Early voting is officially underway, y’all! Here in Dallas County, we saw record turnout on Monday. You can cast your ballot early now through Oct. 30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.

Over the weekend, organizations hosted early vote rallies across the state, and here in North Texas, one Denton resident stressed the importance of this year’s State Board of Education races and urged Texans to research the candidates in their district. Hear from her here.

Speaking of elections, today we’ll take a look at the role several positions on your ballot play in shaping education in Texas.

You’ll also hear from the 2027 Texas Elementary Teacher of the year, and find info on Dallas ISD pulling books off their library shelves amid recent threats from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. 

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

Early voting began Monday, Oct. 19, for this year’s midterm elections, and as Texans head to the polls, they will be weighing in on several statewide races that shape education. 

Here’s what to know:

The Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts race is a bit further down on the ballot, and the role serves as the state’s chief financial officer, accountant, treasurer, and tax collector. The office manages state funds, collects more than 60 types of state and local taxes, invests billions in state assets, and crafts the official revenue estimates that legally bind the state budget.

What does that have to do with education? The role is also in charge of the state’s Texas Education Freedom Accounts, also known as private school vouchers.

The program allocates $1 billion of taxpayer funds to families to use on private school tuition and homeschool costs. While proponents claim the program offers families of all backgrounds more school choice, critics call it “welfare for the wealthy,” and warn it will take crucial funding away from public schools.

The comptroller’s office is responsible for choosing the companies that will receive millions of dollars to help administer the program, creating the rules participating families must follow, and producing annual reports on the program’s outcomes.

The comptroller can also petition the Texas Legislature to change or expand program funding, which has already been requested by Republican Don Huffines, who was appointed to the role by Gov. Greg Abbott earlier this year. 

Huffines is on the ballot against Democrat Sarah Eckhardt.

By John Oliva, Corpus Christi Caller Times

A Corpus Christi ISD educator was named the 2027 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year on Oct. 16.

Denise Caldera, a kindergarten bilingual teacher at Galvan Elementary, received the title at an awards ceremony in Round Rock. She received a cash award, a commemorative trophy, and a free airline voucher for travel within the United States.

Caldera will move on to compete for the title of National Teacher of the Year at the Council of Chief State School Officers National Teacher of the Year Program next year.

Caldera was named the 2026 Corpus Christi Independent School District Teacher of the Year in August.

During the month of October we’re reading “Looking for Alaska” by John Green. 

It’s become one of the most banned books not just in Texas, but the country this past school year. The novel, written in 2005, has been banned in Katy, Frisco, and Klein ISDs. 

Here are new discussion questions to consider as you make your way through the book: 

1. What roles do alcohol, smoking, and other risky behaviors play in the characters’ attempts to feel independent or mature?

2. How does the novel portray the tension between following rules and making independent choices?

3. Should a book be removed from a school library because it contains behavior that violates school rules or family values? How might students benefit from reading about the consequences of those choices?