Advocacy in Action: Legislative Conference brings Texas trustees to State Capitol
“We’re engaged in a historic fight,” Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin) said before a crowd of more than 300 Texas public school leaders. This theme — the battle to support public education — was a central focus of the 2025 TASA | TASB Legislative Conference.
The biennial event, hosted by TASB and the Texas Association of School Administrators, convened Feb. 18 in Austin to coincide with the 89th Texas Legislature. School board members, administrators, and superintendents from across the state heard firsthand from lawmakers and policy experts about what’s at stake for public education this legislative session.
“We take great pride in continuing to host this conference,” said Dax González, division director of TASB Governmental Relations. “It’s always a great opportunity for trustees to hear about the issues impacting public schools across the state. We think it’s important for school leaders to hear directly from lawmakers and policy experts as they prepare to advocate for public education during the session and beyond.”
Lawmakers and policy experts weigh in
House Public Education Chair Brad Buckley (R-Salado), a former Killeen ISD school board member, kicked off the morning session. He gave attendees a rundown of the education issues prioritized by the Legislature, including vouchers, special education funding, teacher pay raises, and school safety.
While Buckley noted concerns surrounding the ESA/vouchers bill (Senate Bill 2) and its likelihood to pass, he promised “accountability and transparency” in its implementation. In addition, he told the group there would be continued support for teacher pay and school funding.
This sentiment was echoed by Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who called teaching “the most important profession,” as he indicated almost $5 billion in new funding would be put toward increasing teacher salaries.
The next round of speakers featured Ross Ramsey, a retired political journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering the Texas Legislature, followed by the TASA and TASB associate executive directors for their respective Governmental Relations teams, Amy Beneski and Kelly Rasti. Each gave an overview of the issues they expect to loom large this legislative session and what trustees can expect for public education in the months ahead.
They then turned it over to a panel discussion with Talarico and fellow state Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston). The pair touched on the importance of continuing to fight for public education and advised trustees on how to advocate for and communicate with their constituents. They stressed the importance of being honest about what’s on the line for public education, and to channel their districts’ frustrations in a productive way so their challenges can be heard by lawmakers at the Capitol.
Among the other key topics they discussed was raising the basic allotment, something VanDeaver said he’s continuing to support. “The basic allotment is really where I think it makes the most sense for us to invest,” he noted.
Remarks from Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and a presentation by Texas Permanent School Fund CEO Robert Borden capped off the speakers’ portion of the event.
Advocating at the Capitol
After a morning of listening to lawmakers, it was time for trustees to talk. The group departed to meet with legislators at the Capitol to make their voices heard on behalf of their districts.
For many in attendance, it was their first trip. This was not the case for Julie Cole, a returning school board trustee from Hurst-Euless-Beford ISD and member of the TASB Board of Directors. Cole said these visits have been beneficial to her working with her district’s state representatives.
“We have several who serve our district, and I hope to meet with all of them eventually,” Cole said. “There are a few who I’ve created a relationship with over the years, and I look forward to continuing to cultivate that relationship as we talk about the needs of our school district.”
One district, Crowley ISD, wanted to make sure lawmakers heard from those impacted most by the issues facing public education: their students.
Board Members Kelicia Stevenson and Nedra Robinson made the trip with three of their district’s student trustees to meet with state Sen. Bob Hall’s (R-Edgewood) office. They hoped the experience would be invaluable to their students’ continued advocacy efforts in shaping future public education policy.
“It’s important for students to have their voices heard,” Robinson said. “They are the ones impacted firsthand by policy in the classroom.”
Rose Jones, a senior at Crowley High School, said the experience as a student trustee has helped her grow as a leader in her community and hopes their efforts will continue to impact positive change.
“We are educated, we have a voice, and we need to be heard,” Jones said.
Matt Mitchell
Matt Mitchell serves as senior communications specialist for the Communications, Marketing, and Events team. He contributes to TASB.org and Texas Lone Star magazine, hosts the TABS Talks podcast, and creates and manages content for TASB social media.
Mitchell previously served as a communications specialist at The University of Texas at Austin, where he focused on internal communications and staff-focused content for the web. He also previously worked for KXAN-TV as social media manager, where he managed the station’s daily social media content and long-form marketing campaigns.
Mitchell is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
