Rising to the Challenge

The Issue

The rapid, temporary closing of schools across Texas and the U.S. in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic and the final weeks of the 2020 school year forced teachers and schools to find innovative ways to stay connected with students. The early days of the pandemic did not diminish Texas educators’ determination to meet all students’ needs. If anything, it reaffirmed what every prior man-made or natural disaster — from school shootings to hurricanes — has revealed about our teachers and school leaders … Texas public schools and teachers are strong, courageous, caring, and resilient.

Although this was only the beginning of our public schools’ journey through COVID-19 and its effects continue to be felt, Raise Your Hand Texas wanted to ensure that Texans understood the breadth and depth of teachers’ efforts to support their students even in these unprecedented times.

How We Delivered

In many respects, in the earliest weeks and months of the pandemic, daily structures felt like they crumbled. Anxiety was palpable. Everyone – including teachers, parents, and students – was forced to adapt on the fly to their new realities in real time. And yet, everywhere you looked, Texas educators stood in the gap for students and families, repairing what felt broken. Because they always do. 

Texas educators faced a new, daunting challenge — connecting with and inspiring students to keep learning through remote approaches. Our teachers weren’t trained for this. Our school systems weren’t built for this. And our state supports weren’t designed for this. Nevertheless, our educators modeled flexibility and persistence for their students. 

Raise Your Hand Texas worked to collect the real stories in the trenches, as parents, teachers, and students found creative, thoughtful, and compassionate ways to support each other. Our campaign involved collecting stories from the front lines and elevating them to a broader audience through media pitches, blog posts, digital and social media campaigns, and communications with state lawmakers and leadership.

Outcome and Impact

#TxEdRising ensured we celebrated the victories – large and small – and thanked teachers and administrators for the quality and creativity of their response to a crisis like no other.

Highlights from Our Campaign

Case Studies and Profiles of #TxEdRising Across Local Communities

Watch our #TxEdRising highlight reel