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Oct. 31, 2025: Fort Worth Taken Over
Friday, October 31, 2025 (Happy Halloween!) Beyond the Shutdown As we brace for the deliberate lapse in SNAP benefits for millions of Americans, and as Head Start programs prepare to close from shutdown defunding, it’s important to remember what led us here: a proposed budget that would devastate the health and well-being of working Americans and vulnerable communities. The battle to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits isn’t a...
Read MorePublic Education at a Crossroads: Vouchers, Cuts, and the Fight Ahead
One of the young attendees at a rally outside of Sen. Ted Cruz’s Dallas office with Texas AFT and AFGE Local 252 in June 2025. Photo by Brooke Jonsson, CCR Studios. While educators across Texas are making plans for the new school year, big moves in Washington, D.C., are threatening...
Read MoreCentral Texas Flooding: What’s Happening and How You Can Help
Over the past week, Central Texas has been devastated by historic flooding that has killed more than 100 people, including at least 28 children. Some of the worst damage has been concentrated in Kerr County, where floodwaters overwhelmed communities with terrifying speed. Heavy rainfall, up to 20 inches in some...
Read MoreHouston ISD: School is out, but the headlines don’t stop
Signs from the No More Harm rally at the 2024 AFT Convention in Houston. Photo by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. It’s been less than a month since the Texas Education Agency announced a two-year extension of the Houston ISD takeover by Commissioner Mike Morath’s appointed board of managers and Superintendent...
Read MoreJuly 4, 2025: Summer School is in session
Friday, July 4, 2025 Summer School is in session We wish each of you a happy and safe Independence Day and holiday weekend. As it so often does, summer seems to be flying by. Before you know it, the school year will be here (sorry). Between federal government actions...
Read MoreUnpacking the 89th Legislature: Your Right to Reasonable Working Conditions
An Alliance/AFT member listening to a panel discussion about educator well-being at Texas AFT’s biennial convention in June. Photo by Brooke Jonsson, CCR Studios. As we continue our fight for the Educator’s Bill of Rights at the local and state level, we’re tracking progress on legislation that supports key pillars...
Read MoreSBOE Recap: Some Good News on Charter Schools, Ethnic Studies Elective
The State Board of Education convened in Austin on Tuesday, June 24, and concluded Friday, June 27. The four-day agenda provided the opportunity to approve or veto the Generation 30 (2025) charter applications, as well as hear updates on instructional materials, the Permanent School Fund (PSF), math and social studies standards,...
Read MoreBig, Brutal, & Barreling Forward: Trump’s “Beautiful Bill” Passes Both House, Senate
Texas AFT and AFGE members, alongside students, parents, and community advocates, marched to Sen. Ted Cruz’s office during Texas AFT’s convention in June. Their goal was to deliver letters decrying Cruz’s support of gutting the Department of Education and cutting important services like Medicaid and SNAP as part of President...
Read MoreTexas AFL-CIO Convention Underscores the Importance of Solidarity, Community in Protecting Our Democracy
Photo courtesy of Texas AFL-CIO Last weekend, over 450 union delegates from across the state gathered in San Antonio for the 2025 Texas AFL-CIO Constitutional Convention. Texas AFT was well-represented by many of our local leaders and members; coming just...
Read MoreTexas loses more education funding than any other Republican-led state in latest cuts to fund billionaires
The Trump Administration has announced that it will illegally freeze $6.2 billion in federal education funding nationwide across five federal programs that support our public schools.
Read MoreJune 27, 2025: We’re All In.
Friday, June 27, 2025 We’re All In. If there is one message you retained from our 2025 Biennial Convention, it is that our fight isn’t over; it’s just getting started. As many of our speakers pointed out, the forces we’re up against have strength that only money can buy. ...
Read MoreTexas AFT 2025 Biennial Convention: All in for Public Schools
The Texas AFT 2025 Biennial Convention in Dallas brought members, delegates, and staff together for a weekend of action, awards, learning, and fun! The festivities kicked off with a march to Senator Ted Cruz’s downtown office to oppose his federal voucher legislation. You can view the rally here, including the...
Read MoreReading Up, Math Still Behind in Latest STAAR Results
The Texas Education Agency released its Spring 2025 STAAR results last week, and the numbers tell a familiar story: students are making gains in reading, while math proficiency continues to lag. According to the Texas Tribune, reading and language arts scores across grades three through eight have now exceeded pre-pandemic levels....
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