Featured News
Texas AFT 2025 Biennial Convention: All in for Public Schools
The Texas AFT 2025 Biennial Convention in Dallas brought members, delegates, and staff together for a weekend of action, awards, learning, and fun! The festivities kicked off with a march to Senator Ted Cruz’s downtown office to oppose his federal voucher legislation. You can view the rally here, including the moment when our two selected delegates were denied entry into...
Read MoreSupreme Court Case on Religious Charter School Previews Fight Over National Voucher Legislation
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board v. Drummond and St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School v. Drummond, two cases when taken together that could upend the separation of church and state and profoundly undercut public education across the country.
Read MoreEducators left feeling unappreciated during Teacher Appreciation Week
Now that vouchers have been signed into law, there is no reason not to move a finance bill that meaningfully funds public schools. Texas has the means to invest in both educator pay and the basic allotment.
Read MoreMay 2, 2025: An Educator’s Bill of Rights Win
Friday, May 2, 2025 An Educator’s Bill of Rights Win There is no shortage of bad news for public schools and educators, at the local, state, and national levels. But there is also reason to hope and to stay locked in the fight for schools that help our kids thrive....
Read MoreEducators urge Texas Senate to act on funding for public schools
Today, Texas AFT is calling on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Education K-16 Chairman Brandon Creighton to set House Bill 2, the House’s school finance proposal, for a hearing.
Read MoreThe Good, The Ugly, & The Uglier: Important Higher Ed Bills Moving Through the House
It’s been a roller coaster for higher education this week. We had a major win, but unfortunately the fight against bad bills persists. For most of this legislative session, the House Higher Education Committee’s focus has been on addressing workforce shortages, expanding research funding, and improving access to higher education....
Read MoreTexas Senate Stalls on Public School Funding While Fast-Tracking Vouchers
Despite overwhelming bipartisan support in the Texas House for House Bill 2 — a comprehensive, if flawed, $7.7 billion investment in public education — the Texas Senate has yet to act on this critical legislation. Meanwhile, the Senate swiftly passed the House’s version of Senate Bill 2, establishing a $1...
Read MoreSBEC Recap: Foundations of Future Work
The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met in Austin on April 25. After a year of hefty agendas filled with rulemaking on a variety of topics affecting the teaching profession, this was a comparatively light that laid a foundation for the work to come.. The meeting began with a...
Read MoreLAST CALL: Tomorrow’s the Final Day to Vote in Texas Local Elections
Northside AFT-endorsed candidates for school board, Ric Galvan and Dr. Sonia Jasso, meet with voters during a weekend canvass with our members. Texas voters: tomorrow (Saturday, May 4) is your last chance to make your voice heard in crucial local elections across the state. From school board races to city...
Read MoreApril 25, 2025: It never stops. Neither can we.
Friday, April 25, 2025 Post from AFT President Randi Weingarten on Bluesky It never stops. Neither can we. This week, President Donald Trump signed a flurry of executive orders regarding pre-K-12 and higher education. You would be forgiven for not being aware of half of them, as they’ve come...
Read MoreWith New Federal Policy Shifts, the Student Loan Trap Tightens
Starting May 5, the U.S. Department of Education will resume collections on defaulted federal student loans, ending a five-year pause that began during the pandemic. For over 5 million borrowers already in default, and another 4 million in late-stage delinquency, wage garnishments, tax refund seizures, and even Social Security offsets...
Read MoreTEA Releases 2-Year-Old Ratings Designed to Undermine Public Schools
After months of legal back-and-forth, the Texas Education Agency has released its long-delayed A–F accountability ratings for the 2022–23 school year. This comes after a Texas appellate court ruled earlier this month that TEA could move forward with the release, despite widespread criticism from school districts and education advocates.
Read MoreThis Week in Higher Education: Amid Latest Attack on Immigrant Students, Federal News on Revoked Student Visas
This week’s attack on mixed-status students in the Senate Education K-16 Committee comes amid a broader attack on international students. As of today, more than 260 international students in Texas have had their visas revoked, as well as at least...
Read More