This week, Texas Governor Greg Abbott released his plans for a special legislative session beginning July 18. The 20-item agenda includes a revived push for vouchers for special education students and a prohibition on payroll deduction for educators. Both issues were addressed and rejected by the legislature during its regular session.

While the governor’s agenda also calls for a $1,000 pay raise for teachers, it creates an unfunded mandate for school districts, since Gov. Abbott wants lawmakers to offer no additional money to fund those raises. At the same time, the governor is seeking legislation to make it easier for school districts to fire teachers. In many districts, firing teachers and reducing benefits might be the only way to pay for a $1,000 mandatory salary increase for those teachers who remain.

Please contact your legislators and let them know you oppose the governor’s anti-educator agenda. ATPE's Advocacy Central makes it quick and easy for members to contact elected officials about issues of concern. Members, we also encourage you to make a donation to ATPE-PAC. Your PAC contributions help elect Texas legislators who support public education and the professional interests of educators.

Visit our blog at TeachtheVote.org for more information.

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