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This Week in the Legislature: Inside the Turbulent Fights Over Vouchers, School Finance
Over the past two weeks, the Texas House has witnessed dramatic and defining developments in the fight over school finance and the introduction of private school vouchers. We have a breakdown of where things stand on those fronts, along with your recap of good and bad bills heard and voted on in both the House and Senate education committees.
Read MoreMarch 14, 2025: ‘Whose Union? Our Union.’
Friday, March 14, 2025 'Whose Union? Our Union.’ On Monday, 500 Texas AFT members, parents, and students traveled to the Capitol to make their voices heard. (More on that below.) Why? Because, as Texas AFT President Zeph Capo reminded us, no one is coming to save us. It’s up to...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: The Texas House held a voucher hearing. A celebration of public schools broke out.
Hundreds of witnesses testified deep into the night this week in yet another hearing on school vouchers. The House Public Education committee heard House Bill 3, a school voucher scam that garnered nearly unanimous opposition from hundreds of witnesses and...
Read MoreHouse Higher Education Committee Recap: ‘When You’re a Tier 1 University, What You Research Matters’
On Tuesday, House Higher Education Committee members continued their discussion from last week’s hearing on tailoring programs to meet workforce demands.
Read MoreTexas Senate Education Committee Hears Bills on Special Education Funding, Policy
The Senate Education K-16 committee also met Tuesday to take up an agenda of bills primarily related to supporting students with disabilities and special education funding.
Read MoreTexas AFT Public Education Advocacy Day Brings 500 Pre-K-12, Higher Education Employees to the Capitol
This past Monday, around 500 educators traveled from districts big and small across the state to urge lawmakers to pass our union's Educator’s Bill of Rights, increase the basic allotment in the school finance bill, and stop pushing costly and...
Read MoreEducators tell lawmakers: Fully fund our schools, pass our Bill of Rights, and back off private school voucher schemes
Over 400 educators from across the state traveled to Austin for a legislative advocacy day
Read MoreNew poll confirms deep unpopularity of Abbott’s voucher scheme
Previous signs of rejection include Republican town hall revolts and governor’s online meltdowns.
Read MoreMarch 8, 2025: Every Voice Matters
Saturday, March 8, 2025 Left to Right: Texas AFT Retiree Plus Member Margaret Daniels with Education Austin Members Megan Vasquez, Taylor Cavin, Megan Holden, and Mallory Vinson. Every Voice Matters “Every staff cut directly harms students. The rising cost of living is overwhelming. Without salary raises to match inflation, I'm...
Read MoreCTE Bills Get Their Day in New Academic & Career-Oriented Education Subcommittee
Gov. Greg Abbott named “expanding career training” an emergency item this session. Accordingly, Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed a permanent subcommittee to address this topic.
Read MoreThis Week in the Texas Senate: 10 Commandments, Virtual Schools, School Safety Funding
Presented in the hearing were SB 10, which would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all Texas classrooms, and SB 11, which would allow districts to adopt a policy for a period of prayer in schools.
Read MoreFirst Higher Ed Committee Hearing of the 89th Legislature: It’s All About the Money
Texas legislators and university leaders are prioritizing research funding and dual-credit accessibility in higher education.
Read MoreVoucher Scam Threatens More Than Just Schools. It Puts Teacher Pensions at Risk.
This coming Tuesday, the House Public Education Committee will hear testimony on House Bill 3 (HB 3), and much of the focus has been on how school vouchers would drain funding from public schools. But there’s another major consequence flying under the radar: the impact on the Teacher Retirement System...
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