Registration to testify at SBOE meetings typically open a few days before scheduled hearings. Registration is open for a limited time and is important because testimony is taken in the order of registration. To register for an upcoming meeting, visit this webpage.

The next scheduled SBOE meetings are on August 30 - September 2, 2022 and November 15 - 18, 2022.

Before the meeting:

• Find out what’s on the agenda

• You are likely to find it online! If you can’t find it, call the Texas Education Agency and ask for a copy.

• Find out how many minutes members of the public are allowed to speak during public comment (usually two minutes but sometimes it might be revised) and what you have to do to sign up for public comment.

• Register to testify early! Testimony will be taken in order of registration.

For the meeting:

• Write your full testimony as a script to check the timing and to practice with. But during the actual meeting, just use bullet notes as a guide.

• Practice your script until it feels natural, then switch to the bullet notes.

• Don’t waste time asking if they can hear you — jump right in.

• Be direct and courteous and mindful of your time!

• If you’re asked a question you are unsure of how to answer, let them know that you will follow-up with them with an answer. Be sure to follow-up when you get home!

• Be visible! If you don’t feel like testifying that’s okay! Just show up and visible and that means:

  • Wearing coordinated colors

  • Staying in the room to show support

  • Take lots of photos and videos

  • Taking videos of compelling speakers or better yet– school board members responding to public comment and sharing it can further your reach if you share it!

After the Meeting:

• Follow up with your elected officials and ask them to put out statements of public support for your cause.

• Plan to come to the next meeting and bring a friend!

• Post on social media and further your reach by using the #LearnOurStories hashtag

Writing the Testimony:
Tell your story! Every story is compelling because it’s yours.

Keep it brief:
Your testimony should never be longer than allotted time, but shoot for 1-2 minutes to keep it concise.

State who you are and what you want up front.

Personalize:
Tell your SBOE member why this issue matters in their community/ state. If you have one, include a personal story that shows how this issue affects you and your community.
This is your chance to make a compelling case for why real representation matters to you. Don’t be afraid to be specific and share an example from your own life.
A constituent's personal stories can be very persuasive as your SOBE members shape their position.

You are the Expert of Your Own Experience:
Tell them why this is important. Remember that your SBOE member’s job is to represent you. You should be courteous and to the point, but don't be afraid to take a firm position. Remember that often your SBOE may know no more about a given issue than you do.

Directly ask them to:

• Inclusive and accurate TEKS standards that reflect Asian American experiences in U.S. history, such as the impacts of the Chinese Exclusion Act and the infringement on civil liberties with Japanese incarceration during WWII and;

• Inclusive and accurate TEKS standards that reflect Asian American contributions in U.S. history, such as the contributions of Asian leaders and organizations formed during the Civil Rights Movement, like the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA);

• Approve the newly created Asian American Studies elective framework, a one-credit ethnic studies course that allows Texas high school students the opportunity to engage in Asian American focused content.

There are a lot of areas in which the social studies curriculum review process can include more Asian American representation. Below are the top themes that we want to focus on. Feel free to use these talking points and add your personal stories and insights:

• We request the Texas SBOE approve and pass frameworks for the Asian American Studies elective course, in addition to the other proposed ethnic studies classes, allowing for a deeper understanding of identities and histories, benefiting students of all backgrounds.

In addition to the new course, we recommend amendments and additions to other social studies courses, including:

• We request that Japanese American incarceration during WWII be included in U.S. History 1877 to Present and 8th Grade Social Studies as an opportunity to engage in the complexities of history. The language of “incarceration” aligns with The National Park Service, the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, and dozens of other national organizations.

• We request contributions of Asian Americans during the civil rights movement be added to both U.S. History 1877 to Present and 8th Grade Social Studies. Omission of leaders and organizations such as the Asian American Political Alliance (AAPA) neglects Asian American contribution to civil rights.

• We request representative Chinese American histories; e.g., including Pershing Chinese, one of the first groups of Asians in Texas, in the 8th Grade Social Studies framework.

• We request accurate Chinese American histories. Current proposed language in 8th Grade Social Studies suggests a false causal relationship between Chinese labor migration and the Chinese Exclusion Act.

• We request a new student expectation acknowledging the enduring impact of the Patriot Act and associated War on Terror rhetoric on Arab and South Asian Americans, particularly of Muslim and Sikh backgrounds, be added to the U.S. History 1877 to Present framework.