The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• Gov. Greg Abbott (R) calls a special session to begin July 21 
• Governor vetoes Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention 
• Commissioner Morath updates State Board of Education 
• Houston ISD opts in to Enhanced Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) pathway 
• U.S. Senate parliamentarian puts the brakes on federal voucher proposal 
• It’s not too late to register for the ATPE Summit  
• Use ATPE’s member advocacy tools to stay up to date and take action 

SPECIAL SESSION: Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced a special session late Sunday night, June 22, surprising many who were awaiting the fate of multiple bills as the veto period came to a close. However, insiders had been expecting a special session to be announced for some time now.   

Although no education items are currently listed on the special session call, Abbott can add items to the call at any time. The special session will start July 21. ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave has more in this blog post. 

VETO: Among the bills Abbott vetoed was House Bill (HB) 2243, calling for the creation of the Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention. The commission would have consisted of 13 members, including representatives from the Texas Education Agency, school districts, educator preparation programs, and teacher organizations. ATPE submitted written testimony in April, highlighting the severity of the state’s teacher retention crisis and urging the Legislature to include educators on the commission, as well as to expand the issues being studied. Following ATPE’s request, three teachers were added to the proposed commission in the committee substitute. The veto proclamation says the governor vetoed the bill due to the lack of competitive bidding and procurement as part of the commission, as well as its overreaching the powers of the legislative branch.  

SBOE: Texas Commissioner of Education Mike Morath gave comments Wednesday morning, June 25, to the State Board of Education (SBOE) in three major areas – this year’s STAAR data, his six charter school recommendations, and updates from the recently concluded regular legislative session. Read more in this blog post by ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave. Also, watch for a full recap of this week’s SBOE meeting from ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield at the beginning of next week. 

HISD: Houston ISD has released its 2025–26 compensation plan, which ties teacher raises to performance evaluations rather than years of service. Base salary increases will be based on 2024–25 T-TESS evaluation scores, funded in part by House Bill 2’s Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA). The compensation plan also outlines educator pipeline investments, bus driver raises, and policy updates. HISD is opting for the Enhanced Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA); under this model, teachers with higher evaluation ratings will see larger base salary increases. Read more from KHOU.  

VOUCHERS: A technical determination by the U.S. Senate parliamentarian Friday has thrown a wrench into plans to fund a private school voucher program at the federal level. The Republican proposal — part of what President Donald Trump has referred to as his "big, beautiful bill" — called for a $4 billion tax credit for individuals who donate to scholarships used for private school tuition.  

Congress has long used the budget reconciliation process as a way to pass appropriations without having to meet a difficult 60-vote threshold in the U.S. Senate. The parliamentarian ruled this week that several provisions in the mega-bill, which is likely to be debated Saturday, do not meet the criteria for the reconciliation process. The tax credit voucher, a proposal to exempt some religious schools from a tax on college endowments, changes to the Earned Income Tax Credit, data privacy-related measures, and gun regulations are among sections of the bill flagged by the parliamentarian as problematic. 

SUMMIT: The 2025 ATPE Summit is just under two weeks away, but there’s still time to register. Join us at the summit for Beats & Boutiques, a festival-inspired evening social; hear a legislative update from the ATPE lobby team; get valuable member recruitment and retention tips from ATPE’s volunteer training sessions; and enjoy keynote presentations by inspiring speakers Dave Davlin and Jonathan Alsheimer.  

We have also added a new session before our opening keynote at 1 p.m. Monday, July 7: HB 2 Compensation Overview. ATPE Member Legal Services and ATPE Governmental Relations team members will break down the ins and outs of educator compensation changes under HB 2. 

You’ll have the opportunity to earn up to eight hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit during the summit, including two hours at your choice of 12 different breakout sessions.  

We look forward to seeing you at the summit July 7–9 at the JW Austin Marriott Downtown.  

After the summit, join educators across Texas for an exclusive LIVE online event at 5 p.m. CT Tuesday, July 15, featuring an energizing presentation from Jonathan Alsheimer, plus games, giveaways, and a few fun surprises! Learn more about our Back-to-School Bash and sign up here. 

Artists’ appearances arranged through Gotham Artists. 

MEMBER ADVOCACY: The legislative session may be over, but we urge you to stay in the know and take action year-round. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out: 

• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s new AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.   
• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession. 
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn the state-level and recently released local-level advocacy microcredential, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so check it out today.    
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.