GCISD Pajamas & Policy

06/12/2026

🚨 TEXAS EDUCATION ALERT: Big SBOE Meeting on June 22! 🚨
Grab your coffee (or stay in your pajamas), because we need to talk about what’s happening with the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE). On June 22, the board meets and they need to hear from YOU on two crucial issues: State-MANDATED Reading Lists and updates to the Social Studies TEKS.

Here is what you need to know, why it’s ridiculous, and exactly how you can fight back. 👇

📚 Issue 1: The Mandated K-12 Reading Lists — The proposed required reading list has been cut down a bit recently, but it is still deeply problematic.

* Required Bible Passages: Beginning as early as the 4th grade, reading specific Bible passages would become mandatory for Texas public school students.

* Severe Lack of Representation: As Frank Strong pointed out in his Substack, the high school reading list does not include a single high school-level text by a Hispanic, Asian American, or Native American writer. It features only a handful of women and a mere three Black writers. In a state as diverse as Texas, this is completely unacceptable.

📖 Read Frank's entire Substack article here: "The Texas State Board of Education is advancing a comically right-wing required reading list. Believe it or not, it's a win."

👉 Check out the updated proposed lists here: https://tea.texas.gov/laws-and-rules/sboe-rules-tac/proposed-state-board-education-rules

🗺️ Issue 2: Erasure in Social Studies TEKS — The proposed changes to the K-12 Social Studies standards are actively trying to silence major parts of history. If passed, these new standards:

* Teach WWII without mentioning Japanese internment camps.

* Fail to mention the US government’s involvement in the Trail of Tears.

* Completely skip over the deep opposition to the US Civil Rights Movement.

* Feature only eight women across the entire K-5 social studies standards, while drowning the curriculum in an over-focus on Texas history.

Our kids deserve the whole truth about history—not a whitewashed, watered-down version of it.

🛠️ WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW: Please do not sit this one out. Here are three ways to take action today:

1️⃣ Submit an Online Public Comment (Deadline: June 15)
The official online public comment window is open RIGHT NOW, but it closes on June 15. Make your voice part of the official public record by submitting your thoughts here:
🔗 https://form.jotform.com/210613021857144

2️⃣ Email the SBOE Members Directly
Let the board members know exactly how you feel about these mandatory reading lists and historical omissions.
📧 Email them all at: [email protected]

3️⃣ Testify In Person in Austin (June 22)
Want to look them in the eye? You can register to testify in person.

⏱️ The registration window opens on June 16 at 8:00 AM.
🚌 Heads up: Patriot Mobile is sponsoring a bus of North Texans to go testify. Trust us that the SBOE needs to hear from the public education community, too!
🔗 Register here: https://sboe.texas.gov/about-tea/leadership/state-board-of-education/sboe-meetings/public-testimony-registration
(Note: Be sure to check the official SBOE Agenda after June 16 to confirm dates and times haven't shifted!)

📱 If you do not follow the Texas Freedom to Read Project, sign up now to get their updates on these important issues: https://www.txftrp.org

💬 Drop a comment below if you’re submitting a form, sending an email, or want to join a carpool to travel with others from the public education community. Let’s protect Texas education together!

Texas Freedom to Read Project, launched in December 2023, seeks to connect, support & mobilize parent led groups fighting to protect students' right to read throughout the state.

06/11/2026

"Texas Public Schools cannot afford another four years of Greg Abbott." — Rep. Gina Hinojosa, running to be the next Governor of Texas

As GCISD parents prepare for the new board to vote on the upcoming budget, local education funding is top of mind. 📄💡

This week, we had the opportunity to join a roundtable discussion with Gina Hinojosa about the funding concerns specifically impacting GCISD and Keller ISD. We also attended her Fort Worth Town Hall, where she made one thing crystal clear: Texas Public Schools are the #1 item on her agenda.

Hearing Rep. Hinojosa describe the systematic harm Greg Abbott has dealt to our public schools hits incredibly close to home. Here in GCISD, we’ve felt this anti-public-school agenda at every single level—from the Governor's mansion, to State Rep. Gio Capriglione, right down to board members who acted in lockstep, pitting parents against each other to argue over culture wars.

