Ethnic Studies Network of Texas

Sign up at: bit.ly/ainsconvening

If you are a teacher or work with American Indian/Indigenous education programs or ethnic studies programs, you can register for the AI/NS Convening, which takes place on June 10-11th. If you work outside of GPISD, you can register through the Google form link. Make sure to register by June 5th.

For local guidance, teachers and school districts can contact Lanette Aguero at lanette.aguero@gpisd.org. For more info, parents, students, and advocates can contact ethnicstudiesnetworkoftexas@gmail.com.

Regardless of what the SBOE decides, the AI/NS course can be taught. Ask your district leaders to bring the AI/NS course to your district. Contact in the next comment.

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

Next steps to help support the AI/NS course:
- Help us get to 3K signatures by June! (bit.ly/ainspetition)
- Pledge to testify at the next SBOE hearing on Thursday, June 26th at 9am. (link in Instagram bio)

In college, I had the opportunity to live in a Native American-themed dorm, so I was able to live with Native students. It’s so different when you get to immerse yourself in a community [as opposed to] just getting a small bite. I think that’s the beauty of the way we’re doing [this] in Texas.

Regardless of what the SBOE decides this year, the AI/NS course can be taught in your district! For local guidance, teachers and school districts can contact Lanette Aguero at lanette.aguero@gpisd.org. For more info, parents, students, and advocates can contact ethnicstudiesnetworkoftexas@gmail.com.

If you are a teacher or work with American Indian/Indigenous education programs, or ethnic studies programs, you can register for the AI/NS Convening on June 10-11th. Non-GPISD can register in the Google form link in our bio.

“This course was written by American Indian Native community members, parents, educators, and college university professors. It has been vetted three times through TEA.”

(Continued in comments)

(For local guidance, teachers and school districts can contact Lanette Aguero at lanette.aguero@gpisd.org. For more info, parents, students, and advocates can contact ethnicstudiesnetworkoftexas@gmail.com.)

- Regardless of what the SBOE decides, the AI/NS course can be taught. Ask your district leaders to bring the AI/NS course to your district.

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

Next steps to help support the AI/NS course:
- Help us get to 3K signatures by June! (bit.ly/ainspetition or link in bio)
- Pledge to testify at the next SBOE hearing on Thursday, June 26th at 9am. (link in bio)

“Last year, a teenager came up to me and said, did you help make that AI/NS course and I said yes. He said that is my favorite course. It’s the only class I’m excited to come to school for. So, a 16-year-old boy getting excited to come to school for a class. That kind of class is worth protecting.”

(For local guidance, teachers and school districts can contact Lanette Aguero at lanette.aguero@gpisd.org. For more info, parents, students, and advocates can contact ethnicstudiesnetworkoftexas@gmail.com.)

- Regardless of what the SBOE decides, the AI/NS course can be taught. Ask your district leaders to bring the AI/NS course to your district.

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

Next steps to help support the AI/NS course:
- Help us get to 3K signatures by June! (bit.ly/ainspetition)
- Pledge to testify at the next SBOE hearing on Thursday, June 26th at 9am (link in Instagram bio).

“Every student deserves an education where backgrounds and experiences are represented. As Texans, we are lucky to have a rich and diverse state. However, our curriculum does not always embrace this diversity.”

Help us ensure the AI/NS course is renewed in Texas in June (continued in comments)!!

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

- Help us get to 3K signatures in May (bit.ly/ainspetition or link in bio)
- Ask your local district to teach the AI/NS course locally.
- Prepare to testify at the next SBOE hearing on June 26th.

“I’ve heard that both the teachers and students have been amazed at learning the history of our country that truly covers the Native American and European settler interaction, challenges, and resolutions.”

Ways to support the renewal of the AI/NS course continued in the comments:

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

- Help us get to 3K signatures in May (bit.ly/ainspetition or link in bio)
- Ask your local district to teach the AI/NS course locally.
- Prepare to testify at the next SBOE hearing on June 26th.

“As an educator and now as a parent, I’ve sought to learn more about Native American experiences in this country. My own kids are taught history that often focuses on the lives of European settlers. This speaks to my kids' heritage, but they have curiosity about the context of their lives.”

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

- Help us get to 3K signatures in May (bit.ly/ainspetition or link in bio)
- Ask your local district to teach the AI/NS course locally.
- Prepare to testify at the next SBOE hearing on June 26th.

“Past events affect the present. We strive for balance. The impacts of disease, military operations, and boarding schools cannot be ignored but the record of resilience offers inspirational models.”

Next steps to help support the AI/NS course are continued in the comments.

It's time to stand up for American Indian/Native Studies in Texas For a year, the Texas SBOE Chair has chosen not to place a high school level American Indian/Native Studies elective course for 10-12th graders on the SBOE agenda for review and adoption. The AI/NS in...

To help, please sign and share the AI/NS petition. Help us get to 3K by May at bit.ly/ainspetition

Unfortunately, this is not the first time the goal posts have moved for the AI/NS course project. Nonetheless, the AI/NS course project remains undeterred, and the course renewal will prevail.

The renewal vote could happen in May or on Thursday, June 26, 2025, so mark your calendars.

The TEA and SBOE leadership have decided to add a new step to the innovative course renewal process in the middle of the application cycle: a TEA staff review of the recommended course materials.

We also want to thank everyone who called, emailed, wrote letters, and signed the petition this past week.

While the course renewal vote for all 7 courses under consideration was postponed until May or June, your support means a lot to us and to the future of this course!!

Together, they called on the Texas SBOE to renew the AI/NS Innovative course for the next 5 years so that existing districts can continue to teach the course and new districts can have the confidence to adopt the course locally.

Thank you to those who testified and showed up to support the American Indian/Native Studies (AI/NS) Innovative course at the SBOE Committee of Instruction Meeting on April 10, 2025 [continued in comments].

UPDATE! The Texas SBOE will consider the AI/NS course for renewal on April 10th and 11th. If the course is not renewed this April, it could be placed on a “sunset” list and allowed to expire. We cannot allow that to happen. Please call the following SBOE members by April 10.