Featured News
Fact Check: No, There Is Not Rampant Voter Fraud in Texas
Texas voters received a significant victory for voting rights in federal court this past week when it ruled against a key provision of Texas’ anti-voter law, Senate Bill 1. The portion struck down is what the court refers to as ‘the canvassing restriction,’ which served no purpose but to illegally suppress core political speech under threat of criminal prosecution.
Read MoreThe Good Bills (TRS COLA) & Bad Bills (Vouchers & Book-Banning) of the Week
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read MoreTexas Public School Employees Rally for ‘Respect’ in Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 14, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas Public School Employees Rally for ‘Respect’ in Austin After more than 500 teachers and school staff members met with legislators, Texas AFT plans to release research on Wednesday that outlines the true cost of respect for public schools. Texas AFT members...
Read MoreMarch 10, 2023: The Bill Filing Deadline; Working Conditions in the Teacher Vacancy Report
Friday, March 10, 2023 This week is National School Social Worker Week, and we should all take a moment to lift up these employees who help our kids face some of their toughest challenges. We know students bring a lot with them to school every day, that’s why having dedicated...
Read MoreWhat’s in the Teacher Vacancy Task Force Report? Working Conditions
This is the second of three deep dives we will take into the final report from the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force. The recommendations from the report fell into three broad categories: CompensationWorking ConditionsTraining & Support Last week, we covered topics related to compensation. Today, we will take...
Read MoreBehind Closed Doors, the Voucher Fight Gets Ugly
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read MorePriority Education Bills Filed Before Legislative Deadline
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read MoreMarch 3, 2023: Celebrating Maintenance Workers & Women’s History Month
Friday, March 3, 2023 ‘Respect for Those of Us Who Are the Foundation of Every School’ Saturday, March 4, is Maintenance Worker Appreciation Day, an important time to recognize the too-often-ignored contributions of the support staff who keep schools safe, clean, and usable for our kids. Too many of our...
Read MoreAllies Rally for Public Education, School Safety at the Capitol
Texas AFT regularly participates in coalition work with allies related to our legislative priorities; in the past week, we have had the chance to join our coalition partners at the Capitol for successful advocacy days.
Read MoreWhat’s in the Teacher Vacancy Task Force Report? Compensation
This is the first of three deep dives we will take into the final report from the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force issued last week. The recommendations from the report fell into three broad categories: CompensationTraining & SupportWorking Conditions Today, we will take a closer look at the...
Read MoreSenate, House Education Committees Begin Hearings
The House Public Education Committee met for its first official hearing of the session Tuesday. The committee, under the new leadership of Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), heard invited testimony from the Texas Education Agency and the Texas School Safety Center. Commissioner Mike Morath gave a broad overview of the agency’s...
Read MoreLawmaker Calling for Bans on Public Drag Performances Appears to Have Performed in Drag Publicly
A recently surfaced video appears to show freshman state Rep. Nate Schatzline (R-Fort Worth) wearing a dress while dancing in a park. In the 88th Legislature, Schatzline has filed HB 1266, which would effectively ban public drag shows. The bill would amend Texas Business and Commerce code such that any...
Read MoreAFT Calls on Congress to Raise the Debt Ceiling
The American Federation of Teachers, along with dozens of our union’s partner groups, have called on the U.S. Congress to raise the national ceiling before the country defaults on its debt. Raising the debt ceiling in no way subjects the country to additional debt by increasing federal spending, it simply...
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