Meanwhile, public school dollars are being funneled into special contracts. We see it at the state level with vendors like the Bluebonnet Curriculum, and we see it locally—like the GCISD Board’s attorney pulling in nearly $600,000 over four years while simultaneously serving as the Tarrant County GOP General Counsel and then the County GOP Chair.

We’ve already started turning the corner here in GCISD with our newly elected board members. Now, it’s time to do the same for the entire State of Texas. 🤝 Texas schools deserve better.

06/10/2026

☕️ Grab your coffee, GCISD! The June 15th Board Agenda is officially out, and you know we’ve already done a deep dive.

The full agenda is live, and you can check it out for yourself here:
👉 https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/1198?meeting=747308

It looks like we will have a lot to look at after next Monday’s meeting. But here are the major highlights, the big question marks, and exactly what we’ll be watching for during the meeting:

🚨 The Big Highlights:
* The Superintendent Contract: Up for an approval vote. Note: The actual draft contract with the salary and terms isn't attached to the agenda yet.

* Budget, Budgets, & Pay: They will be closing out the 2025-26 budget, holding a workshop, and approving the new 2026-27 budget and teacher compensation plan. Cover sheets promise a “balanced” operating budget for next year, seemingly based on a 1% pay raise for most staff (some positions at 2%, with additional increases for principals). Note: The draft budgets are also currently missing from the agenda attachments but we will be reviewing once they are attached. The agenda also includes an update from the revenue-generating committee (including ideas for Mustang Panther Stadium) along with a board vote on some of these ideas.

* Committee Representation: After a 9-month delay (intentionally on the part of Shannon Braun), an item has finally been added to revise how committees are formed in GCISD and to help ensure that GCISD committees are actually representative of our community.

* Grandparent Transfers: Look for proposed changes to intradistrict transfer rules for grandparent transfers.

* Campus Consolidations: The agenda includes an update on campus consolidations showing that a market-value property appraisal is being obtained for Dove Elementary!

⚖️ The Legal Shakeup (The Big News)
For the first time, we see it in writing: Tim Davis / Jackson Walker is no longer counsel for the Board of Trustees. Furthermore, current district counsel, Leasor Crass, is also out. The recommendation is to bring on Walsh Gallegos as temporary general counsel while the district interviews new firms. The switch from Leasor Crass appears to be because they aren’t an approved firm through TASB (which acts as the district’s legal liability “insurer”). 💰The Receipts: Both Tim Davis and Leasor Crass were brought on during the 2022-23 school year. To date, GCISD taxpayers have paid them:
* Tim Davis: $596,796.23
* Leasor Crass: $349,068.02

🔍 What We Are Watching Closely:
* Legal Accountability & Transparency: What is the story behind Jackson Walker being out? Will the lawsuits filed against the Attorney General (appealing PIR decisions) finally be dismissed? When will the community get eyes on the attorney fee bills Tim Davis sent GCISD (which were previously fully redacted), and the basis for the amounts paid to his firms since July 2022?

* The Search-Firm-to-Counsel Pipeline: In 2023, Leasor Crass ran the superintendent search and was then hired as district counsel shortly after a new superintend was named (in 2023). Now, Walsh Gallegos ran the current superintendent search and is stepping in as temporary general counsel. We’ll be watching closely to ensure "temporary" means temporary, and that this doesn't become a permanent trend.

* The Budget Math: Will the prior accounting errors finally be evaluated and addressed during the budget discussions?

We will be watching live on Monday, June 15th, and we will be right here in our pajamas on Tuesday morning, June 16th to give you the full breakdown while we have our morning coffee.

Until then, what items stand out the most to you? Let’s talk in the comments! 👇

06/04/2026

Texas public schools belong to all of us—Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. But right now, our classrooms are being starved of funds because the current Governor is using every lever of state government to play politics with our kids' education.
We can't keep sitting back while local school districts are forced to make impossible cuts.

Join candidate for Governor Gina Hinojosa for a Fort Worth Town Hall to Kick-Off Team Texas Public Schools! Teachers, students, parents, administrators, and community members are invited to share their stories, ask questions, and discuss what's happening in classrooms across Texas. Team Texas Public...

06/03/2026

⚡ Technical difficulties couldn't stop us! ⚡
Despite storms, power outages, and internet issues cutting our Facebook Live short this morning, we pivoted and still got it done. Catch the full update right here! ☕👇

Here’s a breakdown of what we talked about today:

🏡 Grapevine City Council Update: New housing has been approved near Grapevine Mills Mall (248 families). What will this mean for student enrollment in North Grapevine? And why it is important for our schools to work with city council.

