Here's your weekly wrap-up of education news from ATPE Governmental Relations:

• SBOE announces student art contest to design Permanent School Fund logo
• ELECTION UPDATE: Early voting begins with Educator Voting Day
• Pastors for Texas Children hold Celebration of Education events

The State Board of Education (SBOE) is seeking submissions from public school students aged 9-12 for its "Brand the Fund" art contest. The contest, which will pay a $3,000 cash prize to the winner and a $1000 cash prize to the runner up, is part of the SBOE's plan to create a distinct brand identity for the Permanent School Fund. The fund was created in 1854 is now valued at $34 billion. The deadline to submit an entry to the "Brand the Fund" contest is Nov. 1. The contest rules and entry form can be found here.

ELECTION UPDATE: Monday, Oct. 22 kicks off the first week of early voting in Texas. It is also Educator Voting Day. Educators are encouraged to research candidates, have a plan to vote, and even bring friends, family, or other registered voters with them to the polls on Monday.

Educator Voting Day is an excellent way for educators to lead by example and model civic engagement for their students ahead of the upcoming Student Voting Day, which occurs on the first Friday of early voting, Oct. 26 this year.

You can learn more about the candidates in your district and their views on education by visiting the "Candidates" section on TeachtheVote.org. You can also generate a sample ballot using your address at Vote411.org. The battle at the ballot box is only just the beginning and educators are encouraged to turn up and out to advocate for their profession during this election.

The Pastors for Texas Children, a organization comprised of pastors who advocate for and support public education, will be holding several "Celebration of Education" events throughout the state. Each event is free to attend and will host speakers and community members involved in public education. The dates and cities for the events are as follows, and you can find more information about each event at the links below:

• Oct. 23 - Dallas
• Oct. 24 - Houston
• Oct. 30 - Fort Worth
• Nov. 2 - San Angelo