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Fact Check: Do Voucher Programs Really Increase Public School Funding?
Governor Abbott's “School Choice” Claims Don't Hold Up to the Facts Gov. Greg Abbott has recently made some bold claims about the impacts of voucher programs like Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) on public school funding. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Abbott stated that, "In 97% of states with school choice programs, funding for public schools has gone UP"...
Read MoreTexas Schools Say “No” to Chaplain Counselors
Despite the passage of Senate Bill 763, which allows hiring religious chaplains as counselors, Texas school districts have overwhelmingly rejected implementing a new chaplain program. Texas public schools faced a March 1 deadline to decide whether to implement the controversial bill locally.
Read MoreAnti-Immigrant Texas Law SB 4 Heads to SCOTUS
The Supreme Court has signaled its intent to weigh in on the contentious legal battle between Texas and the Biden Administration over Senate Bill 4, a controversial new law that vastly expands state authority over immigration enforcement. SB 4 is “one of the most extreme anti-immigrant laws ever passed by...
Read MoreVoucher money won primary races. Voucher messaging didn’t.
Gov. Greg Abbott’s “voucher revenge” primary election managed to unseat a handful of Republicans who defied him. But what do the results actually tell us?
Read MoreMarch 1, 2024: Vote Vote Vote
Friday, March 1, 2024 Fund our fight for a thriving public education system at the ballot box this year. Shop new voting merch at store.texasaft.org. Every purchase is a donation to our Texas AFT COPE political fund. Educators don’t vote? Prove them wrong Tuesday. With Election Day coming this Tuesday,...
Read MoreTexas AFT releases dossiers exposing the billionaires bankrolling school privatization
Ahead of Election Day in the 2024 Republican primaries, where vouchers and public school privatization have been front and center, Texas AFT has released dossiers profiling the pro-voucher billionaires funneling obscene amounts of money into Texas elections.
Read MoreTexas AFT Membership Survey Results a “Disaster Declaration” for Public Education
As Texans vote in party primaries where public education and private school vouchers are front and center, Texas AFT has now released the results of our latest annual membership survey. The results — what you, our members, told us — are making headlines across the state.
Read MoreTexas Earns a ‘D’ Grade in New Public Schools Report, Barely Escaping Failure
This week, the Network for Public Education, a nonprofit dedicated to strengthening public schools across the country, published a report grading each state’s commitment to public education. This report, Public Schooling in America: Measuring Each State’s Commitment to Democratically Governed Schools, is the latest in a series assessing each state’s...
Read MoreFederal Judge Blocks Extreme Anti-Immigrant Law, Texas Senate Bill 4
In a significant victory for immigrant rights advocates, a federal court in Texas has issued a preliminary injunction blocking Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4, “one of the most extreme anti-immigrant laws ever passed by any state legislature in the country” according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of...
Read MoreTexas Judge Rules Barbers Hill ISD Didn’t Violate CROWN Act, Can Suspend Student for Hair Length
Since Aug. 31, 2023, Darryl George, a junior at Barbers Hill High School, has been suspended for wearing his hair in locs. Despite the passage of a Texas version of the CROWN Act, which went into effect in September, Barbers Hill ISD has argued that the length of Darryl’s locs,...
Read MoreA Letter from Your Union President
I want to be honest and upfront with you. The consequences of the fast-approaching Republican and Democratic primary elections are especially high for educators and dire for our students.
Read MoreIndicted Attorney General Ken Paxton Sues Denton ISD Over Alleged Electioneering
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Denton ISD, alleging two administrators violated the Texas Election Code.
Read MoreTexas AFT Survey Results a ‘Disaster Declaration’ for Public Education
After a year of legislative inaction and gubernatorial bullying, Texas AFT member survey finds 75% of K-12 school employees experiencing burnout, 69% of educators looking to leave, but also hope with 92% of educators declaring they are ready to vote.
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