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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 MoreVoucher Fact Check: Are Private School Vouchers “Pro-Teacher?”
In the voucher debate, pro-voucher advocates often tout a range of unsubstantiated benefits, claiming everything from improved student standardized test scores to potential savings for the state budget. In a recent statement on X, state Rep. Briscoe Cain (R-Deer Park) celebrated private school vouchers as a boon for teachers, suggesting...
Read MoreCorpus Christi ISD and Bonham ISD Discriminated Against Students of Color and Disabled Students, Complainants Allege
Last week, Texas Appleseed, Disability Rights Texas, National Center for Youth Law, and Texas Civil Rights Project filed complaints that allege that Bonham ISD (BISD) and Corpus Christi ISD (CCISD) are discriminating against students with disabilities. Complainants also allege that...
Read MoreTexas Teachers of Tomorrow? The Saga of an Alternative Certification Group Continues.
Though the company has hired a new CEO and initiated drastic steps toward compliance, Texas Teachers of Tomorrow, the largest educator preparation program (EPP) in the state, still finds itself imperiled in several certification areas and at risk of losing its accreditation status. Once known as A+ Texas Teachers, the...
Read MoreTexas Education Commissioner Visits HISD 1 Year After State Takeover
Houston Federation of Teachers, along with AFT President Randi Weingarten and AFT Executive Vice President Evelyn DeJesus, march outside Houston ISD administrative offices in October 2023. This past week, Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath made his first on-site visit to Houston Independent School District (HISD) campuses since declaring a...
Read MoreFeb. 9, 2024: The Voucher Bait-and-Switch
Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 It’s fair to wonder why, after the catastrophic defeat after defeat (after defeat after defeat) of his signature policy priority last year, Gov. Greg Abbott is still pursuing a private school voucher program this election year. Texans don’t want it. Legislators in his own party...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: Reading Between the TEA Lines
The regular January meeting of the State Board of Education began Tuesday, Jan. 30, in Austin with new Chair Aaron Kinsey presiding. It was a long four days of rule-making, and our recap highlights a few choice bits of the agenda: Instructional materials review and adoption process overhaul (House Bill...
Read MoreElection 2024: Vetting Candidates Up and Down the Ballot
Last week’s edition of the Hotline included the first round of primary endorsements made by Texas AFT COPE (Committee on Political Education). This list of candidates for the U.S. Congress, the Texas Legislature, and the State Board of Education was carefully vetted and approved by our COPE committee, made up...
Read MoreUnmasking Vouchers: Dark Money in the Texas Primary Elections
Recently in the Hotline, we covered the $6 million donation received by Gov. Greg Abbott from the pro-voucher Pennsylvania billionaire Jeff Yass, highlighting the dark money flowing into the Texas primary elections. This week, we delve into the latest developments in the GOP primaries and their broader implications for our...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Educator Preparation and Assessment Changes
The State Board for Educator Certification will meet in Austin on Friday, Feb. 16. We anticipate a few highly impactful items. The board will consider the proposed repeal and replacement of the entirety of Chapter 228, which dictates the curriculum that Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) must deliver in their teacher...
Read MoreIn the News: Gun Violence in Our Schools & Communities
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo speaks to fellow marchers outside of Sen. Ted Cruz’s office in June 2022. Members and allies gathered to urge action on gun violence after the school shooting in Uvalde. No action has been taken by Cruz or other Texas politicians since that time. White House...
Read MoreFeb. 2, 2024: Kicking Off Election Season
Friday, Feb. 2, 2024 “God bless the Texas labor movement, and God help Texas.” Last weekend, Texas AFT delegates attended the Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention, kicking off Texas labor’s political fight this election year for working Texans (more on that later). In his speech to convention delegates, President Zeph Capo...
Read MoreTexas AFT Joins AFT’s Call for a Bilateral Ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 2, 2024 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org Texas AFT Joins AFT’s Call for a Bilateral Ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas War The resolution was unanimously adopted by the American Federation of Teachers executive council, representing our union’s 1.72 million members, on Jan. 30. AUSTIN, Texas — The...
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