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. 

• SBOE considers new required reading lists, delaying vote until April
• Commissioner Morath discusses TEA Annual Report with the SBOE
• Lt. Governor Dan Patrick releases first round of interim charges to Texas Senate
• Texas Senate District 9 to hold special election Saturday, Jan. 31
• Register to vote in the March primary election by Monday, Feb. 2
• Check out the latest stories on atpenews.org
• Stay in the know and take action with ATPE’s member advocacy tools

SBOE: The January State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting included lots of debate and exposed growing concerns about rushed timelines, controversial curriculum decisions, and unprecedented errors in state-created and financially incentivized materials. With Bluebonnet updates delayed, the controversial literary works list postponed, and standards still in flux, April is shaping up to be a pivotal meeting for the SBOE and public education in Texas. Watch for the full recap of the January meeting next week. In the meantime, check out this blog post on the proposed new required reading lists from ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield, as well as this story from The Texas Tribune. 

TEA: On Wednesday, Jan. 28, Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath made his regular update to the State Board of Education (SBOE) and answered SBOE member questions. The presentation was framed around the agency’s newly released Annual Report and TEA’s four “anchor priorities” for public education, which focus on the educator pipeline, foundations for reading and math, college and career readiness, and low-performing schools. ATPE Lobbyist Heather Sheffield has more in this blog post. 

INTERIM CHARGES: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick unveiled what he is calling his first round of Senate Interim Charges Friday afternoon. They include issues for the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Finance Committee that would both affect public education. Be on the lookout next week for more from the ATPE Governmental Relations team on the potential impact of these interim charges here on Teach the Vote.

SD 9: If you live in Senate District 9 (Fort Worth, Keller, North Richland Hills, Saginaw, and Southlake), just a reminder that you have a special runoff election from 7 a.m.–7 pm. this Saturday, Jan. 31. The special election is for the seat left open by former Sen. Kelly Hancock when he became Acting Comptroller. Make sure you get out and vote! For more information, including voting locations, please visit the Tarrant County Elections website. 

ELECTIONS: The voter registration deadline for the March primary election is this Monday, Feb. 2. Here are the key upcoming election dates for 2026:  

• Voter registration deadline for the Primary Election: Feb. 2  
• First day of Early Voting: Feb. 17 
• Last day of Early Voting: Feb. 27  
• Primary Election Day: March 3  
• Primary Runoff Election (if needed): May 26  
• General Election Day: Nov. 3  

Before early voting starts Feb. 17, be sure to check out The Texas Tribune's guide to the 2026 Texas primaries, which includes information on how primaries work, what’s on the ballot, and voter registration requirements. 

You can also visit the Candidates section of Teach the Vote to learn candidates’ stances on public education funding, teacher recruitment and retention, parental rights, and more. Additionally, you can view incumbent vote records on major education bills from past legislative sessions in the Voting Record tab of the elected official’s profile.  

ATPE NEWS: Check out the latest collection of content on atpenews.org. Features include a spotlight on the 2026 Texas Teacher of the Year, Clear Creek ATPE member Vickiela Wright, as well as the voices of educators and students grappling with the rise of school threats. Plus: In Capitol Comment, ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter shares ATPE resources you can use to get informed before you vote in the March primary election. Read these stories and more on atpenews.org. 

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: Encourage candidates in your area to fill out the 2026 ATPE Candidate survey.  
• 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.