It’s Wednesday, June 10, 2026

Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report! If you missed last week’s edition, read it here.

Last night, I attended Gina Hinojosa’s town hall in Fort Worth focused on education in the state. You’ll find coverage of the event, along with information on a new nonpartisan program she launched this week to advocate for public schools, below.

You’ll also find a final call to submit public comment on the state’s new social studies curriculum standards, as well as the state’s newly proposed required reading list, before the State Board of Education meets to vote on both items at the end of the month.

Finally, the Texas Education Agency has released this year’s Spring 2026 STAAR test results for high schoolers. Find your district’s results below.

Katie Serrano

DFW Political Correspondent, COURIER Texas

Gina Hinojosa launches ‘Team Texas Public Schools’ program, lays out plans in Fort Worth

Photos by Noemi Castanon/Courier Texas

On Monday, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat running for governor, announced the launch of her “Team Texas Public Schools” program. The nonpartisan initiative aims to empower parents and teachers to fight for public education amid school closures and state takeovers.

Following the launch, Hinojosa hosted a town hall in Fort Worth on Tuesday night. She laid out her agenda, which includes halting the state’s A-F accountability ratings, wiping vendor contracts, and ensuring districts taken over by the state are given back their local control.

“Let me be clear,” she said. “Yes, our schools need improvement. But it can never, ever be the answer that we take our public schools away from parents and the community. That is why when I am governor, on day one I will fire Mike Morath and end school takeovers.”

Throughout the evening, dozens of Fort Worth residents who are currently facing a state takeover by the TEA lined up to ask her:

✊How they can push back against their district’s state takeover

◀️How she’ll reverse the private school voucher program

🧑‍🏫How she’lll fight for Texas teachers

Watch Hinojosa’s remarks

High school STAAR results released

The annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness exams tests students’ performance in algebra 1, biology, English 1, English 2 and US history, and measures whether they are ready for college.

The TEA released Spring 2026 results today, which reveal Texas high school students made gains in every subject. STAAR results for grades 3-8 will be released on June 16.

🍎 54% of students who tested in algebra 1 had the skills appropriate for their grade level—up from 47% last year

🍎 71% of students demonstrated they have grade-level biology skills

🍎 Students meeting grade level rose from 51% to 55% in English 1and from 56% to 60% in English 2

🍎 70% of students are meeting grade level proficiency in US history

Texas lawmakers voted to remove the STAAR test last year. Starting in the 2027-2028 school year, the standardized end-of-year test will be replaced with three shorter tests at the beginning, middle and end of each school year.

Find your district’s results

Only a few days left to share your thoughts on new social studies TEKS

Photo by Katie Serrano/Courier Texas

Starting June 22, the Texas State Board of Education will head back to the Capitol to vote on new social studies teaching standards and a required reading list drafted by the TEA. Next week, we’ll dive back into the concerns teachers, parents, and education advocates are raising over the two proposals and share analysis on why the changes are problematic.

But for now, if you have thoughts or opinions on either item, the agency is asking for public comment and feedback before the board meets. You can still share your thoughts until Monday, June 15 at 5 p.m.

Share your thoughts

🏫Are Texas charter schools slowing down?: This year, Texas public schools saw their first non-pandemic enrollment decline in over 35 years, and charter schools recently saw their smallest enrollment bump in state history. (Texas Tribune)

🖥️TEA launches “educator misconduct” dashboard: The Texas Education Agency has launched its Educator Misconduct Reporting Dashboard, which is meant to provide information about misconduct reports and track educators placed on the state’s Do Not Hire Registry. (The Texan)

🤖UNT to offer bachelor’s degree in AI: The University of North Texas already offers a master’s degree in artificial intelligence, but will now offer students undergraduate options as well. (Spectrum News)

For the month of June, I’m celebrating Pride Month by highlighting a new book every week that’s been banned in Texas public schools with LGTBQ+ themes. Our regularly scheduled monthly banned book club will resume in July.

Since The TexEd Report launched in September 2025, we’ve already read a handful of books that fall under this umbrella, including “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” by George M. Johnson and “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Last week I kicked us off with “Heartstopper,” a graphic novel by Alice Oseman.

This week, I’d like to spotlight “Brave Face,” by Shaun David Hutchinson. It was banned in Leander ISD in 2021. The memoir follows the author through his teenage and early adult years as he navigates depression and accepts his sexuality.

Have you read this book?