Featured News
This Week in the Legislature: The Final Stretch of the 89th Session
As we enter the final days of the 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature, the clock is ticking. Here's where the most critical education bills stand, what they do, and what needs to happen next.
Read MoreUnpacking the Legislature: Higher Education
While public institutions of higher education in Texas have weathered attacks from the state Legislature before, never have those attacks been so directly targeted by lawmakers as in this session.
Read MoreLegislative Update: In a Week of Aggressive Deal-Making, Public Education Still Left in the Dust
The Texas Legislature has yet to reach an agreement on property tax relief, but there have been significant developments in the past week.
Read MoreTexas AFT Retirees Gear Up to Win A COLA at the Ballot Box, As TRS Board Approves Supplemental Checks
This week, the TRS Board of Trustees convened in Austin. At the system’s quarterly board meeting, trustees received an update on legislation passed during the 88th regular session, including but not limited to SB 10, which will provide certain TRS...
Read MoreJuly 7, 2023: Kicking Back Into Gear
Friday, July 7, 2023 Our schools are back on the menu. If you’ve read even a single edition of the Hotline in the past month, you know: The Texas Legislature ended its regular session without a single new dollar in state funding for public schools and $0 for teacher and...
Read MoreLegislative Update: Public School Funding, Teacher Pay Enter the Property Tax Special Session
The Texas Legislature has yet to reach an agreement on property tax relief, but there have been significant developments in the past week.
Read MoreUnpacking the Legislature: Educator Recruitment
Remember TEA's Teacher Vacancy Task Force report? The Legislature didn't, failing to deliver on its educator recruitment recommendations.
Read MoreNew Charter School Regulations Targeting Self-Dealing, Lack of Transparency Set to Go Into Effect
HB 1707 was meant to increase charter school expansion. Instead, it will work to rein in self-dealing from charter operators.
Read MoreSupreme Court Tanks President Biden’s Student Debt Plan
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that President Joe Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan was unconstitutional.
Read MoreJune 30, 2023: The Work of Our Union
This week's Hotline is brought to you by Horace Mann. Friday, June 30, 2023 Daniel Alvarez Photo The state of our union is strong. The state of our schools is on life support. This weekend, for the first time since 2019, Texas AFT members convened in person for our statewide...
Read MoreStatement on Property Tax Relief, Education Funding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented today on Rep. John Bryant and House Democrats’ alternate property tax relief plan that would boost public school funding and educator pay: “The 88th Legislature, in many ways, has made clear to Texas educators who their...
Read MoreUnpacking the Legislature: School Safety
As a union, we like to say “educators’ working conditions are students’ learning conditions.” While this adage applies to diverse issues such as class size, school funding, and facilities, nowhere is that phrase more relevant than when it comes to school safety.
Read More#TogetherWeThrive: Recap of Texas AFT’s 31st Biennial Convention
Daniel Alvarez Photo For the first time since 2019, Texas AFT members convened in person for our statewide convention, passing resolutions, electing officers, and managing the business of our union. The 31st Biennial Convention, hosted jointly by McAllen AFT, PSJA AFT, Edinburg AFT, and La Joya AFT, arrived on the...
Read More