Republicans and Democrats alike — with districts spanning from rural agricultural communities to dense urban areas — have begun speaking out in support of the priorities of our Respect Campaign, among them: safe working conditions, fair pay, reasonable workloads, and...
Read MoreIn March 2024, Texas AAUP voted to affiliate with Texas AFT, uniting higher education and K-12 members in the shared fight for the freedom to learn in Texas.
Read More
Senate Bill 17 mandates the closure of diversity, equity, and inclusion offices on Texas campuses and prohibits mandatory diversity training, raising concerns about the inclusivity of higher education environments.
Read MoreIt isn’t enough for Texas public schools to survive. Our students deserve schools that help them thrive. That's what our union of K-12, higher education, and retired educators is fighting for. Will you join us?
Read More
Friday, April 19, 2024 This past Tuesday, April 16, the U.S. House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security held a meeting to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), two provisions that heavily penalize many Texas educators and public employees. AFT members from across the...
Read More
Friday, April 12, 2024 Despite recent claims that public education is at a "record high," the real data shows Texas schools are starving. Full Speed Ahead and No Sign of Relief Texans are still reeling from the tornado of bad policy that came out of last year’s record-breaking five legislative...
Read More
This Thursday, April 11, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick dropped a list of 57 charges for senate committees to study in preparation for the 89th legislative session next spring. Nearly a third of the charges he included were either directly or indirectly related to education in Texas, but none of the...
Read More
Last week the Austin Community College (ACC) Board of Trustees approved a proposal to offer free tuition for high school graduates and GED completers starting with the class of 2024. This pilot program - referred to as the College Affordability Plan - will fully cover tuition for the next five...
Read More
The safety of LGBTQ+ students in K-12 schools is under scrutiny as hate crimes targeting them surge across the United States, particularly in states with laws limiting their rights. An analysis of FBI data by The Washington Post unveils a disturbing reality: hate crimes on K-12 campuses have more than...
Read More
Friday, April 4, 2024 April 3 tweet from state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, whose district includes the University of Texas at Austin. Happy Celebrate Diversity Month ... Though April is nominally Celebrate Diversity Month, its first week in Texas this year has been far from joyous. In response to heightening pressure...
Read More
Friday, March 15, 2024 What’s Dunn Can Still Be Undone We get asked one question quite regularly by teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, librarians and more: “Why is Texas like this now? Why isn’t anyone in charge listening to us.” Texas Monthly’s March edition has the answer in the form...
Read More
Friday, Feb. 23, 2024 Could you use some good news? Because we could use some good news. Here at Texas AFT, we bring you need-to-know information on the state of public education in Texas with every Friday’s Hotline. And we are acutely aware that, by and large, the news we...
Read More