The ATPE Governmental Relations team recaps the past week’s education news, legislative and election updates, and regulatory developments. ATPE members: Share your thoughts and ask our lobby team questions in The Rotunda on the ATPE Online Community. 

• From The Texas Tribune: Texas Education Agency taking over Lake Worth, Connally, and Beaumont school districts 
• Dec. 8 filing deadline sets the stage for 2026 elections 
• SBEC names NBCT review committee, discusses rulemaking to comply with new laws 
• The 2026 ATPE Summit Call for Proposals is open through Jan. 12 
• ATPE relaunches The ATPE Podcast 
• Stay in the know and take action with ATPE’s member advocacy tools 

TEA TAKEOVERS: Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath announced Thursday the agency will take over Beaumont, Lake Worth, and Connally ISDs. State law allows TEA to order the closure of a campus that receives five consecutive failing ratings or to take over the school district in which the campus is based. Pending appeals, each district’s school board will be replaced by a state-selected board of managers. Morath will also appoint a new superintendent as well as a conservator to oversee operations in each district. 

Read more about these takeovers in this article republished from The Texas Tribune.  

ELECTIONS: Now that the Dec. 8 candidate filing deadline has come and gone, it’s time to make sure your voter registration is up to date. Stay tuned to Teach the Vote for candidate information, legislative voting records, and detailed analyses to understand who is on the ballot and where they stand on the issues that matter most to Texas public schools.  

Here are the key upcoming election dates for 2026:  

• Voter registration deadline for the Primary Election: Feb. 2  
• First Day of Early Voting: Feb. 16  
• Last Day of Early Voting: Feb. 27  
• Primary Election Day: March 3  
• Primary Runoff Election (if needed): May 26  
• General Election Day: Nov. 3  

ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield has more in this blog post. 

SBEC: The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) met Dec. 4–5 for its final meeting in 2025.   

The board appointed a subcommittee to consider whether National Board Certification (NBC) materials align with new Texas law. ATPE member Christine Mihealsick, the 2025 Texas Teacher of the Year, testified on her experience as a National Board Certified Teacher and the ways it has informed her teaching and improved outcomes for her students. SBEC must determine whether NBC will remain a qualifier for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) by December 2026 or the designations will be automatically revoked.  

The board also proposed language to amend 19 TAC Ch. 247/249, regarding the Educator Code of Ethics and teacher disciplinary standards, in order to align them with recently passed legislation. ATPE submitted written testimony focusing on general concerns and best practices, requesting that SBEC proceed cautiously with regard to temporary suspensions. ATPE also asked for clear rules to ensure due process and that SBEC not attempt to redefine terms already clearly defined within existing code.  

Other agenda items included board officer elections, updates to educator preparation program (EPP) requirements following this year’s enactment of House Bill (HB) 2, and updates on the Texas Test of Educator Proficiency (T-TEP). 

ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave recaps the meeting in this blog post. 

SUMMIT: The 2026 ATPE Summit Call for Proposals is now open through Jan. 12. The Summit Programming Committee is seeking breakout session proposals on a variety of topics, including well-being and balance; meeting needs of neurodiverse educators; professional growth and reflective practices; innovation, creativity, and modern tools for educators; restoring joy and purpose; professional autonomy; and maximizing income/financial literacy. Learn about the call for proposals on atpenews.org.  

THE ATPE PODCAST: The ATPE Podcast is back with a refreshed format! New episodes will be shorter in length, offer a wider variety of content, and, coming in the new year, include member voices. In the latest episode, ATPE Marketing and Engagement Director Kate Johanns and ATPE Engagement and Learning and Specialist Andrea Hutlock discuss the 2026 ATPE Summit Call for Proposals, new CPE courses, and ATPE’s member discounts. Check out the episode here.  

MEMBER ADVOCACY: Even when the Legislature’s not in session, we urge you to stay informed and engaged. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out: 

• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession.  
• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s new AI assistant for Texas educators, ready to help you with all things ATPE and all things #txed.   
• ATPE Member Advocate Program (ATPE-MAP): Enroll in ATPE-MAP to earn state-level and local-level advocacy microcredentials, as well as earn continuing professional education (CPE) credit. ATPE-MAP is included in your member benefits, so be sure to check it out today.    
• ATPE Professional Learning (PL) Portal: Three sessions from the 2025 ATPE Summit are available in the ATPE PL Portal: an HB 2 compensation overview, the ATPE lobby team’s advocacy update and the closing keynote by Jonathan Alsheimer. Log in to watch the recordings and earn 1.5 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credit. (Jonathan Alsheimer’s appearance arranged through Gotham Artists.) 
• The Rotunda: Don’t forget, members, that you can interact with your ATPE lobby team throughout the week when you log in to the ATPE Online Community.