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Rebuttal to Governor Abbott’s False Narrative in the “2024 Report to the People of Texas” 

Gov. Greg Abbott's "2024 Report to the People of Texas" paints a picture of a state thriving economically, leading in job creation, and investing in its future. However, a critical analysis, especially from the perspective of public education and the decisions made by the 88th Texas Legislature, reveals significant gaps between the report's optimistic portrayal and the reality faced by...

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Texas 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...

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Feb. 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...

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SBOE Recap: Reading Between the TEA Lines

Image reads: Eyes on the Board

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...

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Election 2024: Vetting Candidates Up and Down the Ballot 

Vote with educators

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...

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Unmasking 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...

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SBEC 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...

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In 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...

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Feb. 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...

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Texas 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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Recap: 2024 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention

Texas AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Leonard Aguilar and Texas AFT President Zeph Capo on stage at the convention. Courtesy of Texas AFL-CIO. This past Sunday and Monday, hundreds of delegates representing local unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO from across Texas convened in Austin for the 2024 Texas AFL-CIO COPE Convention. COPE, the...

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