Happy New Year!

Welcome back to The TexEd Report. I hope you and yours had a cozy, relaxing holiday season.

As we enter 2026, what education topics are top of mind for you? Let me know.

This week, we’ll take a look at why the Texas American Federation of Teachers is suing the Texas Education Agency, dive into the ACLU of Texas’ fight against the state’s new DEI ban in public schools, and kick off January’s banned book club.

If you missed our last edition, read it here.

Let’s get into it!

Katie Serrano

DFW Political Correspondent, COURIER Texas

Texas teachers sue over investigations into social media posts following Charlie Kirk’s death

Photo by Shutterstock

The Texas American Federation of Teachers—a union representing millions of educators across the state—announced Tuesday that it’s suing the Texas Education Agency and its commissioner, Mike Morath, for investigating educators over comments made on social media following the death of far-right political activist Charlie Kirk.

In a letter to educators on Sept. 12, Morath announced that anyone who made “inappropriate” comments about Kirk’s death on social media—even from their personal accounts—would be investigated for potentially violating the educators’ code of ethics.

He encouraged superintendents and the public to report teachers, despite his letter not identifying or defining what is considered “inappropriate conduct.”

Shortly after Morath’s announcement, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott announced in a post on X that any teacher “whose actions called for or incite violence following the Charlie Kirk assassination” would be fired and deemed ineligible to teach in Texas public schools.

Hundreds of complaints were made.

Now, Texas AFT President Zeph Capo and national AFT President Randi Weingarten claim that Morath’s letter “unleashed a wave of retaliation and disciplinary actions against teachers” and violates teachers’ First Amendment protected speech that is made outside of the classroom.

ACLU of Texas asks judge to block DEI ban in public schools

Photo by Getty Images

Texas lawmakers successfully banned all diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives in public schools with the passage of Senate Bill 12 during last summer’s legislative session—but not without pushback.

Although the law went into effect on Sept. 1, the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas filed a lawsuit in August on behalf of Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, the Gender and Sexuality Alliance Network, and two anonymous people. The group argued the ban violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments, and the Equal Access Act.

And on Dec. 18, the organization asked a federal judge to block four provisions of the bill—including the ban on Gay-Straight Alliance clubs and the ban on discussion of LGBTQ+ identities in school—to “prevent further harm to students” while their initial case makes its way through court.

The judge has not yet made a ruling on the injunction.

Watch me break it down

💰Nearly 600 schools want to participate in Abbott’s private school voucher program: Since applications for Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s new Education Savings Account program opened for schools on Dec. 9, nearly 600 private schools have signed up to participate. (The Texan)

💉Students in Dallas are at higher risk for measles: Classrooms in Dallas have fallen below “herd-immunity,” with more and more students less likely to be vaccinated against measles than they were five years ago. (Dallas Observer)

🏫Changes are coming to Houston ISD in 2026: Houston ISD, which was taken over by the state in 2023, will face more changes this year, from newly elected school board trustees to the launch of a pay-performance plan for teachers. (Houston Chronicle)

A new month means a new book, and we’re kicking the year off by reading “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz.

I’m excited to rediscover this book with you all. I read it for the first time about five years ago, and I was shocked to see that it was banned in Nacogdoches ISD in March 2025.

This coming-of-age story follows the friendship between two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and Dante Quintana, and is set in El Paso, Texas, in the late 1980s.

Here’s your first batch of questions to help guide you as you begin the novel:

1. How does El Paso, Texas, in 1987 influence the mood and tone of the story? In what ways does borderland culture shape Ari and Dante’s identities?

2. How do Ari’s and Dante’s experiences reflect what it means to be Mexican-American in Texas?

3. Based on the first quarter of the book, why do you think the book was challenged, and what educational value could it bring to students?

Send me your responses

Would you recommend this newsletter to your friends and family?

Do you or your company want to support The TexEd Report’s mission and reach your audience in Texas?

Contact advertise@couriernewsroom.com for more information.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katie Serrano. The TexEd Report is happily free to read for everyone. Your financial support means a lot to us. Donate here.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up now to get upcoming newsletters in your inbox.

Send your feedback and news tips to katieserrano@couriernewsroom.com.