Texas Trustees Convene in Nation’s Capital for Federal Advocacy Conference

More than 50 Texas trustees braved the cold and snow to convene in Washington, D.C., Feb. 2-3, for the 2026 Texas Federal Advocacy Conference. The annual TASB-hosted event returned to the historic Willard Hotel, just steps away from the White House, for a fourth consecutive year.  

Attendees gained valuable insights into public education policy through informative panel discussions with experts in the field. They then put their knowledge and advocacy skills to the test in meetings with federal lawmakers.  

On the heels of a consequential year for public education, TASB Executive Director Dan Troxell stressed the importance of this year’s conference and was pleased to see the turnout.  

“It was exciting to see this year’s conference so well-attended even in spite of the cold weather in Washington,” Troxell said. “Our Texas trustees understand the importance of connecting with their federal lawmakers as they advocate on behalf of their students. This event offers an opportunity to make connections and get a deeper understanding of how issues at the national level have local impacts.”

A Lineup Of Timely Public Education Items

Ruben Longoria, director of federal affairs for TASB Governmental Relations, noted that when putting together the lineup of speakers for this year’s conference, he wanted to include topics that will be on trustees’ minds in 2026. 

“So much has happened around the federal funding for public schools, the Department of Education moving key divisions to other federal agencies, and just the overall federal policy climate,” Longoria said. “We felt those things needed to be addressed, so we worked with our federal partners to find the right people to do that for our membership.”  

Sasha Pudelski, director of advocacy for AASA, The School Superintendent’s Association, opened the conference with a federal update touching on many of those issues. She also discussed school choice programs at both the state and federal levels and noted Texas trustees’ advocacy efforts back home during the 89^th legislative session. 

“I was so impressed from afar,” Pudelski said. “It was a master class in advocacy at the state level.” 

Pudelski then guided discussions with other speakers throughout the rest of the first day of the conference on a variety of issues including immigration policy, student wellness and mental health, school law and recent Supreme Court decisions, and other public education trends to watch this year. 

Visiting Capitol Hill 

The conference shifted to Capitol Hill for its second day, as trustees went to meet with federal lawmakers. They first met as a group with Sen. John Cornyn’s office before later splitting up to visit with their own representatives in the House. Attendees also had the chance to interact with Sen. Ted Cruz during a public meet and greet in the Russell Senate Office Building.  

These meetings centered on issues relating to budget deficits, funding concerns, and accountability, with an emphasis on e-learning programs, special education services, and the effects of school choice programs on public education.  

“We need to explain to our legislators the realities of our budget cycle, and that we are making those decisions right now for 2026-27,” said Mary Jane Hetrick, TASB president-elect and D ripping Springs ISD trustee. “It’s very important that we have some sort of degree of clarity on our funding streams.”