead and No Sign of Relief
Friday, April 12, 2024 Despite recent claims that public education is at a "record high," the real data shows Texas schools are starving. Full Speed Ahead and No Sign of Relief Texans are still reeling from the tornado of bad policy that came out of last year’s record-breaking five legislative...
Read MoreLt. Gov. Announces Interim Charges to Study for 2025 Session
This Thursday, April 11, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dropped a list of 57 charges for senate committees to study in preparation for the 89th legislative session next spring. Nearly a third of the charges he included were either directly or indirectly related to education in Texas, but none of the...
Read MoreFact Check: Are Texas schools secretly better funded than ever before?
Gov. Greg Abbott and some Republican lawmakers have recently claimed that Texas is funding public education at its highest level ever despite the high-profile failure of the 88th Texas Legislature to increase the basic allotment or provide raises for educators and school employees when those bipartisan priorities were held hostage...
Read MoreAustin Community College Passes Free Tuition Program for Eligible High School Seniors
Last week the Austin Community College (ACC) Board of Trustees approved a proposal to offer free tuition for high school graduates and GED completers starting with the class of 2024. This pilot program - referred to as the College Affordability Plan - will fully cover tuition for the next five...
Read MoreTexas AFT, Every Texan announces plan to fully fund public schools
Every Texan has released a report named “Texas is the Tale of Two Economies” to highlight the amount of wealth inequality being created in Texas by millions of workers not receiving their fair share, despite the consistent hours of hard work being put in. This series of reports will be...
Read MoreHate Crimes Against LGBTQ+ Youth Surge in States with Restrictive Laws
The safety of LGBTQ+ students in K-12 schools is under scrutiny as hate crimes targeting them surge across the United States, particularly in states with laws limiting their rights. An analysis of FBI data by The Washington Post unveils a disturbing reality: hate crimes on K-12 campuses have more than...
Read MoreApril 5, 2024: Starting April Strong
Friday, April 4, 2024 April 3 tweet from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, whose district includes the University of Texas at Austin. Happy Celebrate Diversity Month ... Though April is nominally Celebrate Diversity Month, its first week in Texas this year has been far from joyous. In response to heightening pressure...
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