July 31: #ReopeningSafely highlighted at AFT Convention while Texas officials sow confusion

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2017 CONTACT: Rob D’Amico, 512-627-1343 Texas AFT President Louis Malfaro commented today on the release of school accountability ratings by the Texas Education Agency: We’re pleased to see a decline in the number of districts rated as “Improvement Required,” but it’s also clear that charter schools continue to underperform traditional public schools, since charter...
Read MoreAn anti-teacher amendment was rejected decisively by a bipartisan majority in the Texas House late on Monday afternoon. Rep. Bill Zedler (R-Arlington) tried to insert the anti-teacher amendment into SB 16, a bill creating a commission to study long-term fixes for school finance and recommend a comprehensive overhaul before the next regular legislative session in January 2019. Zedler's amendment would...
Read MoreThe Texas Senate keeps delaying a vote on increased school funding for 2018-2019 and now has recessed until 4 p.m. Monday. It may be just as well that they are still working out their stance, because what's on the table so far in the Senate is very little. The $311 million senators have included thus far in their version of HB...
Read MoreYou have one more day to send your message to the Texas Senate to support a sensible compromise on school finance, because the Senate has delayed action until Sunday evening on the key House bill, HB 21. Send your letter to your state senator now if you have not done so already! These letters matter. Just yesterday Senate Education Committee chair Larry Taylor...
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