AT A GLANCE

• A new Texas law (SB 10) requires public schools to hang posters of the Ten Commandments in every classroom.
• Some teachers are quietly resisting—adding posters of other faiths, handing out First Amendment pins, or refusing to display the poster at all.
• Legal challenges are underway, with some districts exempt until federal litigation concludes.
• Critics argue the law violates the separation of church and state and forces teachers into awkward or unconstitutional positions.

Texas Teachers Are Finding Creative Ways to Sidestep Ten Commandments Classroom Mandate

As Texas schools begin rolling out the Republican-backed Ten Commandments law, teachers across the state are finding inventive ways to resist or reinterpret the requirement. From alternative posters to First Amendment pins, these quiet acts of defiance are shaping how classrooms navigate Senate Bill 10.

What the Law Requires

Senate Bill 10, which took effect this month, mandates that all public elementary and secondary schools display a framed or durable poster of the Ten Commandments in a “conspicuous place” in every classroom. Posters must be at least 16 by 20 inches and use the text provided in the legislation, modeled after a Protestant version. Districts are obligated to accept donated posters but are not required to purchase them.

Attorney General Ken Paxton recently said districts not involved in ongoing litigation must comply, though the law includes no enforcement mechanism. Several lawsuits challenging SB 10 on constitutional grounds have exempted some schools from immediate compliance.

Teachers Find Creative Workarounds

In suburban Dallas, one art teacher decided if the Ten Commandments had to be present, so would other religions. She surrounded the mandated poster with hot-pink placards showcasing the Five Pillars of Islam, the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, and Hindu ethical principles. “If I’m teaching kids not to steal our art supplies, I can also show them kindness and truthfulness aren’t exclusive to one religion,” she said.

In southeast Texas, another teacher has refused to hang the Ten Commandments altogether, admitting she’s “playing a risky game.” If forced, she said, she would hang the poster upside down.

Angela Achen, a substitute teacher in Conroe ISD, took a different approach. She helped her twin daughters design buttons featuring the full text of the First Amendment. Nearly 300 pins have been distributed in their community. “We had a whole talk about what the First Amendment protects. They’re not just wearing the buttons, they’re explaining them,” Achen said.

Other educators are preparing for when donated posters inevitably arrive. Ajha Farrow, who teaches English and theater in rural north Texas, plans to build a “world religions wall” to ensure her students see diverse perspectives represented.

Supporters Mobilize, Challenges Continue

Conservative groups have rallied behind the new mandate. Restore American Schools, a project linked to commentator Glenn Beck, says it has provided posters to more than 4,100 schools in Texas and 300 in Arkansas, where a similar law faces its own legal battle. “Together, we can bring truth, hope, and moral clarity back to our classrooms — one school at a time,” the site declares.

Meanwhile, critics say the measure is unconstitutional and places teachers in untenable positions. “To mandate one walk of life, one religion, it’s extremely unconstitutional,” Farrow said. “I plan to be as maliciously compliant as possible so all of my students, regardless of religion or lack thereof, feel valued and seen.”