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Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025

Does state law prohibit Texas public school teachers from asking students to read out loud?

Brandy Ruiz, El Paso Matters
no

There is no state law that prohibits teachers from asking students to read out loud, according to the Texas Education Code.

Federal law requires schools to accommodate students with disabilities, including those whose disabilities affect reading, but it does not limit teachers from using oral reading as an instructional method. The state’s education code establishes administrative frameworks, but local school districts and campuses decide how instruction is delivered.

A video posted to TikTok by user @thenotoriousvic, a former Houston teacher, claimed that state anti-discrimination laws prohibited them from asking students to read out loud and that they were “written-up” for doing so.

None of El Paso’s largest school districts have policies specifically prohibiting teachers from asking students to read out loud, according to their board policies.

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