Hey y’all!

Welcome back to another edition of The TexEd Report—we’ve got a lot to cover this week. 

On Monday, I attended a town hall in Plano with Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico. Throughout the night, the former educator emphasized the importance of investing in Texas teachers. You’ll find more on that below. 

We’ll also take a look at a new website from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board that allows students to file complaints against colleges that violate the state’s diversity, equity, and inclusion ban.

Finally, do you think you can teach philosophy without Plato? Texas A&M seems to think so, but I want to hear what you believe.

If you missed last week’s edition, read it here.

Photo by Kit Leong/Shutterstock

The war on higher education continues in Texas. 

In October, Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott admitted to targeting professors over “leftist ideologies” after two university educators were fired for their political beliefs and teaching LGBTQ+ topics in class. 

Then, he hired Brandon L. Simmons as the state’s new higher education ombudsman. 

Simmons works as a watchdog, investigating complaints and claims that public colleges and universities aren’t complying with new Texas laws, including Senate Bill 17—a ban on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs on campuses that passed in 2023. 

The ombudsman position was created under the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) in response to the passing of Senate Bill 37, which went into effect on Sept. 1. It shifts decision-making power at colleges and universities from faculty to political boards that are appointed by the governor.

The THECB officially launched its Office of the Ombudsman “Students First” website Friday, which includes a portal where students and members of the public can file complaints against higher education institutions that violate Texas law—something education advocates warn could do more harm than good.

Nearly 2,000 North Texans packed the Plano Event Center on Monday night to hear from State Rep. James Talarico, an Austin Democrat running for US Senate. 

Throughout the night, Talarico—a former educator in San Antonio—emphasized the importance of investing in Texas teachers, and teased a new policy his campaign will be announcing in the coming weeks that will boost teacher pay. 

See what he had to say below, and stay tuned for more on his official policy announcement. The TexEd Report will be following it closely.

Last week, a professor at Texas A&M was forced to remove excerpts from Plato—arguably one of the most famous philosophers in human history—from his philosophy course syllabus. 

The university feared the passages, which discussed more than two biological sexes and displayed homosexuality in a positive light, may violate a new university policy that prohibits “advocating for race or gender ideology” in classrooms. 

I explain more here, and 2,000 people shared their thoughts, shock, and disappointment with the university. But I want to hear from you: Do you think you can teach a philosophy course without Plato? Weigh in below:

🏃A Houston elementary student may have set a new marathon record: The Chevron Houston Marathon and half marathon took place Sunday and 11-year-old Leo Mendoza, a Kolter Elementary student, reportedly set a world record in the half marathon for his age group. (KHOU) 

🏫Conservator named in Lake Worth ISD takeover: Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath has appointed Andrew Kim, a former superintendent who is now serving as a co-conservator for Socorror ISD in El Paso, as conservator to oversee Lake Worth ISD. (NBC DFW)

🚌San Antonio schools have too many chronically absent kids: Although school attendance rates have improved across San Antonio, according to state reports released in December, school districts in the area still have far more chronically absentee students than other cities in the state. (San Antonio Report)

During the month of January, we’re reading “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. This coming-of-age novel was banned in Nacogdoches ISD in March 2025 and follows the friendship between two Mexican-American teenagers. 

Here’s a second batch of questions to help guide you as you read:

1. Compare Ari’s family environment with Dante’s. How do these differences influence how each boy views love, communication, and emotional vulnerability?

2. How do cultural expectations around masculinity show up in Ari’s behavior and his relationship with his father? Does this feel relatable or specific to the time and place (El Paso, 1987)?

3. How does the novel challenge traditional norms about “how boys should behave”?

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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.

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