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89th Legislature in Review: Your Right to Academic Freedom
Academic freedom: the pillar of higher education, and the target of the 89th legislative session. For the past two years, the Texas Legislature has fixated on our public colleges and universities, attempting to control every aspect of what makes our schools great: the freedom the teach and the freedom to learn. While Senate Bill (SB) 37 took center-stage in...
Read MoreEl Paso AFT Files Grievance Against District, Alleging Retaliatory Wage Theft
Results from a recent survey by El Paso AFT show that 71% of employees who responded said El Paso ISD has changed for the worse in the past two years. Last week, El Paso AFT President Ross Moore filed a collective grievance with El Paso ISD against Deputy Superintendent Vince...
Read MoreJan. 12, 2024: Planning Ahead
Friday, Jan. 12, 2024 With the drop in temps, we hope you stay safe this weekend. If you’re looking for ways to bundle up, now would be a great time to pick up a new hoodie from store.texasaft.org. Every purchase is a donation to our union’s Committee on Political Education...
Read More5 Things to Watch for in 2024
In December, we looked back at the year that was — and all the highs, lows, and whoas for public education 2023 provided. Now we’re ready to look ahead to what promises to be a busy, uncertain year for our Texas public schools. 2024 is a presidential election year, with...
Read MoreNew Report Shines Light on Dark-Money Voucher Push
This past fall, Common Cause Texas, the state affiliate of the national democracy watchdog group, released a report highlighting the outsized influence that a small group of monied donors have on Texas politics, including public education policy. The report, “ALEC-tioneering: Unmasking Money and Influence in Texas Politics,” primarily focuses on...
Read MoreBill Targeting Diversity in Texas Higher Education Takes Effect
At Stephen F. Austin State University, a maintenance worker removes references to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from display to comply with SB 17’s censure of DEI programs at Texas public universities. On Jan. 1, Senate Bill 17 by Sen. Brandon Creighton, which prohibits diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs...
Read MoreTexas Schools Win Federal Grants for Clean School Buses
The Clean School Bus Program, a pivotal part of President Joe Biden’s infrastructure bill, will allow the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to invest $5 billion over the next five years to achieve more modernization in school bus fleets nationwide. Both the Department of Energy and Department of Transportation have prioritized...
Read MoreIDRA Study Highlights Ongoing Struggles Faced by Middle School Counselors
A decade after the Texas Legislature watered down graduation requirements through Texas House Bill 5, middle school counselors continue grappling with the challenges and demands required by this policy. A new study from IDRA, “School Counselors on College Advising Constraints,” highlights the repercussions of HB 5 for both counselor workloads...
Read MoreDec. 15, 2023: Looking Back, Looking Forward
Friday, Dec. 15, 2023 What a Year We are wrapping things up for 2023. Texas AFT offices will be closed from Thursday, Dec. 21 through Friday, Jan. 5. After one regular legislative session, four special sessions, and an election, we are all ready for a long winter’s nap. This will...
Read More2023 in Review: The Highs, Lows, & Whoas for Texas Public Schools
Photo by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. It seems like we say this every year now, but 2023 has been an interesting year for Texas public schools, as well as for everyone who works and learns in them. We say “interesting” deliberately. While it seems like there’s a flood of bad...
Read MoreTexas AFT Names New Secretary-Treasurer with Historic Appointment
2024 marks Texas AFT’s 50th anniversary as a statewide federation, and now we are marking another milestone: the appointment of the first Hispanic woman to hold one of our state federation’s elected leadership roles. Wanda Longoria, president of Northside AFT in San Antonio, will assume the role of Texas AFT...
Read MoreTRS Board Talks COLA, Pension Fund Health
Last Thursday and Friday, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) Board of Trustees met for its final quarterly meeting of 2023. At this meeting, the board discussed the financial health of the TRS pension fund and the pension cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that will be applied to the checks of...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: All the Rubrics and Library Books
At the special called meeting of the State Board of Education (SBOE) on Dec. 13, the board discussion focused on HB 1605 requirements, specifically instructional materials review rules, processes, and rubrics, as well as the library collection development policy required by HB 900. The quality review rubrics are still under...
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