Happy Wednesday!☀️

Welcome to the second edition of The TexEd Report. In case you missed our debut edition, you can read it here.

This week we continue our conversation with educators across our state navigating a slew of new education-focused laws in their public schools.

You’ll hear teachers’ and students’ thoughts on two new Texas laws that are infusing more religion into our public school classrooms, learn about ongoing attacks on free speech in higher education, and we take a trip down high school homecoming memory lane.

Let’s get into it.

Katie Serrano

DFW Political Correspondent, COURIER Texas

‘This is not right’: Texas students, educators criticize Ten Commandments in classrooms

Photo by Getty Images

Public school teachers in Texas are now required to display the Ten Commandments in their classrooms.

Lawmakers passed Senate Bill 10 in May and the new law went into effect on Sept. 1. It requires public schools to display a 16-by-20-inch poster of the Ten Commandments in every classroom.

The move has sparked concerns over violations of students’ First Amendment rights and freedom of religion.

”When I first heard that it was going to be implemented in schools, I thought ‘This is not right,’” Azeemah Sadiq, a senior at Alief ISD and a senior policy associate at Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, told COURIER Texas.

“They are trying to push a narrative, and agenda of promoting a particular religion, and it begs the question, why don’t we have other foundational principles of other religions being shared? Why a specific religion, and why is it even there at all? It shouldn’t be. Our public schools are supposed to remain secular,” she added.

Teachers are also voicing their frustrations with the new mandate.

“It’s concerning, I know there are some parent advocacy groups within my district who have already stated that they will push back,” said April Jones, an Algebra 1 teacher at Northeast ISD in San Antonio. “Parents are very upset that this has to be posted, and I know a lot of teachers who—even if they are Christian—they’re wondering why they have to hang it in their room. Originally, they told us we shouldn’t be hanging up anything that doesn’t have to do with what we’re teaching.”

“I’m not teaching bible class, so why am I hanging this up?” she added.

Texas followed Louisiana and Arkansas in passing legislation requiring that the Ten Commandments be displayed in classrooms, although a Louisiana federal court ruled that the law violated a constitutionally required separation of church and state and has not been implemented.

In July, the ACLU of Texas and 16 families filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the law. And in August, US District Court Judge Fred Biery issued a temporary injunction, ruling that the law was unconstitutional and interfered with parents’ rights to guide their children’s religious upbringing.

A Texas educator was fired for discussing gender identity in class. Hundreds more are being investigated over social media posts on Charlie Kirk’s death.

In the days since far-right political activist Charlie Kirk was shot and killed, Republican lawmakers in Texas have called for the firings of any teacher or professor who commented on Kirk in a way that they deem “inappropriate”—sparking concerns over violations of educators’ First Amendment rights.

On Friday, the Texas Education Agency announced it’s investigating educators, urging people to submit records of any social media posts that include “reprehensible” content. They’ve received roughly 180 complaints so far.

Some school districts, such as Klein ISD, have already fired employees for comments they made on their private social media accounts following Kirk’s death.

These terminations come after a professor at Texas A&M University was also fired last week for discussing gender identity in the classroom.

Educator advocates, including the Texas American Federation of Teachers, condemned both the termination of the A&M professor and the TEA’s investigations.

“These ‘investigations’ into teachers exercising their First Amendment rights outside their official duties silence dissent and encourage the purging of civil servants—both key tenets of the authoritarian playbook,” one statement from the Texas AFT reads. “We urge ISDs, colleges, and public universities to review the section on crumbling independent institutions as they consider how to move forward.”

Read more of my coverage on the termination at Texas A&M or watch me break down these topics below:

Is this high school homecoming pep rally too over the top?

Texas high schools have their fair share of homecoming traditions, from wearing mums to our elaborate parades.

My alma mater, Allen High School, celebrated its homecoming this past weekend, and videos from their pep rally have gone viral.

And of course people have opinions—with some commenters wishing their school was that elaborate, to others saying it’s a waste of resources. All I’ll say is … they were never this crazy when I was a student 🤯.

Check out some of the viral clips here and here, and let me know: Do you think Allen’s pep rally was too excessive or was it an appropriate display of school pride?

Way too over the top

Let the kids have fun

🎓Free college application week is approaching: Texas residents can apply to college without application fees from Oct. 13-19. (COURIER Texas)

🏫More North Texas school closures could be imminent: Several North Texas school districts closed campuses this year due to budget cuts and low student enrollment, and schools in Frisco ISD could be next. (WFAA)

👩‍🏫Fort Worth parents are fighting against a state takeover: Fort Worth FORT, or Families Organized Resisting Takeover, is a group of parents who are contacting state representatives, city council members, the Texas Education Administration, and Gov. Greg Abbott to advocate against a district takeover. (CBS News)

Have you voted on which book you’d like to read when our Texas Banned Book Club kicks off on Oct. 1? We’ll announce the winner next week! Vote by clicking on a book below if you haven’t already:

In the meantime, check out this rundown of just a handful of banned books that Sierra Rozen, our HTX Newsletter Editor and resident bookworm, put together!

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