FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 24, 2024 CONTACT: Nicole Hill, press@texasaft.org Governor Abbott is pushing further defunding of public schools with money from the richest man in Pennsylvania while Texas public schools rank 41st in the nation for fiscal health. AUSTIN, Texas – In a new report, researchers at the Albert Shanker...
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Friday, August 25, 2023 Get your yard sign at store.texasaft.org. Use code BTS2023 at checkout for 25% off. All purchases serve as donations to our union’s political fund. The Rise of Educational Intimidation House Bill 900, the Legislature’s book-banning bill passed this year, was in court last week. A U.S....
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In Washington, D.C., last week, the Republican-controlled House Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittee announced a new bill that could result in the removal of an estimated 220,000 teaching positions nationwide.
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The Texas Legislature has yet to reach an agreement on property tax relief, but there have been significant developments in the past week.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 6, 2023 CONTACT: press@texasaft.org Texas AFT President Zeph Capo commented today on Rep. John Bryant and House Democrats’ alternate property tax relief plan that would boost public school funding and educator pay: “The 88th Legislature, in many ways, has made clear to Texas educators who their...
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The first of several notable deadlines for this Legislature happens Monday, May 8, which is the final day House committees can pass out House bills for a full vote. After Monday, House bills that have not been passed out of committee are effectively dead — unless they’re amended onto other...
Read MoreThe Texas Legislature has another busy week ahead. Several bills will be considered in committee and debated on the floor. House Public Education Committee: Two Hearings in One Week For the first time this session, the House Public Education Committee will convene twice in one week. Both days will include...
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Yesterday was a busy and often chaotic day at the Legislature. The Texas House spent the day debating and, ultimately, approving its budget for the next two years with a vote of 136-10. The Texas Senate, meanwhile, debated and voted on Senate Bill 8, its primary voucher bill, and Senate...
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The House Public Education Committee met for its first official hearing of the session Tuesday. The committee, under the new leadership of Rep. Brad Buckley (R-Salado), heard invited testimony from the Texas Education Agency and the Texas School Safety Center. Commissioner Mike Morath gave a broad overview of the agency’s...
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This Monday Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick released his list of priority bills for the legislative session. While the announcement did not include the actual language for the bills, it did include a few words describing what each bill would do. The five bills pertaining to public education and the five...
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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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Well-funded schools are not only well-staffed schools but also safe schools. How Schools Are Funded in Texas Six different sources fund the state share of public school funding: Available School FundProperty Tax Relief FundTax Reduction & Education Excellence FundLottery proceedsRecaptureFoundation School Fund (General Revenue) Key Facts About the Basic Allotment...
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