Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Jan. 21, 2022

Texas Legislature Congress | Federal COVID-19 Elections Curriculum | Instruction TEA | Commissioner | SBOE Educator Compensation | Benefits
Date Posted: 1/21/2022
The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps this week’s education news, legislative updates, and regulatory developments.
- Abbott announces “Parental Bill of Rights” at charter school campaign event
- Jan. 31 voter registration deadline nears for important March primary election
- Feds announce distribution of COVID-19 relief funds
- ATPE submits feedback on Teacher Incentive Allotment rules
ABBOTT: Thursday evening, Gov. Greg Abbott entertained supporters during a campaign stop at a charter school in Lewisville. The centerpiece of the event was Abbott’s announcement of plans for legislation creating a “Parental Bill of Rights” next year to bolster parents’ power in schools. The governor’s push for parental rights legislation follows the ballooning political rhetoric that pits educators against parents by falsely suggesting there is an effort to keep parents in the dark about what happens in the classroom. Or as Sharon Grigsby described in this editorial for the Dallas Morning News, republished with permission here on Teach the Vote, “Politicians and their minions want you to believe that public schools are indoctrinating kids with ‘critical race theory’ and ‘social-emotional learning’ and making ‘COVID-panic sheep’ of them all.”
ATPE Executive Director Shannon Holmes responded to the governor’s announcement, reminding the public that parents and educators are partners in a child’s education and that the parental rights described by Abbott already exist in current state law. In fact, Chapter 26 of the Texas Education Code deals almost entirely with parental rights. Holmes said Abbott’s campaign promise would only add governmental mandates on schools and waste taxpayer dollars. Read more in this reporting by the Dallas Morning News, which features ATPE’s statement.
ELECTIONS: You have 10 days left to register to vote in the March 1 primary election, which is when the outcome of many of this year’s high-profile Texas races will be determined. Read more about registering to vote and the significance of the primaries in this post on the ATPE Blog.
Dates to remember:
- Jan. 31 – Last day to register to vote
- Feb. 14 – First day of early voting ♥
- Feb. 18 – Last day an application to vote by mail can be received
- Feb. 25 – Last day of early voting
- March 1 – Texas Primary Election Day
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