How to Make Your Voice Heard: A Guide to Public Testimony at the Texas SBOE's June Meeting

On a Tuesday morning in Austin, a handful of lobbyists and professional advocates will sit down before the Texas State Board of Education to testify about what 5.5 million public school students should learn. The meeting is open to parents and teachers. The podium has room for two more minutes of testimony. Most seats stay empty because most Texans don't know they're allowed to fill them.

The SBOE is a 15-member elected body with real authority: it sets curriculum standards—the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, or TEKS—reviews and adopts textbooks and instructional materials, establishes graduation requirements, and oversees the Texas Permanent School Fund. Each member represents roughly 1.6 million constituents, making them the elected officials with the largest constituencies in Texas. Yet they remain largely invisible to the communities whose children's education they control.

All SBOE meetings are open to the public except for legally restricted executive sessions. The board's own homepage provides testimony registration and meeting resources. The process exists. The question is why so few ordinary Texans use it—and what changes when they do.

Why Your Voice Matters

Curriculum standards determine what your child learns about evolution, climate science, civil rights history, and other subjects that shape young people's worldviews. The SBOE is currently reviewing and revising K-12 social studies TEKS, with public testimony accepted at open meetings. These aren't abstract policy debates. They're concrete decisions about how millions of Texas students understand history, science, and civic life.

When parents, teachers, and community members stay home, those decisions get made by whoever does show up. Public testimony ensures that diverse Texas voices—not just lobbyists and advocacy groups—are heard when educational policy is shaped.

Here's how to exercise that right.

When and Where the Board Meets

The SBOE meets at least quarterly at the Barbara Jordan State Office Building, 1601 North Congress Avenue in Austin, typically on the second floor. The June 2026 regular meeting runs June 22–26, with Committee of the Full Board sessions June 22–24, committee meetings on June 25, and the general meeting on June 26.

The full agenda is available on the SBOE website and remains subject to change prior to the meeting. Public testimony is generally limited to topics not posted for action or discussion at corresponding committee meetings, so citizens should review the agenda carefully to choose the right session.

How to Register for Testimony

Registration must be completed online starting at 8:00 a.m. Central Time on the Tuesday before the meeting through 5:00 p.m. Central Time on the Friday before. For the June 2026 meeting, that window was Tuesday, June 16 at 8:00 a.m. through Friday, June 19 at 5:00 p.m.

The registration portal is available at sboe.texas.gov. When registering, individuals must indicate their position as "For," "Against," or "Comment On" (for mixed opinions) regarding the specific agenda item they wish to address.

Public testimony is in-person only, with no virtual testimony accepted. Late registration is available on-site up to 30 minutes before the meeting starts, but the presiding chair decides whether late registrants may speak.

Making Your Two Minutes Count

Under SBOE Operating Rules amended January 28, 2025, oral public testimony is strictly limited to two minutes per person. If registrations exceed the allotted time, the presiding chair determines which speakers are heard and in what order.

Effective testimony focuses on one key point rather than trying to cover multiple issues, and draws on personal experience as a parent, teacher, or community member to illustrate why the policy matters. That lived reality is something professional advocates cannot claim.

No signs, placards, flags, noisemakers, or similar objects are permitted in the audience gallery, and no applause, outbursts, or demonstrations are allowed during testimony. Those who need an interpreter or other accommodations should call the SBOE Department at (512) 463-9007 in advance.

Alternatives if You Can't Attend

Individuals who cannot attend or speak due to time constraints may submit an electronic copy of their testimony to testimony@sboe.texas.gov for distribution to board members and staff. Meetings are broadcast live and archived at sboe.texas.gov/state-board-of-education/sboe-meetings/live-and-archived-broadcasts.

For technical difficulties with webcasts, contact support at (888) 792-8686; for general SBOE support, email sboesupport@sboe.texas.gov or call (512) 463-9007. Citizens can also contact their individual SBOE member directly, as each represents one of the state's 15 education districts.

Why It Matters That You Show Up

The complete June 22–26, 2026 meeting agenda and all public participation resources are available at sboe.texas.gov. The fifteen people on that board are elected to represent you. They're required to let you speak. What you do with those two minutes—whether you use them at all—is the choice that determines whether Texas education policy reflects the priorities of lobbyists or the lived experience of the communities those policies affect. The microphone is there. It won't turn itself on.