• Thanks to You, Texas Public Schools Work
• AFT Members Help Win Statewide Pay Raise
• New Teacher Survival Guide & Teacher Tips Available Online
• AFT+ Member Benefits: AT&T Wireless Discount

As professionals, we work tirelessly each day to educate our students so that they will have a real future. We strive to meet high expectations even though we are met with many challenges. We challenge ourselves to persevere and look to each other for support.

We are here to assist you.  Texas AFT is the leading voice working to rescue teachers and students from the state’s growing obsession with one-shot standardized tests that distort more than they reveal about how schools are performing. We strive to protect our rights to remove disruptive students from the classroom under the Texas Safe Schools Act and to safeguard our rights to a 30-minute duty-free lunch and legally guaranteed planning periods.

Your strength is your commitment to your students. The strength of Texas AFT is the commitment of more than 62,000 educators working for schools, students and staff. Together we can be proud of our education system and improve the lives of teachers, school employees and our children. We invite you to join us today. Visit www.texasaft.org or www.texasaftpeg.org for member benefit information.

Thanks to you, Texas public schools work.  As you begin the new school year, always know that Texas AFT is here to help you and your students be successful.

This past March, more than 1,000 educators rallied in Austin to urge lawmakers to reinvest in our public schools.  Texas AFT launched its “Don’t Shortchange Our Students!” campaign asking all educators to sign an online petition and to contact lawmakers urging them to use the federal recovery dollars appropriately to fund public schools. As a result of the hard work of more than 62,000 Texas AFT members across the state, lawmakers passed House Bill 3646 which provides a pay raise for all teachers, as well as full-time counselors, librarians, speech pathologists, diagnosticians and nurses. The pay raise will range from a minimum of $800, with most employees getting at least $1,000, depending on district formulas for weighted average daily attendance.

The average teacher salary for Texas teachers ranks 29th in the nation and even lower when compared to other employees in the state with similar education backgrounds. AFT mobilized an effective grassroots campaign aimed at increasing teacher pay statewide to keep up with inflation and rising healthcare costs.

“This is why I joined Texas AFT,” said Cari Weems, member in Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD. “AFT is and has always been the proactive voice for educators. When our schools are under attack from voucher legislation, excessive testing and budget cutbacks, Texas AFT is there to take action to do what is right for our schoolchildren.”

The “Don’t Shortchange Our Students!” campaign has been hailed as a true success by teachers across the state. Lawmakers received thousands of petitions, letters, emails and phone calls that led to the pay raise and increased funding for every school district. For more information about this bill or to sign up to receive Texas AFT legislative daily updates, visit www.texasaft.org.   

New Teacher Survival Guide & Teacher Tips Available Online

If you are new to the teaching profession, or if you are looking for tips that may be an effective and useful addition to your back-to-school planning and teaching throughout the school year, then see our Teacher Tip series.  Each brochure may be downloaded and shared with friends (PDF format) including our New Teacher Survival Guide. 

Downloads:

New Teacher Survival Guide: http://tinyurl.com/lhzbm4 

AFT Teacher Tip Series: http://tinyurl.com/ltr6km

AT&T, the only unionized wireless company, offers AFT members a 10 percent discount off regular monthly rates for all AT&T wireless individual or family plans.*

To receive the AT&T discount, members can call 800/897-7046. The discount FAN # is 00113662.

You can also obtain the discount at an AT&T store location. Note: This union discount is only available at AT&T stores, not at authorized dealers or kiosks. To print a coupon for use at AT&T stores, visit http://www.unionplus.org/statics/0000/0997/ATTCoupon.pdf. 

Bring your coupon to an AT&T store. You may be asked to provide evidence of your union affiliation, such as your AFT, state or local membership card, an AFT credit card or a paystub showing proof of payment of union dues.

*The discount excludes additional lines for family plans, AT&T Unity plans and unlimited plans.

Vist http://www.aft.org/aftplus/discounts/attdiscount.htm for more information. 

Visit Texas AFT's Member Benefits page online at www.texasaft.org.  If you have questions about these or any other benefits please contact Barbara Lightheart, Texas AFT Member Benefits Representative, 1-800-222-3827 ext. 3215 or belightheart@texasaft.org.  

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