Texas AFT Pushes For Educators’ Bill of Rights

EDINBURG- The Texas American Federation of Teachers revealed its Educator’s Bill of Rights, in hopes of getting it pushed for hearing in the 2025 Texas Legislature session in Austin.

Although there was a previous “Bill of Rights” for educators, this new one by Texas AFT is different.

According to an official, the original educators bill of rights passed in the 88^th Texas Legislature session did not provide enough funding for public schools. 

President of Texas AFT Zeph Capo said the organization engaged with members about what they wanted to see and with that keep educators in the classrooms.  

“The information that was on it was tilted towards a back door tax cut for people that send our kids to private school already and not really funding our public schools at the adequate level they needed to be,” Capo said. “So, we decided we were not going to let them take our language and twist it to what they wanted.”

He mentioned because of the low wages educators receive, some have suffered conditions where they cannot pay for health services.

“We had people who were hospitalized simply because they feel like they couldn’t afford it,” Capo said. “You know, it shouldn’t be that you gave 30 or 40 years to your school or community and suffer through those conditions. Most particularly most people don’t realize that school employees don’t get social security.” 

The proposed Educator’s Bill of Rights states the following rights:  

1. Educators have a right to reasonable working conditions. 
2. Educators have a right to fair wages.
3. Educators have a right to secure retirement.
4. Educators have a right to quality, affordable childcare. 
5. Educators have a right to healthy, safe, and secure working. 
6. Educators have a right to academic freedom.
7. Educators have a right to meaningful professional development. 
8. Educators have the right to organize with their colleagues.
9. Educators have a right to democratic representation. 
10. Educators have a right to freedom of religion in our schools.

Texas AFT member and UTRGV Political Science Professor, Clyde Barrow says the bill of rights will help Texas educators receive a better livable wage and more freedom in what they can teach. 

“Our salaries don’t even compete with pace in inflation,” Barrow said. “Our pensions have been eroded, our protections, legal protections have been eroded, our participation in decision making has been virtually nonexistent.”

The 89^th Texas Legislature session begins Jan. 14 where the bill is expected to be presented.