Howdy,

In case you haven’t heard, another legal challenge has hit Senate Bill 10, the new Texas law requiring the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. A few weeks ago, I reported on three Houston mothers who have filed a new lawsuit against the policy. Now, over two dozen Texas families, along with Americans United for Separation of Church and State and the ACLU, are taking their original lawsuit to the US Supreme Court. Learn more about their challenge, and hear from two parents here.

This week, we’ll take a look at the Texas Education Agency’s newly released 2025-2026 public school accountability ratings, and how the scores have triggered a potential state takeover for one district. 

You’ll also find information on new private school voucher data and a breakdown on why thousands of Texas students ended up returning their awarded money. Finally, if you know a teacher in need then scroll down to our “3 things to know” section to learn more about a new effort launched by Democratic US Senate candidate James Talarico’s campaign seeking to fulfill Texas teachers’ school supply wishlists.

Before we dive into today’s news, a bit of housekeeping: You won’t find me in your inbox next week, but be on the lookout for the next edition of The TexEd Report on Sept. 2! If you missed last week’s edition, read it here. 

Now let’s get into it!

School is back in session in Texas, and some students will be attending private school using taxpayer dollars.

But according to new data obtained by the Dallas Morning News, thousands of private school voucher recipients have returned their awarded funds, proving some critics’ warnings that eligibility in the program doesn’t guarantee access. 

Watch me break it down:

The Texas Education Agency released its annual accountability scores for all Texas public schools for the 2025-2026 school year Friday morning.

The A-F ratings are meant to monitor how well districts and schools are educating their students, according to the state. They are based on graduation rates, college readiness, and how well students perform on the STAAR exam. The ratings are also based on how students perform over time, and how a district performs compared to other school districts with similar economically disadvantaged student populations.

The final measurement comes from “closing the gap,” which measures how well a district is ensuring all its students are successful, and how certain student populations, such as emergent bilingual students, are being served. 

Under the state’s accountability system, ratings of A, B, and C represent acceptable performance, while D and F ratings indicate unacceptable performance.

The ratings have long been controversial, with Democratic state lawmakers criticizing the system. Last year, state representative and gubernatorial candidate Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin) called the entire process “rigged” and “deceptive” and artificially inflating the number of failing public schools to lay the groundwork for state takeovers and Republican Gov. Gerg Abbott’s private school voucher program.

Throughout August we’re reading the novel “The House on Mango Street” by Sandra Cisneros. It was removed from Brazosport, Jim Hogg County, and Rains ISDs last school year, and follows Esperanza Cordero, a young Mexican-American girl growing up in a Chicago neighborhood through a series of vignettes.

Here are three final questions to consider as you wrap up the book:

1. What does freedom mean to Esperanza by the end?

2. Which vignette serves as the emotional climax of the novel for you?

3. The novel has been challenged because of its depictions of sexual violence, mature themes, and occasional strong language. After reading the entire book, why do you think those elements are essential to the story’s message?