Contact SBOE: Arlington Voices Matter

Our mission is to engage Arlington residents, build people-powered civic participation, and support leaders who champion progress, equity, and accountable governance—while reflecting the values, needs, and voices of our diverse community.

What we witnessed at the State Board of Education meeting, and what is unfolding through proposed changes to vocabulary lists, required reading lists, and Social Studies TEKS, directly intersects with that mission. Public education policy shapes whose voices are centered, whose knowledge is valued, and whether our institutions operate with transparency and respect.

Civic engagement does not stop at paying attention. It means speaking up, clearly, respectfully, and collectively, when decisions threaten equity, representation, or democratic participation.

Below are three short emails you can use to contact SBOE members and board leaders directly. They are designed to make it easy for community members to take action and ensure Arlington voices are part of the public record.

Sample Emails

Here are sample emails to leverage. We encourage you to add details and questions relevant to your personal concerns.

  • Dear State Board of Education Member,

    I am writing as a constituent to express serious concerns about the proposed state-mandated vocabulary list and required reading list.

    A single, centralized list risks narrowing instruction, privileging one cultural perspective, and limiting teachers’ ability to meet the needs of their students and communities. Vocabulary development and literacy thrive when educators can build from students’ lived language, culture, and experiences, not when learning is constrained by a fixed, statewide canon.

    I urge you to slow this process, listen to educators and families, and ensure that any guidance preserves local control, representation, and sound literacy research.

    Thank you for your time and public service.

    Sincerely,

  • Dear State Board of Education Member,

    I am writing to share my concern about the current direction of the Social Studies TEKS review.

    Texas students deserve a full, honest, and well-contextualized history, one that includes world history, multiple perspectives, and the complexity of our shared past. Narrowing or restructuring the TEKS in ways that reduce context or global understanding undermines the purpose of social studies education and leaves students less prepared for civic life.

    Please advocate for a transparent process that centers educators, historians, and the lived experiences of Texas students.

    Respectfully,

  • Dear Member Hall and Member Pickren,

    I am writing to express my disappointment with how a community member was questioned during public testimony at the recent SBOE meeting.

    Public testimony should be a space where all Texans are treated with dignity and respect. Questioning a speaker in a way that implies suspicion or exclusion, particularly along religious lines, undermines public trust and contradicts the values of inclusive civic participation.

    I hope you will reflect on this moment and commit to ensuring that future testimony is handled with professionalism and respect for all community members.

    Sincerely,

SBOE Members by District

  1. El Paso: Gustavo Reveles, gustavo.reveles@sboe.texas.gov 

  2. Corpus Christi: LJ Francis, lj.francis@sboe.texas.gov 

  3. San Antonio: Marisa Perez-Diaz, marisa.perez-diaz@sboe.texas.gov 

  4. Houston: Staci Childs, staci.childs@tea.texas.gov 

  5. San Marcos: Rebecca Bell-Metereau, rebecca.bellmetereau@sboe.texas.gov 

  6. Houston: Will Hickman, will.hickman@tea.texas.gov 

  7. Pearland: Julie Pickren, julie.pickren@tea.texas.gov 

  8. Trinity: Audrey Young, audrey.young@tea.texas.gov 

  9. Lufkin: Keven Ellis, ellissboe@gmail.com 

  10. Florence: Tom Maynard, tom@maynardfortexas.com 

  11. Aledo: Brandon Hall, brandon.hall@sboe.texas.gov 

  12. Fairview: Pam Little, pam.little@tea.texas.gov 

  13. DeSoto: Tiffany Clark, tiffany.clark@sboe.texas.gov 

  14. Frisco: Evelyn Brooks, ebrooks@evelyn4texaseducation.com 

  15. Midland: Aaron Kinsey, aaron.kinsey@sboe.texas.gov

Previous
Previous

Loss of Local Control and the Erasure of Student Voices in Texas Classrooms

Next
Next

This is Bigger than Blanton