10.2190/2L9C-RNMD-55M5-UU94 2L9CRNMD55M5UU94 0 The American Federation of Teachers In Texas: Case Study of a Hostile Environment 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=2L9CRNMD55M5UU94 3 I. B. HELBURN The experience of teacher unionism in Texas provides a lesson in discrimination. The failure of locals to survive or even to organize can be attributed mainly to the lack of sufficiently favorable legal, governmental, public, and peer support. Today the scene is changing due to a permissive professional consultation law permitting teacher-school board agreements, public employee legislation in other states, the trend toward unity of tactics and interest between the NEA and AFT, the effectiveness of teacher unionism in several large cities, the civil rights movement, and increasing teacher concern for a voice in the decision-making process. The changes may provide more fertile ground for teacher unionism, if the existing "professional organizations" do not respond to present teacher needs and perceptions.