Take Action

Tell your Texas Senator to vote NO to vouchers!

The Texas Senate is scheduled to hear SB2, a voucher bill, in early February. Tell your senator to vote NO to vouchers!

Vouchers — by whatever name — divert state tax dollars from our neighborhood public schools to private businesses.

Voucher schemes offer families no real choice, as private schools control all enrollment decisions. Recent reporting by ProPublica found that Texas private schools are significantly whiter than their surrounding communities, with white students making up more than double the enrollment of public schools: 55.6% to 26.4%. This disparity underscores that all the guardrails that protect against discrimination based on religion, race, ethnicity, national origin, sex and disability disappear in private schools.

Private schools are not accountable to families or communities — their boards are not elected, and frequently not even in the same state — and there is no evidence that they improve educational quality.

Voucher plans across the country have proven to be burdensome on state budgets, and a Texas voucher would eventually add billions of dollars to the state budget without an additional funding mechanism. The universal voucher plan that Gov. Abbott supports has been used in other states to funnel tax-paid subsidies to wealthy parents who already were sending their children to private schools, while many low-income families, even with vouchers, can’t afford private school tuition.

Texas public schools, where the vast majority of students will continue to be educated, are underfunded. Texas school districts have not received an increase to the per-student Basic Allotment since 2019. With a $20 billion surplus and $23 billion balance in the Rainy Day Fund, as forecast by the state comptroller, the Legislature has no excuse not to increase funding for public schools. Public tax dollars belong in public schools, not diverted to private business interests.

Rally at the Capitol!

Mark your calendar — we are joining allies and coalition partners to take action at the Texas Capitol; raising our voices for education funding and common sense gun safety laws to keep our students and communities safe.

February 22: Austin Voices for Education and Youth is organizing a Save Texas Schools Rally for Saturday, February 22, from 11 to 1 p.m. The goal is to push our leadership and elected officials back towards adequately funding public schools. Visit the Save Texas Schools website or the Save Texas Schools Facebook page for more information about the rally. We also have a petition to sign at Change.org.

February 27: The Texas Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence’s Advocacy Day is happening on February 27th, and we want YOU to join us at the TX Capitol. Sign up now to take part in the fight for common sense gun laws and make your voice heard. Together, we can create a safer Texas!

Zoom Training: January 29th

Advocacy Day Rally: February 27th


Committee Testimony

Follow our advocacy efforts at the Capitol! TSTA represents the interests of our members and Texas students through lobbying efforts and testimony during session.

January 28, Senate Education PK-16: TSTA vehemently opposes vouchers

Agency Testimony

TSTA hosts a team of dedicated educational policy experts to represent the interests of TSTA members and students at the State Board of Education, State Board for Educator Certification and the Texas Education Agency. Here we’ll post recent testimony that we’ve presented to these agencies and to House and Senate committees.

TEA: ESSA proposed Amendment

TEA: Teacher Incentive Allotment rule comments

TEA: Concerning school safety requirements

SBEC: Concerning counseling public school students

Texas Faculty Association Legislative Updates

Vote Education First in every election!

Now is the time to get educated about changes to the voting process. Check out our voting resources!


Moving forward after a tough election

As educators, we are united in supporting every student—Native, Asian, Black, Latino, newcomer, white, LGBTQ+ and disabled—who all deserve high-quality, safe, and welcoming public schools. And as educators, we will continue to remind our elected representatives that the government of the United States and those elected to office have a responsibility to serve all people.

We know the election outcome will create anxiety for so many of our students and their families. In the coming days, weeks, and months, we will care for students who are at risk of losing their rights, protections, and accommodations. We will console students who fear for members of their families and their place in our communities. And we will use our educator voices to speak out against politicians trying to harm any of our students.

Unions exist for moments like this. Members of our union will come together. We will redouble our efforts, summoning the righteous energy from Selma and Stonewall, Seneca Falls, and Philadelphia, where 43 educators gathered in 1857 to unite as one voice in the cause of public education, starting what would become the National Education Association.

Now that this election is over, elected leaders around the country should come together and focus on serving all Americans, ensuring all students can attend an excellent public school, and America’s educators have the support and respect they deserve.

We will be preparing for what will likely prove to be a tough legislative session. Check back in this space for information and resources in the coming months.