Hi there!
Last weekend, I attended a town hall in Fort Worth focused on the Texas Education Agency’s takeover of Fort Worth ISD.
State Rep. Gina Hinojosa and other education advocates answered questions from concerned parents, and shared information on how to mobilize and fight for their public schools. You’ll find coverage from the event below.
We’ll also dive into some higher education updates, as censorship and attacks on academic freedom continue to spread in Texas.
Finally, if you can’t make it to our event tonight in Dallas, be sure to catch the livestream on our social media. I’ll be moderating a conversation with members of the ACLU of Texas, Americans United, and SEAT about the impact new laws passed this year are having on our students.
If you missed last week’s edition, read it here.
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Gina Hinojosa urges Fort Worth to fight for its public schools
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State Rep. Gina Hinojosa never thought she’d run for office.
It wasn’t until her son’s school was threatened for closure that she got into politics. She won a seat on the Austin ISD school board in 2012, stopped the campus shutdown, and went on to run for the Texas Legislature, where the Democrat has represented Austin since 2017.
“It was the coolest, grassroots demonstration of real power that I have probably ever witnessed,” Hinojosa said during a town hall on Saturday in Fort Worth. “ I got mad. I got involved with a community of angry parents and teachers and community members who pushed back and created a movement. That is the power of the people.”
Now, she’s urging parents, students, and teachers who are concerned about the Texas Education Agency’s recent state takeover of Fort Worth ISD to do the same. Hinojosa, a longtime public education advocate in the state legislature, announced her campaign for governor on Oct. 15.
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Watch clips from the town hall:
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TCU scraps gender, ethnic studies department
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Texas Christian University in Fort Worth will close both its gender studies and race and ethnic studies departments on June 1, merging their courses into the English department.
It’s one of the first private universities in the state to announce changes to its gender and race-related programs.
The changes come amid a trend of Texas universities censoring curriculum related to gender. In September, Texas A&M fired a professor for discussing LGBTQ+ topics in class. In October, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said the state is targeting professors over “leftist ideologies” after another university educator was fired over their political beliefs at the University of Texas.
TCU officials cited financial reasons for the change, claiming that political pressure had no influence on the decision. But some faculty disagree, citing criticism TCU has faced from the Tarrant County GOP, according to Inside Higher Ed.
What are your thoughts on the ongoing censorship we’re seeing on our higher ed campuses?
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🍔How Houston ISD is distributing student meals during the government shutdown: In a statement last week, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller said federally funded school meal programs across the state will continue without interruption in spite of the shutdown and cuts to SNAP benefits. (Houston Public Radio)
🏫Fort Worth ISD officials meet with the TEA: Representatives from Fort Worth met with Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath in Austin last week following his announcement that the state would be taking over the school district. (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)
📚Texas schools use AI to ban books: Some school districts are using ChatGPT to screen library materials for “profane” or “indecent” content. Supporters say it’s efficient, while critics warn it’s unreliable and prone to bias. (Texas Standard)
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Like I mentioned last week, “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood seems like an appropriate pick for our next read.
Texas lawmakers wrapped up a legislative session a few months ago that increased censorship in our schools, infused more white Christian nationalism into our communities, and targeted reproductive rights—all of which are prominent themes in Atwood’s book.
The novel, originally published in 1985, inspired a television adaption in 2017 and a sequel novel titled “The Testaments” in 2019.
This week, I encourage you all to read Chapters 1-13, and let these questions guide you as you make your way through the start of the novel:
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1. What are your first impressions of Gilead’s society and how it functions?
2. How does the restriction of reading and writing contribute to the regime’s power?
3. What role do rituals and tradition play in maintaining obedience and order in Gilead?
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