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April 19, 2024: In the Room
Friday, April 19, 2024 This past Tuesday, April 16, the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security held a meeting to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions that heavily penalize many Texas educators and public employees. AFT members from across the country were there, meeting with legislators and observing the proceedings....
Read MoreHouse committee hears retirees call for a COLA as TRS investment returns soar
On Monday, Texas AFT Staff Researcher Eli Melendrez and Texas AFT Retiree Plus member Lydia Carrillo-Valdez testified in front of the Texas House Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services (PIFS) Committee in favor of a significant cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for TRS retirees. Melendrez testified that due to high inflation over the...
Read MoreNews team launches survey on school safety—take a couple of minutes to weigh in!
KXAN News is working on a big project exploring several issues related to school safety and mass violence in the wake of the tragedy in Uvalde. The news team wants input from educators and administrators inside Texas schools—to hear what they feel is and is not working to keep students...
Read MoreTeachers union survey shows school employees overwhelmingly (77%) do not want to be armed
Educators instead support legislation on gun access FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 8, 2022 CONTACT: Rob D’Amico, 512-627-1343, rdamico@texasaft.org A new survey of Texas school employees released today shows that 77% of respondents do not want to be armed to confront a shooter in their schools. The Texas AFT survey of...
Read MoreJune 5, 2022: Protest targets Ted Cruz for abominable response to the Uvalde shooting; Abbott ignores calls for special session, announces new directives; TRS trustee election news
Texas AFT President Zeph Capo rallies a call to stop gun violence on the steps of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s office building. Texas AFT Protest targets Sen. Cruz for being an obstacle to popular gun-safety measures and a proponent of...
Read MoreTRS starts nomination process for trustee election; Texas AFT members are strongly encouraged to apply
TRS is now accepting nominations for the election of two positions on the TRS Board of Trustees. One of these positions is designated for retirees currently receiving TRS benefits. The other position is an at-large position designated either for retirees...
Read MoreTexas AFT Protest targets Sen. Cruz for being an obstacle to popular gun-safety measures and a proponent of arming more teachers
Abbott announces new steps for school safety that ignore gun legislation Texas AFT President Zeph Capo rallies a call to stop gun violence on the steps of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz’s office building. A crowd of teachers and union leaders...
Read MoreTuesday March to give a message to Sen. Ted Cruz
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 30, 2022 CONTACT: Rob D’Amico, 512-627-1343, rdamico@texasaft.org Teachers union will join other organizations in calling for the senator to stop the gun violence with commonsense steps in the U.S. Senate What: Sen. Cruz’s response to the Uvalde shooting has been abominable. The senator is beating a drum...
Read MoreSenate and House Education Committees recap
Texas AFT Government Relations Director Patty Quinzi testifies before the Texas Senate Education Committee Tuesday. The Senate Education Committee met Tuesday to discuss interim charges. The day began with testimony from Education Commissioner Mike Morath on the implementation of HB 3 and HB 1525, the massive school finance packages of...
Read MoreHouston unions victorious with a historic pay raise plan
Houston ISD Superintendent Millard House holds a press conference to announce a comprehensive pay raise plan. Standing with him are union presidents Wretha Thomas of HESP (left in orange) and Jackie Anderson of HFT (right in red). After initial Houston ISD salary proposals were seen as insufficient to address the...
Read MoreEducators across the state mourn Uvalde, express anger that Texas schools are again targets of attacks
Photo: Banners and balloons welcome Robb Elementary students back to school in August 2021. In a letter to our members and educators across the state, Texas AFT President Zeph Capo spoke to the intensity of emotions we all are feeling...
Read MoreAFT president convenes panel in Houston to discuss the tragedy in Uvalde, start action toward real solutions to stop gun violence
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten (above right), among other speakers from education and civic organizations, held a protest press conference in Houston today to speak to ending gun violence. The event also was a response to the National...
Read MoreLetter from Zeph Capo: Support the Uvalde Community
Yesterday was a dark day in Texas as we faced yet another school shooting—this one taking the lives of at least 19 children and two teachers. Those teachers reportedly put their bodies in front of the rain of bullets trying to save their students. The path ahead will be a...
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