ATPE joins effort to encourage school districts to facilitate primary voting

Date Posted: 2/10/2016 | Author: Jennifer Mitchell, CAE
Days away from the start of early voting for the primary elections in Texas, education groups are spreading the word about the importance of voting through an unprecedented joint effort. ATPE has teamed up with nearly a dozen other groups in support of a new initiative called TexasEducatorsVote.com.
The new website features election-related guides, links to candidate resources, and an oath that educators can take to pledge to support public education by voting in 2016. The new initiative launched by the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS) complements ATPE's existing TeachtheVote.org website, where voters can view profiles of candidates for the legislature and State Board of Education, read their responses to ATPE's candidate survey, study incumbents' voting records on education issues, and find additional resources.
Brock Gregg
“We’re coming together for the first time in an unprecedented way,” ATPE Governmental Relations Director Brock Gregg said in a press release issued yesterday. “Our goal is to implore educators and the public to take action. There are about one million active and retired public school educators in Texas. If they all go out and vote, this could have a tremendous positive impact on public education.”
The partners in the Texas Educators Vote initiative are also reaching out to school administrators across the state and encouraging them to do what they can to facilitate voting by school employees. The message to administrators highlights specific ways school leaders can promote high voter turnout and engagement within their school districts and campuses without endorsing particular candidates. Suggested actions include the following:
- Setting a campus-wide voter turnout goal during the early voting period.
- Encouraging employees to utilize election resources such as TeachtheVote.org and TexasEducatorsVote.com to learn more about the candidates and voting details.
- Facilitating time off for school employees to go vote, including coordinating with volunteers to help cover classrooms as needed.
- Coordinating ride-sharing or providing transportation to the polls.
CONVERSATION
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

09/05/2025
Teach the Vote’s Week in Review: Sept. 5, 2025
A bill aimed at rebranding the STAAR test heads to Gov. Abbott’s desk after contentious debate on the House floor Wednesday night.

09/04/2025
HB 8 heads to governor's desk as second special session comes to a close
The second special session is over, and legislation that will alter Texas' testing and accountability system is headed to the governor's desk.

08/29/2025
Teach the Vote’s Week in Review: Aug. 29, 2025
The STAAR redesign bill awaits its fate, and ATPE shares guidance on SB 12, the Parental Bill of Rights.