Texas American Federation of Teachers

06/02/2025 | News release | Archived content

May 30, 2025: You Asked. We Answered.



Friday, May 30, 2025

You asked. We answered.

As we careen toward the end of the 89thLegislature (June 2), you'd be forgiven for feeling a bit lost on where major education bills stand. A record 8,607 bills were filed by the filing deadline, hundreds ran the gauntlet of committee hearings, and along the way, substitute versions have come and goneand bills have been amended and folded into one another.

For the rest of this session and afterward, we'rehere to help you get the answers you need. Ask us anything about education in the 89th session with our quick form.

In this week's Hotline, we address some of the questions we received in the past week. Questions like this onefrom Wendy M.:

Q: "Will National Board Certification still be counted within the Teacher Incentive Allotmentfor a designation? Will only existing NBC teachers still be able to achieve the designation? Or will teachers who are just starting their journey toward NBC be able to achieve the designation for TIA?"

A: Yes, in the latest version of HB 2 (passed by the Senate, pending final approval in the House), National Board Certification is still recognized, but at a reduced incentive level (acknowledged). As for teachers starting their NBC journey, the bill puts continued recognition in the hands of the State Board for Educator Certification.

In this week's Hotline:

  • Status updates on major good & bad pre-K12 bills
  • Need-to-know info on higher ed bills
  • Major win on Department of Education layoffs
  • Congressional spotlight on Austin Community College

- Texas Legislature

This Week in the Legislature: The Final Stretch of the 89th Session



As we enter the final days of the 89th regular session of the Texas Legislature, the clock is ticking. Key deadlines are fast approaching or have passed ahead of Sine Die, the last day of session, on June 2.

Read the full story to learnwhere the most critical education bills stand, what they do, and what needs to happen next.



Read the Full Story

-Higher Education

This Week in Higher Education: Where Major Bills Stand Ahead of Sine Die

With the end of the 89th legislative session in sight, we have a good understanding of which bills are expected to make it to law, and which are dead in the water. There are only three days left until the last day of the session, also known as Sine Die.

Several major deadlines have already passed. Bills that have passed both the House and the Senate are either on their way to the governor's desk or in a conference committee, where final disagreements on bills are hashed out between the chambers. Sunday, June 1, is the last day for the House to either adopt conference committee reports (CCRs) or discharge House conferees and concur in Senate amendments.

Read the online story to learn where the major higher education bills stand in the process, what they do, and what's next.



Read the Full Story

-Pride Month



Show your unionpride!

This June, represent your union - and keep cool - while supporting our political educationefforts at store.texasaft.org!

All store purchases are a direct donationto our Committee on Political Education (COPE).

This month, take 10% off our Pride merch with code PRIDE2025 at checkout!

Thursday, May 1 at 6 p.m. CT

Register for Event Reminders!

Money-starved schools. School employee layoffs. Student program cuts. Educators heading for the exits.

That'sthe reality right now for Texas public schools and the 5 million+ kids they serve. And that'sthe backdrop for the 89th Legislature.

Join Texas AFT for a special May Day edition of our livestream legislative updates as we report back to you what'shappening at the Capitol, what it means for your school, and what you can do to advocate for yourself, your kids, and your community.

All sessions are streamed to Texas AFT's YouTube, Facebook, and Instagramaccounts.

- Department of Education

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration's Attempt to Dismantle Department of Education

In a significant legal victory for educators and public education advocates, a federal judge has issued a preliminary injunctionhalting the Trump Administration's efforts to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education and reinstate over 1,300 employees who were laid off in March.

The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Myong Joun in Boston, came in response to lawsuits filed by AFT, Massachusetts school districts, and a coalition of 21 attorneys general. The plaintiffs argued that the administration's actions violated federal law and would severely impair the department's ability to fulfill its congressionally mandated responsibilities, including special education support, financial aid distribution, and civil rights enforcement.





Read the Full Story

- Community College

Austin Community College Free Tuition Program Takes the National Stage



Photo Credit: Jay Janner/American-Statesman

Austin Community College Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart made history this week as the only Texas voice, and the only community college leader, to testify at a U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions hearing on the future of higher education. Invited by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Lowery-Hart spotlighted ACC's bold free tuition program, approved in April 2024, for in-district high school graduates and called on lawmakers to center community colleges in national policy discussions.

ACC's tuition-free program has already boosted enrollment by 40% and increased student retention. Lowery-Hart called the model "transformative" and urged Congress to consider its potential for reshaping higher education equity. He also sounded the alarm on proposed cuts to Pell Grants for part-time students, warning that 5,000 ACC students could lose the aid they rely on to finish workforce programs that bolster the economy and provide upward social mobility for many students.



Read the Full Story

Recommended Reading

Education news from around the state and nation that's worth your time.

Latest school funding bill heads back to TX House. As school districts across Texas continue to work around budget shortfalls, members of American Federation of Teachers-Texas hope the latest version of the school funding bill before lawmakers will help. (Public News Service, May 28)

Political appointees would have more control over Texas universities' courses and hiring under bill approved in House. Other conservative-led states have soughtto influence who leads colleges and what gets taught in classrooms. Texas is poised to go further by shifting some of those responsibilities, traditionally held by professors, to politically appointed university regents. (The Texas Tribune, May 24)

New study shows lasting effects of Texas' ID requirements to vote by mail. Some county election officials across Texas say the number of people voting by mail has dropped since 2020, but they'renot sure why. New research suggests that the recent overhaul of state election laws could explain some of the drop. (VotebeatTexas, May 28)

Women could be most affected by Trump's penalties for overdue student loans. The move by the Trump administration is set to begin May 5, and borrowers with delinquent payments could have their wages garnished as early as the summer. (The 19th, April 23)
The Lege's 'Big Government Intrusion' into University Academics. Expanding on last session's anti-DEI campus crackdown, some Republicans in the Legislature are now going after gender and ethnic studies programs and faculty independence. (Texas Observer, April 24)
The Shocking Billionaire Plot to Dismantle Public Education. Texas is on the verge of passing a law that could defundpublic education. Vouchers send public taxpayer dollars to private schools. It could cost taxpayers $10 billionby 2030. And it could destroy Friday Night Lights. (More Perfect Union, April 22)


Texas American Federation of Teachers published this content on June 02, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on June 07, 2025 at 16:55 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at support@pubt.io