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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 MoreTexas AFT Public Education Advocacy Day Brings 500 Pre-K-12, Higher Education Employees to the Capitol
This past Monday, around 500 educators traveled from districts big and small across the state to urge lawmakers to pass our union's Educator’s Bill of Rights, increase the basic allotment in the school finance bill, and stop pushing costly and...
Read MoreEducators tell lawmakers: Fully fund our schools, pass our Bill of Rights, and back off private school voucher schemes
Over 400 educators from across the state traveled to Austin for a legislative advocacy day
Read MoreNew poll confirms deep unpopularity of Abbott’s voucher scheme
Previous signs of rejection include Republican town hall revolts and governor’s online meltdowns.
Read MoreMarch 8, 2025: Every Voice Matters
Saturday, March 8, 2025 Left to Right: Texas AFT Retiree Plus Member Margaret Daniels with Education Austin Members Megan Vasquez, Taylor Cavin, Megan Holden, and Mallory Vinson. Every Voice Matters “Every staff cut directly harms students. The rising cost of living is overwhelming. Without salary raises to match inflation, I'm...
Read MoreCTE Bills Get Their Day in New Academic & Career-Oriented Education Subcommittee
Gov. Greg Abbott named “expanding career training” an emergency item this session. Accordingly, Speaker Dustin Burrows appointed a permanent subcommittee to address this topic.
Read MoreThis Week in the Texas Senate: 10 Commandments, Virtual Schools, School Safety Funding
Presented in the hearing were SB 10, which would require the posting of the Ten Commandments in all Texas classrooms, and SB 11, which would allow districts to adopt a policy for a period of prayer in schools.
Read MoreFirst Higher Ed Committee Hearing of the 89th Legislature: It’s All About the Money
Texas legislators and university leaders are prioritizing research funding and dual-credit accessibility in higher education.
Read MoreVoucher Scam Threatens More Than Just Schools. It Puts Teacher Pensions at Risk.
This coming Tuesday, the House Public Education Committee will hear testimony on House Bill 3 (HB 3), and much of the focus has been on how school vouchers would drain funding from public schools. But there’s another major consequence flying under the radar: the impact on the Teacher Retirement System...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Lawmakers Get an Earful on School Finance Bill HB 2 in 2-Day Committee Hearing
This week was a busy one for the House Public Education Committee, with two days of hearings dedicated to House Bill 2, Chairman Brad Buckley’s school finance bill.
Read MoreTexas schools need a $1,386 boost in base per-student funding just to keep up with inflation
House Bill 2’s arbitrary $220 basic allotment increase will not make public schools whole again.
Read MoreFeb. 28, 2025: History repeats itself
Friday, Feb. 28, 2025 History repeats itself Gov. Greg Abbott has done a marvelous job manufacturing momentum for private school vouchers, a policy “solution” that is bankrupting other states, has provided no tangible benefit to student learning outcomes, and is manifestly unpopular when put directly to voters. If it feels...
Read MoreThis Week in the Legislature: Let’s Talk About Educator Pay Raises
Things are heating up in this legislative session, with a metric ton of bills being filed and some of the governor’s and lieutenant governor’s stated priorities moving through the committee process. Several of those bills are various attempts at pay incentives for teachers – and we do mean just...
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