Craig Verley

In case you could not tell by the headlines, this is a big election year in the country, and in our little state of Texas. I typically try to stay out of the whole topic of politics, but this blog post may stray a little over that line, but hopefully in a good and helpful way.

Writing and posting about voting has become something that some in the state would have you believe is electioneering and therefore illegal for school districts and employees to do. That is not entirely true, and I get the feeling there are probably some superintendents and communications folks who are buying into that fearmongering.

I strongly encourage you to take a little time to check a few references and have a conversation with your superintendent now. The May election dates are quickly approaching, and you know the November election date won’t be far behind. Schools have a duty to educate and model good citizenship. That includes helping register new voters at our high schools as students qualify. Modeling good citizenship by participating in elections and encouraging your community to exercise their right to vote should be a part of that.

Here are a few links to some resources that you might find helpful in refreshing yourself on some do’s and don’ts about promoting voting in elections.

Texas Association of School Boards- How to Promote a Culture of Voting | TASB

Texas Association of School Administrators- Voting & Elections Toolkit | Texas Association of School Administrators (tasanet.org)

Texas Educators Vote- Texas Educators Vote – Creating a Culture of Voting in Texas Public Schools

Texas Ethics Commission- School District Political Advertising (state.tx.us)

Texas Attorney General- School Electioneering | Office of the Attorney General (texasattorneygeneral.gov)

Before posting, writing, etc. a get-out-the-vote message or campaign, you may also want to check in with your district’s legal counsel. I am not an attorney, so do your due diligence to cover your legal bases.

Voter turnout in elections has been dismal in Texas and the country. That is not good for our form of democracy and as educators, we do have a certain responsibility to make sure we are doing our part. Just be careful about how it is done. Don’t promote candidates, measures, or political parties; and certainly don’t lead anyone to vote a certain way.

Don’t let the fearmongers from either side of the aisle keep you from celebrating and promoting one of the cool things about being an American citizen. Anyone who fights that is hurting our country, our state, and your community. So, do a little research now. Have those conversations now. Then plan out how you might promote participation in elections with your students, your district employees, and your community.