Texas teachers stand behind Kamala Harris after years of feeling targeted, neglected by Republicans

Vice President Kamala Harris gave the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston on Thursday. (Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune)

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HOUSTON — Gena Coston summed up the experience of being a teacher over the last four years with two words: very stressful.

Texas teachers have reported feeling burned out, underresourced and underappreciated in the last few years as they’ve dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic, classroom changes spearheaded by Republican officials and unsuccessful calls for more state funding toward raises.

For those gathered at the American Federation of Teachers’ national convention in Houston on Thursday, Vice President Kamala Harris’ message of appreciation was a welcome change.

“It is you who have taken on the most noble of work, which is to concern yourself with the well-being of the children of America,” Harris said.

Harris’ remarks came on the last day of AFT’s national convention, three days after the labor group of more than 1.7 million members became the first union to endorse her presidential run.

“I'm excited because I know that she cares,” said Coston, who teaches eighth grade English Language Arts in the Aldine Independent School District.

Gena Coston poses for a portrait at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention after Vice President Kamala Harris’ keynote speech. (Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune)

Harris’ message was on par with what some educators said they hoped to hear from her in recent days — a message of solidarity. They acknowledged that while the president cannot control everything that happens in schools, their influence and support while shaping the national agenda is meaningful, particularly at this time in Texas.

[Kamala Harris’ historic candidacy energizes Texas’ Black and Indian American voters]

In the last few years, teachers had to adapt to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrollment declined. People left the profession. Officials, districts and parents fought over mask mandates. New state laws limited how they could teach about race, gender and sexual orientation and expanded the influence of Christianity. School boards banned books. A school mass shooting happened. The state ousted the democratically elected school board and superintendent of its largest district. Gov. Greg Abbott used his power to push for a program that would allow families to use tax dollars to pay for their children’s private education. And through it all, their calls for raises were largely unheeded.

One teacher at the convention, Tiffany Spurlock, who teaches second grade math and science in Cy Fair ISD, said she is concerned about school districts’ budget woes, accentuated by inflation and the Texas Legislature’s failure to approve significant funding increases amid the fight for vouchers last year.

Spurlock also worries about her colleagues in Houston ISD, which is currently under state oversight. She and her three children previously attended school in the district, and she said current students, parents and teachers are being held to an unfair standard.

Left: Convention attendees hug during Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III's speech. Right: Vice President Kamala Harris arrives on stage to deliver the keynote speech at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention. (Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune)

Attendees of the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention clap during Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III's speech, a pastor who spoke before Vice President Kamala Harris' keynote speech at the convention. (Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune)

Spurlock said Harris has the perfect chance to advocate for a system that serves all families.

“We have to make sure we're doing things that’s best for kids,” Spurlock said. “Not just processes wise, not just systematically, but also morally.”

Harris, who arrived in Houston a day earlier to receive a briefing on Hurricane Beryl recovery efforts, said Thursday she would fight for the rights of children and educators to have adequate resources to thrive in and out of the classroom.

She said she would also push back against a conservative-backed plan for a second Donald Trump presidency known as Project 2025, which calls for the elimination of the U.S. Department of Education, phasing out billions of dollars in assistance to schools serving low-income families and rolling back protections for students on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation.

“Project 2025 is a plan to return America to a dark past,” Harris said. “But we are not going back. No, we will move forward.”

Prior to Harris’ arrival, some advocacy organizations criticized her for being “out of touch” with Texas values.

“The people of Texas made it clear that it wants parents in charge of their children's education — not government,” said Genevieve Collins, state director of Americans for Prosperity-Texas.

Coston saw Harris’ visit as an opportunity for the vice president to hear teachers out. She said Texas teachers are quitting their jobs because the pay and school funding are inadequate. She worries about the rise in teachers without formal training. She is also concerned about student and teacher safety, particularly as it relates to gun violence.

Tiffany Spurlock poses for a portrait at the American Federation of Teachers’ 88th national convention. (Credit: Danielle Villasana for The Texas Tribune)

“We gotta feed our teachers and get them motivated,” Coston said. “So in turn, they'll get the kids motivated.”

Going into Harris’ speech, Coston’s expectation was for the vice president to show awareness of what’s going on in schools. She said she was encouraged by what she heard.

“Now we just gotta see it happen,” Coston said.

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