FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Feb. 15, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented today on a leaked audio recording of the Texas Education Agency deputy commissioner advocating for school vouchers. “’Maybe that's one less fourth grade teacher.’ Is that how the conversation normally goes inside TEA? Inside...
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This week's Hotline is sponsored by Texas AFT corporate supporter Horace Mann. Friday, Feb. 3, 2023 Gov. Abbott Ups the Ante on ‘School Choice’ Debate Despite National Voucher Horror Stories State funding for public education is under siege on several fronts. The specter of school privatization threatens the foundations of...
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State funding for public education is under siege on several fronts. The specter of school privatization threatens the foundations of our public schools — along with the raises our school staff so desperately need. Illustration by Sierra Wiggers. On Tuesday night, as most Texans were preparing for a severe ice...
Read MoreFriday, Jan. 27, 2023 As Texas public schools beg for funding, Texas charter schools … buy luxury horse ranches. This year, National School Choice Week fell just a week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proclaimed before the Legislature that he and Gov. Greg Abbott are “all in” on “school choice.” ...
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This year, National School Choice Week fell just a week after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick proclaimed before the Legislature that he and Gov. Greg Abbott are “all in” on “school choice.” What’s normally a week in which voucher proponents and charter school operators share the alleged benefits of school privatization...
Read MoreThis past week, the Iowa General Assembly passed a bill to use public tax dollars to fund private school education scholarships. Gov. Kim Reynolds, an outspoken supporter of private school vouchers, signed the bill Tuesday, just hours after it was voted out of the Iowa Senate. This school voucher bill...
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Source: Texas Parent PAC poll, May 2022 This past Tuesday, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott delivered their inaugural addresses to the 88th Legislature in Austin. Both — for all their previous "linguistic gymnastics" — made one thing clear: a private school voucher push is coming. Now, we...
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The second week of the 88th Texas legislative session kicked off with the inaugurations of Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Both gave speeches that had serious implications for Texas public education. Apart from both Abbott and Patrick signaling support for private school vouchers, which would take money...
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Claim: In a tweet Thursday, Gov. Greg Abbott refuted (rightful) claims from Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson that state leaders’ plans to push vouchers — under “school choice” verbiage — would further defund public schools, already “starving” for money. In his tweet, Abbott said per-student funding for Texas...
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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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Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 Welcome to 2023, and the 88th Texas Legislature Happy new year! For those on their way back to classrooms, buses, and school campuses, we wish you a soft landing and a happy return. In Austin, Texas AFT is gearing up for another return — of the...
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In 2017, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 1882, a bill designed to encourage charter school growth by allowing public school campuses labeled as “low-performing” to hand over operations to a charter operator; in exchange, the school would receive the per-pupil funding advantage that charters have over real public schools...
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