💰 GCISD Budget Wishlists: Looking ahead to the crucial June budgeting meetings. What are your budget wish list items and what do you want to see out of the school board regarding setting or changing policies?

🏫 Texas House Education Committee: Breaking down this week's hearing—and why the funding promised to certain districts still hasn't materialized. (+ Rachel’s real thoughts on Speaker Dustin Burrows.)

📚 SBOE Required Reading Lists: Upcoming votes could make Biblical passages required reading materials, while no other religious perspectives appear to be directly included on these lists.

🚌 Patriot Mobile Bus: Think Patriot Mobile is actually sitting out the public education debate? Think again. They are sponsoring a bus from the GCISD area to the June SBOE meeting for testimony on Social Studies curriculum changes.

🙏 Religion in Schools: Some unfiltered commentary on how much Christian influence has found its way into GCISD.
..And much more!

We talk about the upcoming budget meeting for GCISD plus state fund...

06/03/2026

We are having technical difficulties this morning after the storms in our area — internet is going in and out along with some power outages. We are going to record a chat and then we will upload it for everyone.

06/03/2026

🚨 WE WILL BE CHATTING OVER COFFEE TOMORROW AT 8:30 AM! 🚨

We’ve had one full week of summer break and some time off to catch our breath (maybe! 😅). But the education world never stops, and we are hearing from all of our public education friends because there is a lot going on right now.
Kimberly and I are going to jump on FB Live tomorrow morning (Wednesday) at 8:30 AM to catch up on school news. Grab your coffee and join us! ☕️👇
Here is a quick look at what we’ll be breaking down:

💰 The Budget & Money Pressures (Local & State)
* GCISD: The next regular Board Meeting is June 15, and the board will be adopting a budget this month. What are your budget dream list items?

* Statewide: On Monday, the House Public Education Committee held hearings. School officials from across Texas testified about jobs being eliminated and student opportunities being canceled due to intense financial pressures.

* The Funding Gap: TEA officials testified about an estimated decrease of $28 million in funding for larger school districts—districts that had already planned budgets around earlier, higher projections. This is truly unacceptable … but sadly not even surprising from the Texas Lege.

📚 Big Changes Coming from the State Board of Education (SBOE) The SBOE is taking final votes during the week of June 22-26 on two major items:

* The Required Reading List: They will vote on a standardized required reading list for the state of Texas. It does include Bible stories, but beyond that... it seems incredibly sparse.

* Social Studies Curriculum: They will also take a final vote on the state's revamped social studies curriculum. And there are a lot of opinions out there about the changes.

There is much to unpack here and we want to hear your thoughts, too.
See you tomorrow morning at 8:30 AM right here on Facebook Live! 👋📊

Public school leaders told lawmakers how they're navigating finances, teacher quality and special education after last year’s state funding overhaul.

05/22/2026

Want to talk about the big superintendent finalist …. Here is our take!

We discuss all our thoughts on the superintendent announcement and the vote from the May 22, 2026 special meeting.

05/19/2026

Our first official FB Live conversation has been uploaded to YouTube where it can live forever! If you haven’t caught the video … you can watch it here.

Today, we went through the important highlights from the May 18, 2026 meeting — which was a long one. So this video is a little bit longer than our plan for one hour (just a tiny bit — or maybe another hour 🤷🏻‍♀️). This meeting marked a pivotal moment for our district as newly elected trustees Matthew White, Lindsey Sheguit, and Darrell Brown took their seats on the board following the May 2nd elections. With the final day of the school year just days away, the new board stepped directly into heavy community discussions—including ongoing discussions over the budget, staffing and revenue. Plus some interesting items were addressed that Shannon added.

We give you the facts and the votes, with our own insightful comments from last night's meeting completely condensed into a “quick” listen.

Welcome to the first official video (originally recorded on FB Live)! Today, we are breaking down the May 18, 2026 meeting. This meeting marked a pivotal mom...

05/19/2026

⏰ Reminder — If you want to join us for our May 18th school board meeting recap … plan to tune in about 7:30-ish. We will get started after elementary drop off and when we are both connected!

Have your coffee ready! See you soon!
-Kimberly and Rachel