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Federal Reshuffle of the U.S. Department of Education: What Happens When Core Functions Are Scattered
When the U.S. Department of Education (ED) quietly signed six interagency agreements on Nov 18, transferring major functions to agencies including the Department of Labor (DOL), the Department of the Interior (DOI), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of State (State), the move didn’t come with a congressional vote. Nor did it come with a stakeholder comment period, public hearings, or...
Read MoreAnswering FAQs: Runoff Election Edition
After facing decades of fierce bipartisan resistance to the idea of using taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition, school voucher supporters “in Texas” — more on that in a moment — emerged from the March 5 primary election claiming victory. But should they? Let’s dig deeper into the...
Read MoreAFT endorses new legislation to help students obtain mental health services
In January, the bipartisan Expanding Mental Health Services Access in Schools Act was introduced in Congress. This bill would create multiple grant programs that schools could apply for to access mental health services funding and would be accessible to millions of students across Texas. After endorsing the bill, American Federation...
Read MoreUpdates from Houston ISD: It Gets Worse
Another week, another disappointing series of announcements from Texas’ most trod upon district. In the 11 months since the Texas Education Agency first announced that it would be taking over Texas’s largest school district, we have unfortunately come to expect bad news from Houston ISD. Recent announcements have been no...
Read MoreApply by March 31: Inaugural Asian American Studies Academy at UT Austin
If you or someone you know are passionate about building a future where Texas students feel bold in their belonging, we invite you to apply for the inaugural Asian American Studies Academy, to be held June 24-27 at the University of Texas at Austin. The Asian American Studies Academy, in...
Read MoreProtected: SBOE Chairman Aaron Kinsey puts Duty to Donors over Duty to Schools and Taxpayers
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Read MoreMarch 15, 2024: “Why is Texas like this now?”
Friday, March 15, 2024 What’s Dunn Can Still Be Undone We get asked one question quite regularly by teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, librarians and more: “Why is Texas like this now? Why isn’t anyone in charge listening to us.” Texas Monthly’s March edition has the answer in the form...
Read MoreSocorro ISD Requests TEA Conservatorship: State Intervention and the Threat to Our Public Schools
The public education community in Socorro ISD (SISD) was shocked last week to learn that following a closed-door session, the school district’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Tuesday to request that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) appoint one or more conservators to oversee the district’s operations. Why did the...
Read MoreBiden Fires off Most Worker-Centric, Education-Focused State of the Union Speech in Memory
Last Thursday, President Joe Biden addressed Congress and the nation in his third official State of the Union address. The president broached a diverse set of topics, including the economy, international affairs, women’s reproductive rights, and immigration. The speech included several significant remarks supporting workers generally and educators specifically. Texas...
Read MorePensions at Risk: Join Texas Climate Jobs Project, Texas AFT for Webinar on Threats to Texas Public Employees’ Retirement
Laws have been enacted in Texas that may be putting the futures of our public sector workers and retirees at risk. These laws dictate how public pension funds can be invested or divested without considering the performance of the investments....
Read MoreNew Report Highlights How Dress Codes Discriminate Against Texas Students
Last month, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas (ACLU Texas) released the Dressed to Express Report to highlight the role that dress codes have played in discrimination in Texas public schools. The data, collected from over 1,100 Texas public schools, “provides insight into the prevalence of inequitable dress and...
Read MoreMarch 8, 2024: Public Schools at the Polls
Friday, March 8, 2024 This is what democracy looks like It’s been quite a week. On Tuesday, Texans went to the polls to vote in primary elections, setting up a muddled outlook for public education in the 89th Legislature next year. Yesterday, meanwhile, President Joe Biden delivered the State of...
Read MorePrimary Election Recap: Voucher Money Won Some Races. Vouchers Themselves Did Not.
After facing decades of fierce bipartisan resistance to the idea of using taxpayer dollars to pay for private school tuition, school voucher supporters “in Texas” — more on that in a moment — emerged from the March 5 primary election claiming victory. But should they? Let’s dig deeper into the...
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