Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Oct. 23, 2026

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.

The first week of early voting for this election is drawing to a close. Here’s a rundown of everything you need to know if you haven’t made it to the polls.

In this blog post, ATPE Marketing & Engagement Director Kate Johanns shares the results of a recent experiment in which she used AI to augment her candidate research from the Teach the Vote and League of Women Voters’ websites. On another technological note, keep in mind that cell phones are not allowed in the voting booth. Any notes, voter guides, or sample ballots must be on paper.

Also this week, ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave spoke with Houston Public Media about the influence the State Board of Education (SBOE) has on Texas public education. Six of the 15 board members are not seeking another term, and several are up for re-election. Learn more about the candidates in this Houston Public Media story as well as on Teach the Vote.

Sara Sturtevant, ATPE’s new grassroots advocacy specialist, shares key election deadlines and voter resources in this atpenews.org story: 

• Oct. 24: Save Our Schools Saturday—Educators statewide are being encouraged to grab three friends and head to the polls to vote for public education on this early voting day.
• Oct. 27: TXEdTuesday—This is another day when educators statewide are encouraged to make sure three friends get to the polls.
• Nov. 3: Election Day—Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your county elections website for polling locations.

Several counties around the state are reporting record-breaking voter turnout this week. Even so, ATPE encourages all public education supporters to spend time this weekend intentionally speaking with family, friends, and neighbors about the importance of voting pro-public education. Gorgeous fall weather is expected across much of the state this weekend—the only weekend that you can vote early in this election cycle. Consider taking an hour or two to get out and do some block walking in your own neighborhood to encourage your neighbors to get to the polls. Let them know about ATPE’s Teach the Vote candidate search tool, which is a resource for any Texas voter.

Find more information about block walking and helpful links to prepare for voting in ATPE’s Advocacy Central. Remember: We must be present to win!

Plus: After you vote, send a selfie to comm@atpe.org for a chance to be featured on ATPE’s social media or in the ATPE Online Community. And be sure to mark yourself “Present to Win” through ATPE’s get-out-the-vote initiative!

MEMBER ADVOCACY: As we gear up for the next legislative session, we urge you to stay informed and engaged. Here are a few advocacy resources to check out:  

• ATPE Mobile App: Check out the new ATPE Mobile App to conveniently access member benefits and advocacy tools.   
• Advocacy Central: Get in touch with your elected officials about the legislation impacting your profession.   
• Judy: Chat with ATPE’s 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.     
• 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.