Back-to-school season usually brings a flurry of excitement for teachers, students, and parents alike. This year, however, that excitement feels overshadowed by unprecedented attacks on free speech in Texas K-12 public schools.
Education should prioritize learning and belonging for every student — not politically-motivated censorship and exclusion. Yet, Texas teachers now face an impossible decision: Foster a safe learning environment that encourages self-expression and critical thinking, or risk violating new state laws that stifle students’ freedom to learn and be who they are.
Our latest collaboration with comic artist Asayne Maltos (@es.pep) illustrates this dangerous reality. From banning books, to whitewashing curricula, to promoting state-sponsored religious lessons and posters, Texas politicians are actively trying to control what students think and believe.
“The Toughest Year Yet.”
Texas banned more than 1,700 books in the 2024-25 school year, more than any other state in the country except for Florida.
H.B. 900, a Texas law that went into effect Sept. 1, 2023, bans or restricts materials in public school libraries and classrooms by creating a vague rating system. Two years later, concerns about overreach and censorship in our schools remain — especially toward books by and about Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA+ people. A new Texas law, S.B. 13, puts school boards and non-experts — not trained librarians — in charge of the books students are allowed to read. Any book challenged could be banned until the school board decides its fate.
The attacks on LGBTQIA+ students go beyond book bans. School districts across the state are pushing harmful school policies mirroring the same anti-LGBTQIA+ rhetoric from certain state politicians. Just this year, Conroe ISD, Midland ISD, Cy Fair ISD, and Fort Bend ISD all passed their own school policies that restrict students’ ability to use the pronouns that match their gender identity.
Our Public Schools Deserve Better
Inclusive education benefits everyone. It provides vital support for Black, Brown, Indigenous, Asian American, and LGBTQIA+ students and educators — and enriches the classroom for all students by exposing them to a wider range of perspectives, histories, and lived experience.
Every student in Texas deserves the freedom to learn and the right to see themselves reflected in schools. That's not just good education policy — it’s their constitutional right.
Take Action
We all have a role to play in making sure Texas students get a quality education in an inclusive environment.
Learn how school boards make decisions that impact your community — and how you can get involved — at our upcoming virtual training on Wednesday, October 22, 6:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m. CT.
Together, we can build schools where all students — regardless of their background — feel safe, supported, and inspired to learn.