Texas Teachers Rally for Higher Pay and Improved Conditions in Bold ‘Educator’s Bill of Rights’

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The Texas American Federation of Teachers (Texas AFT) is urging state lawmakers to take significant steps in the next legislative session to address the pressing issues facing educators. The union, representing 66,000 teachers, support staff, professors, and retirees, has introduced an “Educator’s Bill of Rights,” which outlines critical demands to improve working conditions, boost teacher pay, and increase school funding across the state.

During a virtual news conference on Tuesday, Rena Honea, president of Alliance-AFT in Dallas, emphasized that the rights outlined in the Bill of Rights are not mere requests but essential protections for Texas educators. “These items are not on our wish list,” Honea stated. “They’re rights as Texas educators.”

The Educator’s Bill of Rights includes ten key rights, such as reasonable working conditions, quality child care, freedom of religion in schools, and secure retirement. The union is particularly focused on advocating for legislation that would increase the basic allotment for schools, define a teacher’s workday as 480 minutes, and ensure unemployment benefits for bus drivers and cafeteria workers.

The push for these legislative changes comes at a time when Texas is facing a significant teacher shortage. The Texas Education Agency reported a teacher attrition rate of 12.2% between 2023 and 2024, a statistic that underscores the urgency of the union's demands.

Texas AFT President Zeph Capo criticized state lawmakers for failing to increase the education budget since 2019, despite the state having a $33 billion funding surplus in the last legislative session. Capo pointed out that while lawmakers claim to have added funds to the education budget, much of that money was redirected towards property tax cuts. “Please do not fall for the hype where they say they've put more money into public schools, because all of that money went straight out the back door and (into) a property tax cut,” Capo said.

The union’s push for an Educator’s Bill of Rights comes in response to recent legislative efforts by Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who have advocated for parental rights bills and Education Savings Accounts (ESAs). These measures, which aim to give parents more control over their children's education, have been met with resistance from educators who argue that they undermine public education.

The Educator’s Bill of Rights counters these proposals by asserting the right to “fully funded public schools” and the right for educators to “teach curriculum free from religious indoctrination.”

As the legislative session approaches, Texas AFT is preparing to mobilize its members to ensure that their voices are heard. “Our union of 66,000 Texas teachers, support staff, professors and retirees will not let those lawmakers walk all over us,” Honea declared. “Our kids are worth way too much to let that happen. And quite frankly, we're worth too much too.”

The upcoming legislative session is expected to be a battleground for these competing visions of Texas education, with the stakes high for both educators and lawmakers.