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

• ELECTION UPDATE: Early voting is only 10 days away!

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ELECTION: Hard as it is to believe, early voting in the Nov. 8 general election is only 10 days away! If you registered to vote by Oct. 11, you may vote early between Oct. 24 and Nov. 4 to avoid the possibility of long Election Day lines. Visit VoteTexas.gov to learn more about early voting, voter ID requirements, and finding your polling places.

ATPE and our partners in the Texas Educators Vote (TEV) Coalition are encouraging the education community to participate in Educator Voting Day, Thursday, Oct. 27. Find election resources created for educators here on the TEV website.

If you intend to vote by mail, applications are due by 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 28. The Texas Secretary of State has released a video with instructions for applying to vote by mail. Check it out here.

With voting quickly approaching, now is the time to research the candidates and build your ballot. Use ATPE’s election resources here on Teach the Vote, including candidates’ profiles, survey responses, and voting records, to find out where the candidates in your area stand on public education issues. For instance, what is their position on student testing? Do they support private school vouchers? Did you legislator vote for a teacher pay raise? You'll find answers to many questions like these on Teach the Vote. If a candidate in your area has not responded to the ATPE candidate survey, ask them, “Why not?” Candidates who wish to participate may contact ATPE Governmental Relations at government@atpe.org.

The ATPE Member Legal Services department published a blog post this week on mock elections in the classroom. Following the Texas Legislature’s passage of Senate Bill (SB) 3 in 2021, it’s important to understand new laws that affect how teachers and students learn about and discuss political and election-related topics. For example, SB 3 provides that teachers may not be required to discuss controversial issues of public policy or social affairs—but if they do cover such issues in the classroom, they must “explore the topic objectively and in a manner free from political bias.” The Texas Secretary of State’s Project V.O.T.E. Student Mock Election Guide offers a number of resources for teachers looking to conduct a mock election with their students. Read the ATPE blog post to learn more about best practices for conducting mock elections.

ICYMI: In the latest episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Senior Lobbyist Monty Exter discusses the upcoming election and how it could affect public education policy. Check it out here.

Finally, the advocacy group Raise Your Hand Texas has been hosting a series of education-focused candidate forums ahead of the Nov. 8 election. Click here to find out about its remaining “For the Future” events featuring candidates for Texas House District 70 on Oct. 19 and candidates for House District 37 and Senate District 27 on Oct. 20.
 
Upcoming election dates and deadlines:

• Early voting – Oct. 24-Nov. 4
• Educator Voting Day – Thursday, Oct. 27
• Vote by mail applications DUE – Friday, Oct. 28
• Election Day – Tuesday, Nov. 8

 

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