Education's Not Dead

What a time to be an educator! President Trump is pushing for a "patriotic" rewrite of history. The Texas Legislature is jumping through hoops to make sure universities aren’t left behind in the race to revise our national identity. And all the while, people like Rayna Glasser are fighting to create educational policies that prioritize students above political showboating. 

I first learned about Rayna Glasser’s educational reforms back in November of 2024. I was scrolling through vote411.org on my phone in the early hours of the morning, trying to stave off anxiety by overloading myself with information. I decided to take a look at candidates running for the State Board of Education (SBOE). At the time I had no idea what the state board of education really does, and I was considering voting Green across the board anyway. But something stood out to me about the Democratic candidate: she said she wanted to do away with the STAAR test. I was immediately far more awake and excited than anyone has a right to be at 3am. I know that many students, caregivers, and teachers alike had serious concerns about the way standardized testing is implemented in Texas secondary schools. But I figured state officials either didn't care about the issue, or didn't want to take a stance that could alienate them from other politicians. As I often find myself realizing, I was wrong. 

I feel I should state upfront that my vote was not enough for Rayna to win the District 11 seat on the SBOE. But I’m not one to give up easily, and neither is Rayna. She says on her website that she put herself through college while raising her son as a single mother. She has extensive experience in the classroom and on a district level, assisting with assessment and curriculum development in addition to teaching for 18 years. She’s also a TWU alumnus if you needed another reason to join me as her biggest fan. 

So what, exactly, does Rayna want to do about education in Texas? She wants to help students gain traction after the disruption of COVID-19. Citing statistics on her website, Rayna says we cannot keep teaching the same curriculum we’ve always used if we want to help today’s students succeed. She wants to advocate for teachers so that they can support students, and part of this involves refocusing the curriculum away from standardized testing. She says that if we allow students to pass beyond 5th and 8th grade without passing the STAAR, it isn’t fair to hold them back from graduating. In her words, we are “penalizing the student by expecting them to pass [the STAAR] to graduate”. 

 

When asked what she wanted to focus on as a member of the SBOE, Rayna said  “I think it’s time to revisit graduation requirements in the State of Texas and eliminate the STAAR test as a requirement for graduation. I believe we need to create graduation pathways. Students should be able to choose a military pathway, trade pathway, higher education pathway, or traditional pathway. We need to normalize pathways other than college for our students.” 

In times of uncertainty, it can be easy to forget that advocates for our students have not thrown in the towel. Verdicts from on high, at the state and federal level, can feel like doomsday is around the corner. There are thousands of educators across the state who have dedicated their time and energy to pushing for education that is more equitable. Statements from legislators and Presidents, although influential, cannot dominate the conversation. We have to remember that the fight does not end because the election is over. I’m not giving up, and I know you won’t either.