Friday, Jan. 20, 2023 This week’s Hotline starts with a reminder: Words matter. What happens in the Legislature has consequences. Over the past month, a variety of rumors about Texas education have sprung up on social media and taken root. In December, tweets began circulating that claimed Dallas ISD teachers...
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 10, 2022 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org The Agenda for the 88th Legislature? Respect for Public Schools Educators’ union releases a list of legislative priorities intended to retain teachers and staff, fund schools appropriately, and make schools safer for students AUSTIN, Texas — As members were sworn in to...
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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has joined onto multistate amicus briefs in two lawsuits challenging the Biden Administration and its student loan debt forgiveness program announced last year. President Biden’s executive order directed the Department of Education to take steps to expand relief for student loan borrowers by making more...
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Our work in the 88th Legislature is to do what we do best — educate — on the issues that matter most to our public school employees and students. Polls show that Texans overwhelmingly support raising teacher pay, and public school parents nationwide are incredibly concerned about underfunded and unsafe...
Read MoreReminder: Take the 2022 Texas AFT Membership Survey by Dec. 9 Last year, our members’ answers in our annual survey helped us change the narrative in Texas and force state leaders to deal with the real issue for our public schools: respect. This year, we need your input as...
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Ahead of the upcoming legislative session, which begins Jan. 10, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick has released his 21 legislative priorities, including a number of items related to K-12 and higher education. While the priorities Patrick listed at his Wednesday press conference are mostly “concepts” at this stage, Texas AFT sees...
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Suzanne Jones, an education professor at Collin College, will return to the North Texas community college in January under a two-year contract and with a new salary. Jones was terminated last year due to her comments and actions on political issues, including criticizing Collin College’s response to COVID-19 on...
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Last week, the Texas Commission on Community College Finance (CCCF) unanimously approved its recommendations to the Texas Legislature that legislators tie state funding to community colleges’ success in graduating students or helping them transfer to four-year universities. CCCF was established by the Legislature in the previous legislative session to make...
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New analysis published by the Texas Tribune this week highlights an apparent quid pro quo agreement between Gov. Greg Abbott and some of his top donors, who he has appointed to serve on Texas public university governing boards. Of the...
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Texas AFT has joined forces with other educator associations, several universities and alternative certification organizations, and many special interest groups to form the Texas Coalition for Educator Certification (TCEP). This new organization features many of the same members as the ad-hoc group that collectively fought against the edTPA certification exam,...
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We have prepared this online Back-to-School 2023 Resource Bank to provide you and your family with important issue and benefit updates. We build power by increasing participation in the union movement, by winning elections and the public narrative, and by engaging members and communities. Building community inside and outside our...
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Here’s what you need to know about Public Service Loan Forgiveness — and how our union, Texas AFT, helps you get the relief you deserve.
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