Republicans now have a 9-6 majority on the State Board of Education after Democrats picked up one seat. Click here to read more.

Texas now leads the nation in the total number of COVID-19 cases, passing California this week. According to the state's COVID-19 dashboard for school districts, 19,698 Texas students and 12,289 staff members have tested positive through the week ending Nov. 1. Schools continue to quarantine affected students and staff. Some, such as Manor ISD, are closing campuses while others, including Abilene ISD, are sending specific classes or grade levels home for remote learning.

TEA continues to enroll districts in its rapid COVID-19 testing program, with free kits and PPE provided by the federal government based on infection rates in a district's community. Ysleta ISD's superintendent said rapid testing was allowing the district to continue playing fall sports despite El Paso reporting about 3,000 positive COVID-19 cases daily.

We continue to update our COVID-19 FAQs on 2020-21 Education Issues to help members understand guidance from federal and state officials.

While this information is not legal advice, we hope it helps answer questions you may have about COVID-19's impact on schools. Members who have specific concerns or questions should call the Legal Department at 888-879-8282 to speak with a staff attorney.

TRS is now scheduling some in-person visits at its Austin headquarters. While the office remains closed for walk-in visitors, appointments for retirement counseling sessions are being allowed for those who pass prescreening to help limit potential spread of COVID-19. Click here for more information.

A student who was caught with drugs on campus asked the court to toss out the evidence, claiming that a search by school administrators was illegal. But the court of appeals decided the search was reasonable. Click here to read more.

TCTA congratulates member Jo King, the Plano West Senior High School AP chemistry team leader, who recently won the 2020 American Chemical Society, Southwest Region High School Teaching Award for her outstanding contributions to chemistry education. Click here to read more.

Have news to share with us? Email communications@tcta.org.

Developing a Positive Classroom Culture, the fifth video in TEA's Project Restore series, is now available for viewing. This trauma-informed training series connects educators to relevant science and strategies that can help them address the emotional needs of their students, themselves, their colleagues and students’ families. Teachers earn continuing professional education hours for completing the training. Click here for more information and to access the videos.

More than 100 Texas public schools qualified for Purple Star Designation for the 2020-21 school year, signaling their support for military-connected students and their families. Click here to read more and see the list of designated schools.

Encourage your colleagues to join TCTA and you could earn $25 for every two eligible Active-level members you recruit through Dec. 31 with our Take 2/Make $25 program. Click here for details. If you need brochures, pens or other materials to share on campus, please call the Membership Department at 888-879-8282 or email membership@tcta.org.