The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments.

• It's election time in Texas! Have you voted yet?
• Congratulations to Texas Teacher of the Year Christine Mihealsick, an ATPE member
• Enroll in the first ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP) course
• Enjoy early access to the new ATPE Online Community

VOTING: Texas was the focus of the presidential election campaign Friday, with Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris campaigning in Houston with Beyoncé and Republican nominee former President Donald Trump making a private media appearance in Austin. Let this burst of activity inspire you to vote early this weekend! Polls across the state will be open both Saturday and Sunday (check your county website for locations and hours). Remember: Early voting ends Friday, Nov. 1, and lines have been long, so you don’t want to delay until Election Day! ATPE Senior Lobbyist Mark Wiggins explains the dos and don’ts of voting in this blog post, and ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield has a video tutorial below for how to build your sample ballot at Vote411.org, a League of Women Voters website. And don’t forget to research candidates’ public education stances right here on Teach the Vote!

TEXAS TEACHER OF THE YEAR: ATPE member Christine Mihealsick, an Advanced Placement environmental science teacher at Round Rock ISD’s Westwood High School, was named the 2025 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year Friday. Mihealsick was chosen to represent the state as Texas Teacher of the Year in the National Teacher of the Year competition, making her official title Texas Teacher of the Year. Kristi Leff, a fifth-grade science and English/language arts teacher at Humphrey's Highland Elementary in Amarillo ISD, was named the 2025 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year. Also honored as a finalist for Secondary Teacher of the Year was ATPE member Darla Morrow, a teacher at James R. Brooks Middle School in Greenwood ISD. Congratulations to all finalists and all those named Regional Teacher of the Year! ATPE is proud to sponsor the annual Teacher of the Year program, which is facilitated by the Texas Association of School Administrators.

ATPE-MAP: ATPE members can now enroll in the brand-new ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP). This new benefit will give you the tools necessary for you to make a difference for your students as a public education advocate. ATPE-MAP will allow you to earn up to three hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit, as well as the ATPE Member Advocate Program Microcredential with either a Local Advocacy or State-Level Advocacy focus. You will also have the option of earning both microcredentials, which will allow you to earn additional CPE credit. Plus, those who complete the State-Level Advocacy microcredential are eligible to attend Capitol Expeditions, ATPE’s new approach to in-person member advocacy during the legislative session. To take the first course, log in to atpe.org/cpe to access the ATPE Professional Learning Portal. Once logged in, select “Browse Catalog” and then search for “Member Advocate Program” under the Advocacy & Legislation category to enroll in Introduction to Advocacy.

ATPE ONLINE COMMUNITY: We are soft launching the new ATPE Online Community this week! We are excited to bring Texas educators this new resource for networking and collaboration. To join the conversation, visit https://community.atpe.org and log in using the same username and password you do for the ATPE website! Then begin exploring by uploading a profile photo, introducing yourself in the Teachers Lounge welcome thread, and joining other communities, such as The Rotunda: All Things Advocacy, where you can interact with the ATPE Lobby Team.