Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Oct. 2, 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.

• Trump administration rescinds Biden Title IX regulations 
• Are you registered and ready to vote? The voter registration deadline is Monday, Oct. 5.
• From ProPublica and The Texas Tribune: Texas’ Education Board Raised Questions About an AI Learning Tool. The State Then Helped Pilot It in Public Schools.
• TEA commissioner presents agency's budget request
• Use your teacher voice with ATPE’s advocacy tools

TITLE IX: The U.S. Department of Education formally rescinded the Biden administration’s 2024 Title IX regulations this week, reverting to the regulations adopted in 2020. The reinstated regulations do not explicitly identify sexual orientation and gender identity as forms of sex discrimination, and they use a narrower definition of sexual harassment. They also return to a more onerous process that could deter victims from reporting harassment or filing Title IX complaints.

In this blog post, ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave further explains what has changed with Title IX and what the rescission means for students and educators.

ELECTION: As of Friday, only three days remain to make sure you are registered to vote in the November 2026 midterm elections.

Key election dates to note:

• Oct. 5: Voter registration deadline—Make sure your voter registration is up to date, particularly if you’ve moved. Verify your voter registration on the Secretary of State’s website. If you find that your information is not correct, visit votetexas.gov for instructions on how to correct your voter registration information. 
• Oct. 19–30: Early voting—Polling locations and hours can vary by county, so always check your county’s elections website before heading to the polls.
• Oct. 23: Deadline to apply for a ballot by mail—The application must be RECEIVED by this deadline.
• Nov. 3: Election Day—Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Check your county elections website for polling locations.

Make a plan to vote:  

• Confirm you are registered to vote and that all your information is current.  
• Look at your calendar and mark the best dates now.   
• Find your polling locations and hours and plan your route.   
• Decide whether you’ll vote before work, after school, on a weekend during early voting, or on Election Day. Consider waiting times and plan accordingly.  
• Create a backup plan should something come up. 

AI IN SCHOOLS: Communications obtained by ProPublica and The Texas Tribune reveal that Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath helped connect Alpha School’s AI learning platform with public school districts last year despite bipartisan concerns raised by the State Board of Education (SBOE). A few months prior, the SBOE had voted 10-3 to reject Alpha’s bid to open a charter school that would use its proprietary technology. Emails show Morath and TEA staff communicating with Alpha officials, promoting the program to at least 10 districts, and helping develop pilot programs in Houston, Aldine, and Fort Davis.

Learn more in this article republished from ProPublica.

TEA: Commissioner of Education Mike Morath spent approximately 15 minutes hitting the high points of the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA’s) nearly 400-page legislative appropriations request (LAR) at a joint budget hearing Tuesday. These hearings give the public the opportunity to hear and comment on agency funding requests as they are presented to key staff from the Legislative Budget Board (LBB), the governor’s office, the House speaker’s office, and the Senate Finance and House Appropriations committees. 

Read more about the agency’s request as well as watch public comments offered by ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter in this blog post.

MEMBER ADVOCACY: Even when the Legislature’s not in 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.