In the November 2018 election, thousands of Texas educators took to the polls. After some close races and upsets, the results were astounding—a legislative session focused on education and deemed “the session of the teacher.” Teachers were wooed with promises of salary increases and vows from elected leaders to fix the broken school finance system. Not one legislator carried a bill to eliminate payroll deduction, and lawmakers who previously supported bills harmful to educators said things like, “Teachers are the most important factor for student success.”

Now that this remarkable legislative session is over, how do we keep up the momentum? Rather than being quieted by the positive outcomes of the 2019 session, let’s continue to hold the Texas Legislature and our statewide elected officials to high standards. After all, you are probably thinking, “A higher salary is great, but what about my students who aren’t getting the language services they need?” Or, “A new mental health professional in my school makes a huge difference, but what about the fact that I have 38 students in my class?” No one is better informed than an educator about how to improve education, and it is essential to stay engaged.

As an ATPE member, you have multiple ways to stay involved in education policy and politics—even between legislative sessions.

Stay up to date by reading our advocacy blog and signing up for weekly email summaries at TeachtheVote.org. For real-time updates, follow ATPE and its professional lobbyists on Twitter: @OfficialATPE, @TeachtheVote, @ATPE_JenniferM, @ATPE_MontyE, @ATPE_AndreaC, and @MarkWigginsTX.

ATPE members can also use our premier advocacy tool, Advocacy Central, for gathering member input and communicating with elected officials. During recent legislative sessions, ATPE members have sent numerous messages through Advocacy Central to their lawmakers requesting support for pro-public education bills and ATPE’s legislative priorities. During the interim, ATPE Governmental Relations is using Advocacy Central to hear from you using our new, three-question survey on advocacy issues.

Haven’t used Advocacy Central before? It’s easy! Use your ATPE Member ID to create an account on atpe.org. If you don’t know your Member ID, check your ATPE member card, or call us at (800) 777-2873. Once you have an account, simply log in to atpe.org and click “Advocacy Central” on the left menu. There, you will find active campaigns and surveys. You can also access Advocacy Central on your smart device by searching for and downloading the VoterVoice app, entering your email, and searching for “Association of Texas Professional Educators.”

When educators speak, legislators listen. Stay engaged during the interim, and let’s make the 2021 legislative session even stronger than the last!