Featured News
SB 13: Deep Dive into New School Library Restrictions
During the 89th legislative session, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 13, which significantly changes how public school libraries across the state select, review, and manage books and instructional materials. The law, which took effect on Sept. 1, creates new barriers to access and hands greater decision-making power to school boards and external, ostensibly parent-dominated councils. Supporters argue that SB...
Read MoreSpecial Session Update: Vouchers at a Standstill Amid Immigration Debate
Late last Thursday, after weeks of almost no action from the House on vouchers, Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Killeen), chairman of the House Public Education Committee, quietly filed House Bill 1, a voucher bill that includes some limited public education funding increases.
Read MoreSBOE Update: Last Call for Science Textbook Comments
Well-monied interest groups are calling on climate deniers to flood the SBOE with demands to censor new science textbooks, specifically for Grade 8. We must take action now to demand that the board reject these attempts to censor the truth.
Read More7 Texas AFT Local Unions Win AFT Powerful Partnerships Institute Grants
At AFT’s Civil, Human, & Women’s Rights Conference in Houston, our national union’s Powerful Partnership Institute (PPI) awarded its latest round of grant funding. Texas AFT was among those grant recipients, along with seven of our local unions
Read MoreTell Sen. Cornyn: Do Not Support More Charter School Program Waste, Fraud
Eight U.S. senators (including Texas Sen. John Cornyn) introduced a bill last week that was clearly written with the help of the charter school lobby. The Empower Charter School Educators to Lead Act would allow billionaire-funded nonprofits to keep more of a cut when dispersing Charter School Program (CSP) grants.
Read MoreSchool Chaplain Bill Update: School Districts Begin Voting on SB 763
From now until March 1, 2024, every Texas school district must decide whether to adopt a policy to allow chaplains to serve as counselors in public schools, after the passage of SB 763. These votes are now starting to take place.
Read MoreKick Off Early Voting with Texas AFT Retiree Plus, Pro-COLA Legislators
Retired educators across Texas will kick off the first day of early voting for Proposition 9, which will provide some retired educators with their first pension cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) in nearly two decades, with a Zoom meeting this Monday at 6 p.m. CT. Retirees will be texting their peers to...
Read MoreOct. 13, 2023: It’s not about the kids
Friday, October 13, 2023 It’s not about the kids. Spoiler alert: The fight to privatize education isn’t about doing what’s best for kids. It never has been. It’s about turning a profit for wealthy investors and fueling Gov. Abbott’s national political ambitions. An incredible piece from The Texas Tribune and...
Read MoreSpecial Session Update: Gov. Abbott Dangles Carrot, Educators Say “No Deal”
Late last week, just hours after the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1, the latest iteration of that chamber’s voucher bill, Gov. Greg Abbott stated that he would only add teacher raises and public school funding to the special session call if the Legislature passes his voucher scheme. Abbott specifically...
Read MoreAnti-Voucher Legislators Double Down on Public Education Funding
This Thursday, in response to Gov. Greg Abbott’s calls to defund public education through voucher schemes, members of the Texas House Democratic Caucus (HDC) announced a proposal that would fund Texas schools. Titled the “Fully Fund Our Future Act,” the plan would increase public education funding by $40 billion. Texas...
Read MoreEarly voting starts Monday. Have you made your plan to vote?
Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 23, across Texas for the Nov. 7 election. Next week through Friday, Nov. 3, you have the opportunity to cast your vote for various important measures that will shape the future of your community and state. Statewide Measures Texans everywhere will vote on 14 proposed...
Read MoreA Tale of Two Chambers: Senate Fast-Tracks, House Slow Rolls in First Week of Special Session
In the first week of this 3rd special session, focused largely on private school vouchers pushed by the governor and his billionaire donors, each chamber of the Texas Legislature took drastically different approaches to the governor's call. The Texas House, of which a bipartisan majority has remained adamantly opposed to...
Read MoreWhat’s on your ballot? Texas Voters to Weigh in on 14 Statewide Props
Voters across the state will be voting on 14 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution on November 7, 2023. These ballot propositions range from providing a cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers to establishing a state broadband fund for financing broadband expansion in Texas. Texas AFT is taking a position on...
Read More