The Texas Education Agency issued stern guidance to school districts Tuesday, emphasizing that classrooms are for instruction, not activism, following recent student protests over immigration enforcement.
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The warning comes directly after Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation into student walkouts, including those at Bryan High School where students recently protested immigration enforcement actions.
"It's not something that is a supported school event that's gonna get anybody out of anything. Your student will be absent, and you need to know that as a parent as well," said Dr. Sarah Borowicz, Anderson-Shiro Consolidated ISD superintendent.
15 ABC spoke with Anderson-Shiro Consolidated ISD about the TEA guidance, which serves as a reminder to educators about existing state law restrictions.
"I feel like it was really just making sure everybody is reminded of what state law says that you can and can't do as an educator and as a school system," Borowicz said.
The superintendent emphasized the primary role of public education.
"Don't forget, like, here's what you're actually charged with as a public educator in the public school system to make sure that we're maintaining order and making sure that our kids are in school and they're learning, which is what we're here for," Borowicz said.
According to the TEA memo: "State law prohibits school systems from supporting or opposing any forms of political activism that disrupts learning during the school day, including facilitation of political activism through the use of taxpayer-funded district resources."
The guidelines specify that any teacher helping students coordinate a walkout violates the educator code of ethics, potentially leading to investigation and permanent loss of their teaching license.
Districts found to be facilitating or encouraging walkouts face severe penalties.
"Potentially having investigation and sanctions, including coming in for monitoring or counsel or conservatorship or something like that if a school system was charged with any of those things as well. So, it included both of those, the teacher and the school system as a whole," Borowicz said.
The TEA recommends school systems update their parental notification policies to ensure families understand that student walkouts result in unexcused absences with consequences.
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