Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Sept. 25, 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.

• The future of National Board Certification and TIA remains up in the air
• Attending TribFest? Stop by ATPE’s activation at The Commons
• Houston Public Media reports on Houston ISD’s transition back to local control
• Unknown number of voter registrations lost due to DPS error
• Use your teacher voice with ATPE’s advocacy tools

SBEC: The future of National Board Certification as a Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) designation remains up in the air. At its Sept. 18 meeting, the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) heard public comments as it continues a review required by House Bill (HB) 2 by Chairman Brad Buckley (R–Salado). SBEC must decide by its December meeting whether National Board Certification will remain a TIA designation. ATPE Lobbyist Tricia Cave urged the board to consider the statutory requirements and evidence submitted by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS). She also highlighted the stakes for educators who have few or no other paths to participate in TIA. NBPTS is making several Texas-specific changes in response to the review, including new guidance, free Texas-specific video cases, and an attestation that candidates will follow the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). ATPE has submitted written input and will continue advocating for National Board Certified Teachers ahead of the December decision. Read more about this and other SBEC actions in this blog post by Cave.

TRIBFEST: Attending the 2026 Texas Tribune Festival? Please stop by ATPE’s activation Saturday in The Commons to learn about the resources available to Texas voters right here on ATPE’s TeachtheVote.org. Plus, don’t forget to claim your continuing professional education (CPE) hours through ATPE. Find the details on claiming CPE at atpe.org/tribfest. Look for a recap of panel discussions next week.

HISD: Houston Public Media reports that Houston ISD could begin its transition back to local control after the 2026-27 school year, but elected trustees may face a yearslong path to regaining full authority. Education Commissioner Mike Morath and state-appointed Superintendent Mike Miles have both indicated the district could exit state intervention relatively soon, though HISD still must meet requirements related to school accountability, board governance and special education. Under the state’s transition process, elected trustees would return in stages over three years, meaning the board would not immediately regain full control. The staggered transition also raises questions about when individual trustees will return based on their remaining terms. ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter was interviewed for the article, noting that the length of a trustee’s remaining term could factor into the Texas Education Agency’s decisions about the timing of individual trustees’ return: “I could definitely see [they] might say, ‘Well, we’re not going to wait ’til year three on somebody that doesn’t have three years left in their term.’” Read the full article.

ELECTION: As of Friday, only 10 days remain to make sure you are registered to vote in the November 2026 midterm elections—and as this article from Votebeat reminds us, it’s critical to double-check your registration. An unknown number of voter registrations were lost due to a Texas Department of Public Safety error.

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. 
• Oct. 19–30: Early voting, including TXEd Tuesday on Oct. 20 & 27 and  Save Our Schools Saturday on Oct. 24—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.

Learn more in this Texas election deadline post here on Teach the Vote.

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.