Board members aren't going to read all the stuff I wrote. Here's a one-pager. You can use it in your own communications...or revise it...IDK.
But really - SBOE members prioritize information that comes from well-established groups and organizations. How can you leverage your communities and memberships to share a collective concern?
FACT SHEET: The Texas Literacy Time Crunch (K-12)
Subject: Mathematical Incompatibility of HB 1605 Mandated Reading Lists with the Instructional Calendar
The Problem: A Zero-Margin Schedule
New state-mandated reading lists are mathematically incompatible with the standard Texas school day. Whether in a 90-minute elementary block or a 45-minute secondary period, the "raw reading" time required by the TEA’s proposed list (averaging 19–23 works per grade) leaves no room for TEA recommendations, existing ELAR standards - like writing, or targeted intervention for learners already failing exams.
K-12 Time Requirements: "Full Requirement" Timeline
Calculations based on a 180-day school year, including a 25% volume expansion for mandatory primary sources, foundational documents, and supplemental texts.
| School Level | Grade | Class Block | Adjusted Reading Rate | Days to Finish (Full List) | % of School Year |
| Elementary | 4th Grade | 90 Mins | 115.7 WPM | 165 Days | 92% |
| Middle School | 6th Grade | 45 Mins | 144.0 WPM | 139 Days | 77% |
| High School | 9th Grade | 45 Mins | 125.0 WPM* | 78 Days | 43% |
| High School | 12th Grade | 45 Mins | 115.0 WPM* | 109 Days | 60% |
*Note: High school reading rates are adjusted downward for the archaic and complex language of canonical literature and primary sources.
The "Secondary Analysis Gap" (High School Focus)
High school English (English I-IV) is the primary venue for complex composition and academic research. For a senior to read the expanded 12th-grade list, which includes "The Count of Monte Cristo" (approx. 400,000 words) and other mandated texts:
Raw Reading Only: 109 Days (60% of the year).
With Instructional Analysis: 218 Days (Exceeds the 180-day school year).
The "Zero-Space" Reality: Zero days remain for the senior research paper, college applications, or mandatory STAAR EOC remediation.
Critical Impact on Student Outcomes
The Death of Writing: The sheer volume of reading effectively functions as an anti-writing mandate. Teachers cannot assign, draft, and peer-review high-level essays while racing to finish a 2-million-word K-12 quota.
Struggling Readers Left Behind: For the significant percentage of students reading below grade level, the "raw reading" time alone exceeds the 180-day calendar, removing all access to the targeted intervention they need to pass state exams.
Instructional Burnout: Teachers are being forced to choose between "coverage" (seeing every word) and "comprehension" (understanding the text).
Request to the SBOE
Prioritize Depth Over Volume. We urge the Board to revise the proposed lists one required text, allowing the time necessary to teach the TEKS, support struggling readers, and develop student writing skills.
Advocacy Steps
Find Your Member: Use the
SBOE Member Directory Public Testimony: Register to provide three minutes of public testimony at the upcoming SBOE meetings in January or April 2026.
