Featured News
SB 13: Deep Dive into New School Library Restrictions
During the 89th legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 13, which significantly changes how public school libraries across the state select, review, and manage books and instructional materials. The law, which took effect on Sept. 1, creates new barriers to access and hands greater decision-making power to school boards and external, ostensibly parent-dominated councils. Supporters argue that SB...
Read MoreEducators at the Democratic National Convention: Is hope making a comeback?
After years of listening to Gov. Greg Abbott and former President Donald Trump paint Texas and America as a wasteland devoid of hope —a state and country that had already achieved the best we could ever accomplish — the Democratic National Convention this week offered a distinct vibe shift.
Read MoreParents of Santa Fe School Shooter Found Not Negligent in Civil Trial
On Aug. 19, following a three-week civil trial, the parents of the accused shooter in the 2018 school shooting at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, were found not financially liable for the deaths of 10 people, including eight students and two teachers. The lawsuit alleged the parents,...
Read MoreElection 2024 Spotlight: Winning Back an Anti-Voucher Vote in HD 112
After the bruising battles of last year’s voucher-focused Legislature and amid an equally unsettling back-to-school season in Texas, we know how critical this November’s election is.
Read MoreThe Texas Tribune has big things planned for you at TribFest
Texas AFT is a proud sponsor of this year’s Texas Tribune Festival, Texas’ breakout politics and policy event happening live and in person in the heart of downtown Austin. At TribFest, Sept. 5-7, you’ll hear from leaders, innovators and lawmakers who’ll give you an inside look at where we are...
Read MoreACLU Launches Student Rights Hub Amid Rising Discriminatory Policies in Texas Schools
Image Credit: ACLU Texas As Texas students return to classrooms, they face an education system increasingly shaped by discriminatory policies. From punitive dress codes that violate the state's CROWN Act to gender identity policies that out students to their parents without their consent, these measures are more than just rules...
Read MoreWe May Have Setbacks in Texas, But We Can Fight Charter Schools Federally
As the State Board of Education continues to approve new charter schools and the Texas Legislature abdicates its responsibility to fully fund a free public education, national Democrats are taking action to hold charter schools accountable. Last month, Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the ranking member on the Education Appropriations Subcommittee, and...
Read MoreAug. 16, 2024: Welcome Back
Friday, August 16, 2024 McAllen AFT, Southwest Dallas AFT, San Antonio Alliance, Cy-Fair AFT, and many other local unions attended the various district back-to-school events for employees this month. Welcome back, educators! It's that magical time of year again! Across Texas, educators and school employees are heading back to school,...
Read MoreHouse Public Education Committee Hears Interim Charges
Legislative “Interim Charges”: What Are They and Why Do They Matter? The Texas Legislature meets once every two years for 140 days for its regular legislative session, during which the only bill it is required to pass and send to the governor’s desk to be signed into law is the...
Read MoreInjunction Issued to Halt Controversial A-F labels
This week, as the Texas House Committee on Public Education met to discuss private school vouchers that would syphon tax dollars from our public schools, a Travis County district court issued a temporary injunction to halt the release of the controversial A-F school ratings determined by the governor-appointed commissioner of...
Read MoreTEA Rolls Out New School Safety System: Sentinel
On July 25, Governor Greg Abbott announced the launch of a new school safety system called Sentinel. This new platform-- designed to collect, process, store, and distribute school safety and security information-- is housed within the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and is a part of ongoing school safety and security...
Read MoreThe Flaws in Texas’ English Proficiency Testing Hurt Our Students
English-learning students across Texas have faced an uphill battle with the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). In 2018, the test was redesigned, and the shift to automated computer scoring has led to a troubling trend — drastically lower scores that don’t seem to reflect students' true abilities, according...
Read MoreTexas ACLU Finds Dress Codes of 51 School Districts Violate CROWN Act
In 2023, Greg Abbott signed HB 567, also known as the Crown Act, into law to ban hair discrimination in schools and workplaces. Since then, many school districts have altered their dress codes to adjust to the new regulations put in place by the CROWN Act. However, the ACLU of...
Read More