To answer that, I’ll share part of the speech I made at the Friends of Texas Public Schools Gala last week.

While the elections are over, the next stage is just beginning. We are entering a different season of civic engagement – one of advocacy and engagement with your elected officials.

People often see elections as separate from advocacy. Elections come, people vote, and then they are happy or disappointed in the results. We love our kids, our teachers, our schools, and our communities. And we vote for people we hope will share these values. 

Sometimes it works out and we get leaders who agree. But sometimes, it doesn’t, and we can’t just take our marbles and go home. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work. When the legislative session rolls around, or our school board meets, we need to engage with the people who hold elected office. Whether we picked them or not.

You may be delighted with your representatives. If so, send them a congratulations! If not, you still have the power. Reach out and wish them luck and offer to meet and be their advisor on things about public ed. Tell them that they represent you and you want to work with them. Educate them on things there is no way they can know and give them the chance to learn and to pivot. Let them know you want to help them understand why it is so important to fund our schools, why it is so important to have a meaningful assessment and accountability system, and why it is so important to empower our teachers and students.

Bring them voices that are often left out of the policy process. Students, teachers, parents, community members, business leaders – who all have a shared goal of providing TX kids the best possible education to create the brightest future for them and those around them.

You may be pleasantly surprised at how much influence you have. Or – you may be disappointed and find that your elected officials have a different agenda, maybe one paid for by people who don’t have the best interest of kids in mind. Still, it is so important to get to know them. Offer them information and insight to help them make good policy, and then… if you are disappointed in their representation, vote them out. Even better, find someone to oppose them, or you run yourself. It is a constant cycle of civic engagement that makes our elected officials responsive to us and helps us build a better democracy.

The 88^th Texas Legislative session starts on January 10^th, 2023. That is 2 months from now. This is a great time to make contact and make yourself indispensable. You want to be the first person they call when there is a vote on something related to public education. They need you and you have the power to inform and educate. Sure – it is way easier to help make good policy when we have elected officials who believe in public education. But it is even more vital that you engage when we don’t. Every one of you has the power.

It is a continuous circle. The practice of voting and engaging and advocating.

What isn’t a circle is the lives of 5.5 million Texas kids. They get one shot at growing up and getting an education and we need to get it right. They deserve to go to schools that are funded better than 49th in the country. They deserve to have meaningful and engaging learning instead of test prep. They deserve to have teachers who feel valued and supported. They deserve to feel that school is a safe and nurturing environment. They deserve to be proud of who they are and be taught the truth of our history so they can do better. And our state deserves a future where kids get those things.

All the work that you do gives our kids, educators, and communities the chance to thrive that they deserve.

I’m so grateful to be part of this community that works so hard for all these things. When I’m tired or discouraged, what gives me the energy to carry on is having all of you as partners in this work.

Let’s get ready to engage! Because the kids are always worth fighting for.

Thank you for voting and thank you for caring about the 5.5 million kids in Texas public schools.

With great admiration,

Laura Yeager
Texas Educators Vote

Election Day Tips:

1. Polls are open from 7am to 7pm. If you are in line by 7pm, you will be allowed to vote.
2. Check your county elections website for polling locations and other details.
3. Visit the TEV website to research your vote and build your ballot.
4. Bring your ID, your written list of who/what you plan to vote for, and a good attitude!
5. If you have any problems or questions, call Election Protection at 866-OUR-VOTE.

Have fun! Celebrate the power you hold with your vote and remind your friends and family to vote as well. Texas kids are counting on you to be their voice at the polls and the time is now!

To the polls!

This Friday, November 4 is the last day to early vote and Election Day is next Tuesday, November 8.

If you have already voted, thank you! If you haven’t voted yet, please make your plan to vote early this week, or on Election Day. There are no more weekend voting days, they happened last weekend!

Millions of Texas students (who aren’t old enough to vote) are counting on voters to elect candidates who will make sure their schools are funded, that they get meaningful and engaging learning, and that their teachers are supported and well paid. By voting, you can exert your power and support the 5.5 million kids in Texas public schools.

If you don’t vote, someone else will make those decisions for you. It is not hyperbole to say that the future of public education will be decided by the people who show up to vote. Public education is on the ballot like never before.

Your vote is your superpower. Put on that cape and head to the polls!

To Do:

1.   Visit the TEV website to:
a. Learn who makes key education policy decisions.
b. Learn what candidates think about education issues.
c.  Build your personal ballot.

