Teach the Vote's Week in Review: Nov. 4, 2016

Date Posted: 11/04/2016 | Author: Jennifer Mitchell, CAE
It's the last week in review before Tuesday's monumental election. Read more of this week's education news:

- Through the Texas Secretary of State’s Am I Registered website, you can obtain a customized list of polling places and verify your voter registration. Also check out VoteTexas.gov for additional information on voting.
- Vote411.org is a national website hosted by the League of Women Voters that provides sample ballots, candidate information, and more.
- Here on Teach the Vote, learn more about your candidates for the Texas legislature and State Board of Education on our 2016 Races page. Candidate profiles include survey responses, endorsement information, and incumbents' voting records.
- If you have a government-issued photo ID, be sure to take it with you to the polls! Those who do not have an identification card have other options thanks to recent court decisions. Learn more here.
- Compare the Presidential candidates' views on education issues in this feature from the national publication Education Week.
- Read about Texas candidates who've earned the endorsement of the pro-public education advocacy group Texas Parent PAC here.
- Still looking for ways to address the election in your classroom? Read these tips from ATPE member Kim Grosenbacher. Also, check out ATPE State Past President Cory Colby's insights in this article from The Texas Tribune.
- Read the latest voting update from the Texas Educators Vote coalition on efforts to create a culture of voting in Texas public schools this year, and check out the many other resources from the coalition on their website here. We especially like seeing the election countdown!
Congressman Kevin Brady (R-Texas) held a conference call yesterday to update educators on his efforts to address the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP), a federal Social Security offset that reduces the amount of retirement benefits that many educators and other public employees may receive. In his own words, Congressman Brady told educators on the call that he's "been working on this issue for decades" because he believes it is unfair that public servants do not receive "equal treatment" and are penalized by the WEP. Brady filed H.R. 711, known as the Equal Treatment of Public Servants Act (ETPSA), to replace the WEP with a more equitable formula for calculating Social Security benefits.


Several press releases came out of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) this week. TEA responded to allegations that it has forced districts to meet an arbitrary cap on enrolling students in special education programs. The agency also released several announcements pertaining to school accountability and interventions. Read full details in this blog post from ATPE Lobbyist Mark Wiggins.

Go vote today or on Tuesday! Every vote matters!

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