Association of Texas Professional Educators
Association of Texas Professional Educators
<p>On Nov. 18, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will allocate $420 million in federal CARES Act funds to reimburse school districts for expenses incurred because of remote instruction. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) shares the following statement in response.</p> <div style="margin-left:30px;"> <p>“As the largest educator association in Texas, ATPE is pleased with the news that the state will issue reimbursements for school district expenses incurred in the transition to remote learning. ATPE has long advocated that CARES Act funds should be going directly to the public schools that desperately need them and toward reimbursing districts for the extraordinary costs they have had to bear since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>That said, ATPE encourages Texas Education Agency (TEA) to remove any unnecessary hurdles for districts to obtain these funds. Bureaucratic obstacles and increasing requirements for paperwork and reporting are contributing to the frustration many educators feel right now. For these reasons, it is understandable that educators are dissatisfied with state leadership, as a recent survey of Texas educators conducted by ATPE revealed.</p> <p>However, this announcement is a step in the right direction to give districts additional financial relief they need. It is only a beginning, though, as it’s clear more funds will be needed, and we hope Congress will reach an agreement soon to provide additional relief funds for schools as they continue to deal with the challenges of COVID-19.”</p> </div> <hr /> <p><strong>About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)</strong><br /> Founded in 1980, ATPE is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 100,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, and future, retired, and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’ five million public school students. | <a href="/">atpe.org</a></p>

ATPE Statement on State Allocation of $420M Reimbursement for Remote Instruction

Download this press release (PDF)

On Nov. 18, Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state will allocate $420 million in federal CARES Act funds to reimburse school districts for expenses incurred because of remote instruction. The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) shares the following statement in response.

“As the largest educator association in Texas, ATPE is pleased with the news that the state will issue reimbursements for school district expenses incurred in the transition to remote learning. ATPE has long advocated that CARES Act funds should be going directly to the public schools that desperately need them and toward reimbursing districts for the extraordinary costs they have had to bear since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That said, ATPE encourages Texas Education Agency (TEA) to remove any unnecessary hurdles for districts to obtain these funds. Bureaucratic obstacles and increasing requirements for paperwork and reporting are contributing to the frustration many educators feel right now. For these reasons, it is understandable that educators are dissatisfied with state leadership, as a recent survey of Texas educators conducted by ATPE revealed.

However, this announcement is a step in the right direction to give districts additional financial relief they need. It is only a beginning, though, as it’s clear more funds will be needed, and we hope Congress will reach an agreement soon to provide additional relief funds for schools as they continue to deal with the challenges of COVID-19.”


About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
Founded in 1980, ATPE is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 100,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, and future, retired, and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’ five million public school students. | atpe.org