2.   Visit your county elections website for details about where and when to vote.

3.   VOTE and share a selfie (not in the voting booth) and tag us @TxEdVote.

Social media posts to share:

1.   Educators are role models for students every day. Show them you care enough to vote. Early vote today!  #Txed #Txlege #vote

2.   Vote early through Nov 4. Your vote is your voice, and this is the time to make yourself heard!” #TxEd #TxLege #Vote

3.   “Early voting is underway. Voting is fun and empowering. VOTE!”   #Txed #TxLege #Vote #TxEdVote

You have the power! Take it to the polls!

To Do:

1.   Visit the TEV website to:

1.   Learn who makes key education policy decisions.

2.   Learn what candidates think about education issues.

3.   Build your personal ballot.

2.   Visit your county elections website for details about where and when to vote.

3.   VOTE and share a selfie (not in the voting booth) and tag us @TxEdVote.

Social media posts to share:

1.   Educators are role models for students every day. Show them you care enough to vote. Early vote today!  #Txed #Txlege #vote

2.   Vote on Educator Voting Day, if not before. Your vote is your voice, and this is the time to make yourself heard! #TxEd #TxLege #Vote

3.   Elections are determined by who shows up. Show up for TX kids and vote!   #Txed #TxLege #Vote #TxEdVote

Go flex your power at the polls!

• Early voting begins on Monday, October 24 and continues through Friday, November 4.
• Educator Voting Day is Thursday, October 27th! Encourage educators to vote on that day if they have not already voted.

To do:

1. Learn which elected officials make which education related decisions here.
2. Research candidates, build your ballot, and plan your vote here.
3. Encourage educators to vote on Educator Voting Day, Thursday, October 27.
4. Vote early and encourage friends, co-workers, and family to do the same.

Social Media Posts to share:

“Educator Voting Day is Thursday, October 27. Show us your “I Voted” sticker!” #TxEd #TxLege #Vote

“Model civic engagement by voting on Educator Voting Day – October 27, 2022.” #TxEd #TxLege #Vote

“Vote early October 24 – November 4. Your vote is your voice!” #TxEd #TxLege #Vote

Let’s go use our power at the polls!

To do:

1. Visit Teach the Vote to see how candidates responded to questions about public education issues. You can also see the public education related voting records for incumbents on this site.
2. Build your ballot with the League of Women Voter’s Vote411.org website.
3. Attend or watch candidate forums to learn more about your options.
4. Make a commitment to vote early (October 24-November 4), on Educator Voting Day (October 27), or on Election Day (November 8).

Social Media Posts to share:

“Research your vote and be an informed voter. https://texaseducatorsvote.com/research-candidates/” #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote

“Use the Texas Educators Vote Website’s research page to get ready to vote. https://texaseducatorsvote.com/research-candidates/” #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote

 “Build your ballot at Vote411.org” #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdvote

Do your research now and plan your vote!

Almost all these statewide offices have some impact over what happens in public schools. Here are a few interesting examples:

• The Governor appoints the Commissioner of Education who makes many important decisions about public education.
• The Lieutenant Governor is the head of the Texas Senate and chooses committee chairs and determines which legislation will come up for a vote.
• The Attorney General issues non-binding opinions including those that affect what happen in schools.

This Texas Tribune article helps explain what these statewide offices do. You may be surprised to find that sometimes their titles don’t even align with their jobs.

For example, the Land Commissioner doesn’t just manage state land, he or she also oversees investment in the Permanent School Fund that is used to fund public education. And the Railroad Commission oversees oil, gas, coal, and pipelines, not railroads!

Your vote on candidates and issues at every level is important. You can consult our “who does what” tool to read about which public education issues are decided at which level.

Please make sure you are registered to vote today! The deadline to register to vote is next week, October 11, 2022. The TEV website can lead you to resources that make it easy to register, research, and vote!

Every vote counts equally in the statewide races. Make sure you are registered and get ready to vote!

Sometimes people feel like their vote won’t matter, and they conclude that it isn’t worth the effort to register and vote. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. By voting, you are picking the people who will make important decisions that will affect you and your loved ones. If you don’t vote, someone else will be making those decisions for you, and you may not like who they pick. Many elections are determined by very small margins – every vote matters!

The bottom line is that the only way to really get what you want is to turn out the vote like never before. We’ve seen that work before and now let’s do it again.

During the 2018 midterm elections, voter turnout in Texas reached new levels. The 2019 legislative session that followed became “the education session” where school funding dominated the discussion and billions of additional dollars were put into schools. As we all know too well, education is on the ballot at every level this year and public education can be made or broken depending on whether people turn out to vote.

