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Texas AFT sues the state over baseless investigations into educators after the assassination of Charlie Kirk
The state launched investigations into more than 350 educators in September 2025.
Read MoreTexas 2025 Constitutional Amendments: What’s on the Ballot and What They Mean
Texans will once again have a chance this fall to shape the state Constitution. On Election Day, Nov. 4, voters will decide on 17 proposed constitutional amendments passed by the Legislature earlier this year. Each proposition requires majority approval to take effect. Early voting starts next week, running from Oct....
Read MoreTexas AFT COPE Endorses Taylor Rehmet in Special Election for Texas State Senate
This November, we have the opportunity to send another union member to the Texas Senate. That’s why Texas AFT’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) is proud to endorse Taylor Rehmet in the special election for Texas Senate District 9. A veteran, union president, and working-class Texan, Rehmet will bring real-world...
Read MoreOct. 17, 2025: No Kings
Friday, October 17, 2025 No Kings Tomorrow, millions of Americans will show up for rallies and events in more than 2,000 cities and towns for the second No Kings Day of Action. There are events planned across Texas, in communities large and small, all with the goal of peacefully...
Read MoreOne Week into the Federal Government Shutdown
The federal government has shut down, and that is bad news for Texas. As the Texas AFL-CIO notes, our state is home to the third-most federal workers in the country and the highest number of American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) members.
Read MoreSan Antonio Alliance Member Adrian Reyna Announces State House Run
San Antonio educator and Texas AFT member Adrian Reyna is running for the Texas House in District 125, which covers a large part of northwest San Antonio.
Read MoreNo Kings Day Returns: Concerned Americans to Rally for Democracy on Oct. 18
On Friday, Oct. 18, union members, educators, parents, students, and community allies will once again come together for “No Kings Day,” a nationwide day of action reminding lawmakers that the United States is a democracy, not a monarchy.
Read MoreTrump Administration Restarts Income-Based Loan Forgiveness After Legal Pressure
After months of uncertainty and an AFT lawsuit, the Trump Administration has resumed student loan forgiveness under the Income-Based Repayment (IBR) program.
Read MoreUT Austin Faced with Loyalty Oath to the Trump Administration
On Oct. 1, the Trump Administration sent a letter to nine universities, inviting them to sign on to a “Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education”. By signing the letter, the invited institutions commit to implementing the 10 points listed in the document.
Read MoreOct. 10, 2025: ‘Empty School Buildings’
Friday, October 10, 2025 Read the full story from ProPublica ‘Empty School Buildings’ If you’re a regular reader of this newsletter – even if you’re not a member of our union – there is one thing we know about you: you care about Texas public schools. (If you don’t,...
Read MoreHigher Education Update: Academic Freedom Whiplash Across Texas Campuses
One sign at a rally in support of Dr. Tom Alter in San Marcos last week. Courtesy of the Texas AFL-CIO. Texas higher ed is lurching through a turbulent stretch: a court-ordered reinstatement of a fired professor at Texas State, new classroom speech limits across the Texas Tech System,...
Read MoreTeacher Pay Penalty Reaches Record High
We wish we were surprised by the latest report from the Economic Policy Institute, which has tracked relative wage data for teachers and other degreed professionals for more than four decades. The results for 2024 are in: the “teacher pay penalty,” the wage gap between teachers and similarly educated professionals...
Read MoreTen Commandments Legislation Update: Lawsuits Expand Across Texas
The controversy surrounding Senate Bill 10, the Texas law requiring every public school classroom to display the Ten Commandments, shows no sign of slowing down. Fourteen additional school districts are now facing lawsuits over the mandate, broadening what was already one of the most closely watched education-related legal battles...
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