It’s been a tough year.

ATPE members fought hard during a grueling legislative session that targeted public school educators and their students. We had a taxing House of Delegates at our annual summit. And this fall, when classes should have been starting across the state, Hurricane Harvey dealt our coastal members a brutal blow.

I wish I could say the road ahead was clear now. But it’s not.

Another election season is just around the corner. Primaries are in March, and if we want to avoid another year of playing defense at the legislature, we need to take action now.

What can you do?

• Register to vote. Make sure your friends and colleagues are registered to vote, too.
• Research the candidates. Go to TeachtheVote.org to learn which candidates are likely to support public schools, educators, and students. This fall, we’ll be posting information on all the candidates running for the state legislature, State Board of Education, governor, and lieutenant governor, including their responses to our candidate survey and the voting records of incumbent legislators.
• Make a commitment. Take the educator’s oath to vote in 2018 at our coalition website, TexasEducatorsVote.com. Consider joining the Texans for Public Education Facebook group for educators who have pledged to block-vote in support of public education in 2018.
• Finally—VOTE. Encourage your friends to vote. Share the research you’ve done with your colleagues. Drive your fellow educators to the polls if they need a ride.

I know you’ve worked hard this year, and I know you’re tired. But we can’t give up just yet.

Now’s the time to rally around each other and do everything in our power to support public education and the children of Texas.

Gary Godsey
ATPE Executive Director

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