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Fact Check: No, There Is Not Rampant Voter Fraud in Texas
Texas voters received a significant victory for voting rights in federal court this past week when it ruled against a key provision of Texas’ anti-voter law, Senate Bill 1. The portion struck down is what the court refers to as ‘the canvassing restriction,’ which served no purpose but to illegally suppress core political speech under threat of criminal prosecution.
Read MoreTEA Proposes New Rules to Address Student Safety
Last week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) proposed a new rule intended to increase school safety. TEA announced this sweeping new rule roughly five months after a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary in Uvalde. In the wake of the Uvalde tragedy, Gov. Greg Abbott specifically...
Read MoreCollin College Professor Reinstated After Free-Speech Lawsuit
Suzanne Jones, an education professor at Collin College, will return to the North Texas community college in January under a two-year contract and with a new salary. Jones was terminated last year due to her comments and actions on political issues, including criticizing Collin College’s response to COVID-19 on...
Read MoreTexas AFT responds to Lt. Gov. Patrick comments disparaging urban school districts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Nov. 7, 2022 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas AFT responds to Lt. Gov. Patrick comments disparaging urban school districts Lieutenant governor blames school districts for problems his charter schemes created AUSTIN, Texas – In his comments last week pushing private school vouchers, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called urban school districts “dropout factories,” specifically...
Read MoreTRS Retirees Grow the Texas Economy, TRS ‘Value Brochure’ Show
This week, TRS released its annual “Value Brochure,” highlighting the value that TRS has brought to both its members and to the Texas economy over the past fiscal year. While TRS has had an increasingly positive impact on the Texas economy as a whole, TRS members who have retired since...
Read MoreStudent Test Scores Decline During Multiple Years of Global Pandemic
Early Monday morning, reports from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) showed drops in reading and math scores in fourth- and eighth-graders. The ongoing global pandemic has deeply affected students in the classroom. Often referred to as “the nation’s report card,” the NAEP exam was administered to over 400,000...
Read MoreCommission Calls for Complete Overhaul of Community College Funding System
Last week, the Texas Commission on Community College Finance (CCCF) unanimously approved its recommendations to the Texas Legislature that legislators tie state funding to community colleges’ success in graduating students or helping them transfer to four-year universities. CCCF was established by the Legislature in the previous legislative session to make...
Read MoreStatement on NAEP Score Declines
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 24, 2022 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented today on the release of national standardized testing scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress: “Our union of educators and school employees agrees with every parent and educator across the country: our students are...
Read MoreGov. Abbott Fills University Boards with His Campaign Donors, Highlights Need for Universities to Organize
New analysis published by the Texas Tribune this week highlights an apparent quid pro quo agreement between Gov. Greg Abbott and some of his top donors, who he has appointed to serve on Texas public university governing boards. Of the...
Read MoreICYMI: Texas Monthly Exposes a Plot to Funnel Texas Taxpayer Dollars to Private Schools
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 20, 2022 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org ICYMI: Texas Monthly Exposes a Plot to Funnel Texas Taxpayer Dollars to Private Schools In the story about Wimberley ISD, reporter Forrest Wilder uncovers the shady dealings of charter school operators, right-wing consultants, and school voucher proponents. AUSTIN, Texas — On Tuesday,...
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