So, make sure you are registered, make sure your friends and family are registered, and start getting people excited about exerting their power at the polls!

To Do:

1. Make sure your voter registration is active and has your current address.
   -Check your voter registration status here.
   -If you aren’t registered, register to vote here!
   -If you need to make changes to your name or address, do that here!
2. Mark your calendar for these dates:
   -October 11: Last day to register to vote
   -October 24 – November 4: Early voting
   -October 27: Educator Voting Day
   -November 8: Election Day!

Let’s make sure every eligible voter is registered and ready to vote.
Texas kids and our democracy are depending on it.

Are you eligible to vote by mail?

Voting by mail in Texas is limited to voters who are:

1.    65 years of age or older on Election Day;
2.    Sick or disabled;
3.    Expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day;
4.    Absent from the county of registration during the Early Voting period and on Election Day;
5.    Civilly committed under Chapter 841 of the Texas Health and Safety Code; or
6.    Confined in jail, but otherwise eligible.

If you are eligible and decide to apply to vote by mail, read on for the League of Women Voters of Texas’ guest blog on vote by mail!

NEW Vote by Mail Resources!

Did you know that nearly 25,000 mail-in ballots were rejected during the May Texas Primary Election? Do you want to help to minimize that happening again? We have a way to help make that happen!

After the alarming rate of rejected mail-in ballots, the League of Women Voters of Texas (LWVTX) went to work. We engaged the Center for Civic Design (CCD), to create easier to understand and use Vote by Mail materials.  The LWVTX provided the background, knowledge, and content about Texas’ ballot by mail laws and processes while CCD provided their expert design, usability, and accessibility skills.

We are making these new resources available to Election Administrators, political parties, and organizations! 

The resources include download and print resources below include:

●     Vote by Mail Application – this new application is easier to understand and to fill out.  Yes, it is valid to use this application!  Per the Texas Secretary of State’s website other vote by mail applications can be used as long as it has the necessary fields, which this does.

●     How to Apply and Vote by Mail – A double sided checklist. One side is for completing any vote by mail application, and the other side is for completing the ballot by mail carrier envelope.  These were where the biggest issues in the past for people with the vote by mai

●     Pocket Guide –  A foldable guide on how to vote by mail. Bookmarks – Two sets of bookmarks with different quick tips on voting by mail.

●     Door Hanger -Two sets of door hangers also with different quick tips on voting by mail.

All the resources can be found at LWVTexas.org/votebymail and listed below for your convenience.

●       Application to Vote by Mail (no branding as it is an application)

LWV Texas Branded

●      How to Apply and Vote by Mail

●      Pocket Guide – How to Vote by Mail

●      Bookmarks – Vote by Mail

●     Door Hangers – Vote by Mail

Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese

These are coming soon as CCD is still field testing them. We will post them on the LWVTexas.org/votebymail site when available.

Customizable

These can be updated with your organization’s logo. Please don’t change other content.

●     How to Apply and Vote by Mail

●     Pocket Guide – How to Vote by Mail

●     Bookmarks – Vote by Mail

●     Door Hangers – Vote by Mail

LWVTX and CCD hope you will use these new resources and help to reduce the number of rejected mail-in ballots and applications for the November general election!

There is also a new How To Return Vote by Mail Ballot video with step-by-step instructions to assist eligible voters in this process.

Thank you to TEV partner, The League of Women Voters of Texas, for helping voters follow the rules to ensure their ballots are counted and their voices are heard!

To do:

1. Commit to doing something this week!
   • Superintendents – click here for a list of things you can do.
   • Principals – click here for a list of things you can do.
   • Teachers– click here for a list of things you can do.
   • Parents/Community Members– click here for a list of things you can do.
   • Trustees– click here for a list of things you can do.
     
2. Two things EVERYONE can do are:
   • Sign up for key voter updates.
   • Sign up for election text reminders.
     
3. Follow TEV on social media for fun graphics and timely voting reminders.
   • Facebook
   • Twitter
   • Instagra

Social Media Posts to share:

-Everyone has a job to do in creating a culture of voting! Do your part today!  https://texaseducatorsvote.com/ #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote

-Sign up for voter updates: https://mailchi.mp/2b9bf214891d/tevblogupdates #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote

-Sign up for text voting reminders: Text TXEDVOTE to 40649 #txed #txlege #vote #TxEdVote

Let’s work together to create a culture of voting in our public schools!