Amid walkouts across the country protesting ICE tactics, students at Elkins High School in Fort Bend ISD staged a morning walkout Tuesday. Reaction from the Texas Education Agency was swift. And not favorable.
In fact, in a directive handed down Tuesday, the TEA made it clear that not only does it not want students in walkouts, but that it is prepared to punish any students, educators and districts that are in any way involved in protests.
Despite the increasing number of protests of actions by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement troops, the TEA says doing so during school hours is both disruptive to the educational environment and unsafe for students.
.In fact, the TEA under Commissioner Mike Morath, is even threatening that districts who can’t keep students in line may see an un-elected board of managers installed. Just like what happened in Houston ISD.
Offering what it called “guidance” on how to handle student walkouts, absences and delineating the responsibilities for educators and public school districts in such matters, the state agency Tuesday made clear there would be punishing consequences to any “political activism” during school hours.
As decreed:
- Students must be marked as absent and schools risk losing daily attendance funding if they allow or encourage students to walk out of class.
- Teachers that facilitate walk outs will be subject to investigation and sanction including licensure revocation.
- School systems that facilitate walkouts will be subject to investigation and sanction, including either the appointment of a monitor, conservator or board of managers.
The TEA said it was releasing this guidance “in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s directive to investigate instances of inappropriate political activism deliberately disrupting the learning environment in Texas public schools.”
There will be consequences for students with unexcused absences. Districts cannot facilitate in any way political activism. According to the TEA: “State law also prohibits certified educators from encouraging or facilitating student departures from a class or school activity to engage in any form of political activism.”
You can read the whole decree on the TEA website.
We do have one question. Since the TEA regulation specified “certified educators,” can all those uncertified teachers who encourage or facilitate political activism, do so without fearing any punishment?
This article appears in Private: Jan 1 – Dec 31, 2026.