Teacher Turned Candidate Sparks Classroom Firestorm
New posts from James Talarico’s teaching days are getting attention. He taught sixth-grade language arts in San Antonio before running for office. Now those classroom posts are back in the spotlight.
According to reports, Talarico posted about class assignments in 2011 and 2012 that mixed politics and lessons. Facebook posts reviewed by The Daily Wire are being cited by critics. They say students were asked to write what were called “Obama memoirs.”
One post reads: “Today, we finished writing our Obama memoirs. We’ve been learning about narrative non-fiction writing like memoirs for the past 2 weeks.”
Another post reportedly said: “Students wrote a memoir of Election Night from the point of view of a member of the Obama family. Awesome job, Wildcats!” A photo shared by the teacher showed a student essay under the word, “Victory!!!!!!”
Pictures from the classroom allegedly showed the memoirs on a wall next to images of the Obama family and a campaign logo. The posts also said students were encouraged to watch the Democratic National Convention on TV.
That mix of civics and campaign imagery has opponents fired up. For many parents and political observers, it crosses a clear line. Classrooms are supposed to teach how to think, not who to vote for.
Talarico is now the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Texas. Opponents say this is exactly the kind of thing voters should know about. They argue it shows a pattern of bringing partisan politics into a public school setting.
Supporters might say these were writing exercises and context matters. Critics aren’t buying it. Expect more digs like this as the campaign heats up.
🚨NEW: James Talarico made his public school students write "Obama memoirs" and encouraged them to watch the DNC
What else was he telling Texas kids in his classroom? https://t.co/DUOxdxAI66
— Senate Republicans (@NRSC) March 12, 2026