English-learning students across Texas have faced an uphill battle with the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). In 2018, the test was redesigned, and the shift to automated computer scoring has led to a troubling trend — drastically lower scores that don’t seem to reflect students' true abilities, according to a Texas Tribune analysis. For years, TELPAS was a...
Read MoreIn 2023, Greg Abbott signed HB 567, also known as the Crown Act, into law to ban hair discrimination in schools and workplaces. Since then, many school districts have altered their dress codes to adjust to the new regulations put in place by the CROWN Act. However, the ACLU of Texas found that, still, many districts in Texas have not...
Read MoreHorace Mann is a long-time corporate supporter. Enter their sweepstakes for your chance to be one of 100 lucky winners who will take home a $250* gift card to either Target or Amazon. And if you win a gift card, your school could be one of 25 schools that wins a new-school-year celebration worth up to $1,000! Horace Mann will...
Read MoreNext week, the Texas House Public Education Committee will hold critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13. The committee will discuss key issues shaping public education's future in our state. These hearings provide an opportunity for us to make our voices heard and influence upcoming legislation. What Are Interim Committee Hearings? Interim committee hearings are crucial to...
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Interim committee hearings are an essential part of the Texas legislative process between regular legislative sessions. The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, Aug. 12, and Tuesday, Aug. 13, on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. These hearings present a unique opportunity for...
Read MoreTop: AFT convention delegates and guests listen to Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday, July 25. Photo by Marco Guajardo, Texas AFT. Bottom: Scenes from the four days of convention programming at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston. Photos by Mariana Krueger, CCR Studios. This past week, Texas AFT welcomed the 88th biennial national AFT Convention to Houston....
Read MoreThe AFT recently endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign for president! We’re ready to help elect her, ensuring that public school employees’ voices are heard on the national level and that pro-voucher Republicans are kept out of office. If you’d like to show your support for Harris, you can sport a new Texas AFT Educators for Harris T-shirt or bumper...
Read MorePennsylvania GOP megadonor Jeff Yass has given another $4 million to Gov. Greg Abbott to boost the governor’s bid to unseat Texas House Republicans who oppose his private school voucher scam. The donation, revealed in July in a campaign finance report, was Yass’ second major contribution to Abbott this election cycle. The billionaire TikTok investor donated $6 million to Abbott...
Read MoreGiven the recent approvals of four new charter schools by the State Board of Education this summer, we want to revisit the important research that has informed Texas AFT’s continued insistence on a charter school moratorium in this state. First, let’s start with the national education policy think tank Network for Public Education (NPE), which has released many relevant...
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The Texas House Public Education Committee is holding critical hearings on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13 on issues that are having or will have a profound impact on the future of public education in Texas. Perhaps most critically, the committee will consider the implementation of taxpayer-funded private school vouchers and the effect that the increasing quantity of uncertified...
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