Texas is on the front line of book bans. According to PEN America, from July 2021 to June 2023, Texas was second only to Florida with the most book bans: 1,426 reported instances of bans in 26 school districts. Efforts to restrict the right to read occur at all levels of government, including local school boards, the state legislature, the Texas Education Agency (TEA), and the executive office. In 2023, the governor signed into law a bill (HB900) that required book vendors to rate library materials as sexually relevant or sexually explicit and directed the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt library standards requirements. While the US Court of Appeals struck down the vendor rating requirement, the court decision supported the library standards requirement, and the SBOE adopted new standards that ban sexually explicit books from school libraries.
The NCTE affiliate Texas Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (TCTELA) is proactively working to support the right to read in Texas through its advocacy initiatives. These initiatives include a teacher Ambassador program, training, an education advocacy day at the state capitol, and an advocacy website page that keeps its membership up to date on current legislation. The needs and concerns of TCTELA drive the advocacy work. Dr. Lois Marshall Barker, a board member of TCTELA who leads the advocacy, believes
“There are many people who are outside of the classroom making decisions about what needs to happen during instruction. Many of those people are either not qualified to make those decisions or are making them based on interest groups, personal bias, political motives, etc.–all of which are harming students, families, and educators. Educators and professional organizations that serve educators must join together, be informed, and take up space amplifying educator and student voices. We are at a critical point in our generation where if we are not fully steeped in advocating for all students and all educators to ensure that the systems are torn down and rebuilt . . . then nothing will change.”
The Ambassador program is the heart of TCTELA’s advocacy work. Eight educator Ambassadors serve as advocates for Texas students and teachers by providing legislative updates and assisting teachers in amplifying their needs and concerns. Eight Ambassadors serve all 20 Regions of Texas for a term of two years. Ambassadors are responsible for disseminating information about legislative and administrative issues that impact ELA teaching and learning, including the right to read. Information distribution and content and advocacy efforts, while supported by TCTELA, are left to the discretion of the Ambassadors, who tailor this work to the culture and norms of their Regions, which vary widely in the state of Texas. Elizabeth Moll, the English Department chair at Hutton ISD and an Ambassador, highlights the importance of the Ambassador initiative:
“Advocacy through TCTELA means standing at the forefront of educational progress. Being part of the TCTELA Ambassadors empowered me to not only elevate my voice but also amplify the voices of educators and students across Texas, especially in my region–the Austin area.”
TCTELA sponsors an Education Advocacy Day at the Texas state capitol during each legislative session. On that day, TCTELA members visit representatives to offer research, insight, and member testimony about the impact of proposed bills. Leading up to Education Advocacy Day, TCTELA provides members with research and resources on the bills, talking points for conversations with representatives, and documents to share, including teacher testimonials on the issues. Participation is open to all TCTELA members.
Providing advocacy resources and training is a critical component of the advocacy initiatives. TCTELA will sponsor a webinar during Banned Books Week, “Encouraging Readers in Uncertain Times: Advocating for Diverse Books and Navigating Curriculum Policies.” The event will feature the chair of NCTE’s Standing Committee Against Censorship, Ann D. David. This webinar is free and open to all NCTE members nationally. (To register, you must create a free online account, here.)
TCTELA also partners with Raise Your Hand Texas to provide advocacy training, legislative updates, and advocacy opportunities through webinars, section meetings, and presentations at TCTELA conferences. Raise Your Hand Texas is a statewide nonprofit, providing opportunities for parents, teachers, community leaders, business owners, and students to engage in advocacy and amplify their voices in the education policy arena. JoLisa Hoover, MEd, a Teacher Specialist from Raise Your Hand Texas, stresses the importance of teacher advocacy:
“Supporting and strengthening our schools takes all of us, and now is the time to get involved in advocating for our public schools. Your teacher voice matters and is a needed voice at the policy table. Teachers can be involved by voting, staying informed about education policy, and participating in legislative opportunities.”
A webinar on advocacy training by Raise Your Hand Texas can be accessed on the TCTELA website: Challenge Accepted: Advocating for the Classroom. This link also provides information on books, websites, and other resources related to teacher advocacy.
TCTELA is continuing to grow and improve its advocacy programs. It hopes to increase the number of Ambassadors to represent the diversity of Texas Regions more effectively and to increase advocacy training for the Ambassadors and all its members.
TCTELA is an NCTE affiliate. Affiliates are geographically based associations of teachers or preservice teachers of English language arts, literacy, and English studies. Look to your local affiliate for professional development opportunities, electronic and face-to-face networks, print and online publications, and, most important, the collective wisdom of many of the best teachers in the field.