Texas American Federation of Teachers

10/13/2024 | News release | Archived content

Oct. 11, 2024: ‘I felt like I had been deserted’

Friday, Oct. 11, 2024



'I felt like I had been deserted'

The work our members do each day, whether in K-12 schools or in our colleges and universities, is noble, vital, and so often undervalued by the folks in charge.

Their work is also increasingly dangerous, whether that'sthe ever-present worry about gun violence on campus or student behavioral challenges that are becoming more prevalent and prone to violence in our understaffed schools.

We'veseen the consequences on several occasions just this year. In Corsicana ISD, an assistant principal was blindedafter an attack by a student. And in Northside ISD, a long-time instructional aide diedafter suffering a head injury in his classroom.

Both incidents highlighted a central problem: underfunded schools are unsafe schools. What happenedin Corsicana and Northside may be extreme, but it'snot rare; these incidentsare exacerbatedby a school staffing shortage getting worse by the minute.

This week, Texas Public Radio discussed a grievance filed by Northside AFT on behalf of district special education teachers, calling on Northside ISDto provide the staffing levels needed to keep staff and students safe. ListentoPart 1and Part 2online.

"We constantly, constantly say that the employees' working conditions are the students' learning conditions. And that is absolutely the case here," said Melina Espiritu-Azocar, Northside AFT president, in an interview."We need to do something different, and it'snot for themselves as individuals, but it'sfor the students. Safety in that classroom for staff is also safety in the classroom for students."

In this week's Hotline:

  • Here'swhat public school supporters need to know about the local and state property tax debates.
  • We shine a spotlight on an important state House race in the Houston area in the fight against private school vouchers.
  • Time is running out to request a mail-in ballot for the Nov. 5 election!
  • Next week, watch the Cruz v. Allred debate with us.

- Texas Legislature

The Great Texas Property Tax Debacle

The Senate Finance Committee interim hearing on Sept. 4 highlighted issues with the fixation shared by some of our state leaders, politicians in the Texas Legislature, and conservative think-tanks on eliminatingschool property taxes and with recent actions by the Legislature that have politicized our local appraisal and property tax systems.

- Election



Election 2024 Spotlight: Winning Back an Anti-Voucher Vote in HD 138

Stephanie Morales, the Texas AFT COPE-endorsed candidate for Texas House District 138, is a passionate advocate for public education.

- Election



Election 2024: Time is Running Out to Request Your Absentee Ballot!

With only 25daysuntil the Nov. 5 election, time is running out to request an absentee ballot! The deadline for your mail-in ballot application to be received by your county's elections office is Friday, Oct. 25! We'vegot your need-to-know information in the full story on our website.

- Event

Senate Debate Watch Party



Tuesday, Oct. 15

7-9 p.m. CT

On Tuesday, Sen. Ted Cruz and Texas AFT COPE-endorsed Rep. Colin Allred will debate each other for the first (and only) time in their Senate race. We'vetransformed our usual Educating Texas session into a debate watch party. Join us to get more details on the stakes of this race and watch the debate with other public education supporters. Register online through Mobilize.

Recommended Reading

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

How a school voucher supporter won in a Texas House district with almost no private schools. Gov. Greg Abbott said the primary showed Texans want vouchers. In House District 18, an ad blitz and immigration fears may have played a larger role. (The Texas Tribune, Oct. 2)

Where Texas student loan borrowers stand as federal grace periods end, according to the data.Two federal efforts to assist student loan borrowers came to a close this week, leaving many borrowers open to the brunt of consequences for missed payments for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.(Houston Chronicle, Oct. 4)

How school shooting fears led to a 10-year-old boy with autism being handcuffed in Frisco.A fifth-grader's arrest and the subsequentcriminal case underscore one of the complex consequences of school shootings: young children are increasingly facing criminal repercussions for language deemedthreatening, state data shows. (Dallas Morning News, Oct. 8)