Texas is unique in a lot of ways, but our schools are especially unique. Here’s how.
Looking to increase your Texan-ness? We've got you covered.
1. You had to recite the pledge of allegiance to the State Flag
If you went to a school where immediately after the United States Pledge of Allegiance, you recited one pledging loyalty to the great flag of Texas, you definitely went to school in Texas. It’s the greatest country in the USA!
“Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible.”
2. You remember (and loved) this book
Tomie dePaola’s illustrated book about the state flower of Texas is a classic in all Texas schoolrooms. It follows the story of a young Comanche girl who sacrifices her single most prized possession to the spirits to help end drought and famine in Texas. The result of her sacrifice is the beautiful Bluebonnet that now graces our great state every year. If you need a refresher on this fantastic book, you can have a listen hear.
3. If you had/have a collection of mums
I don’t know exactly how the Mum thing started in Texas, but it’s definitely a big deal. So big in fact that there are folks who call themselves professional Mum makers in a lot of Texas towns and mum making supplies at stores all over our state.
Status in High Schools in Texas is based on how big of a mum you got. It’s a fact. The bigger and crazier the better. Heck, there are some that have flashing lights and make sounds!
4. You can’t believe that people outside of Texas don’t do the mum/corsage thing
I remember the first time I found out that people in other states didn’t do the Homecoming Mum thing I was floored. I grew up assuming that everyone did it. The truth is, it’s basically just a Texas thing. In fact, there are people that have moved here from out of state and are still baffled by it. Crazy right?
5. If when you meet fellow Texans you ask them if they went to a 5a, 4a, 3a, 2a, or 1a school
If you went to high school in Texas, when discussing hometowns you immediately ask how big the school was relative to the UIL classification of 5a, 4a, 3a, 2a, or 1a. Considering the classifications were made to designate school size for football and other sports purposes, it makes perfect sense. Athletics, and more specifically football, are king in Texas, so of course we care about and will judge others based on how big their high school was.
6. You think Friday Night Lights describes your high school experience perfectly
Friday Night Lights may be the greatest show ever, if only because it so perfectly describes what it was like to experience high school in our state.
7. The Acronymns TEAMS, TAKS, TAAS, or STAAR make you shudder
If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that standardized tests suck. These tests have meant the same thing to all of the students who have taken them; extreme anxiety and extremely sore hands from the long Scantron answer sheets. I am so glad I don’t have to take those anymore.
8. You think its weird that some people in other states don’t have pep rallies
I know the whole “not doing the mum” thing was weird enough, but can you believe that there are states that don’t have pep rallies? Some of them don’t even have football teams at their high schools. It’s bizarre. It just ain’t right.
9. You had to take a Texas History class
People in other states ask me, “why do you guys make your kids take a Texas history course?” Because it’s awesome, that’s why. Texas history is robust, interesting, and something to be proud of. If your state’s history was this cool, you’d teach everyone about it too.
10. You can quote the movie Varsity Blues
This movie was awesome. It’s chock-full of fake Texas accents, but it’s full of good one-liners. “I don’t want, you’re life” is easily the most quotable line…
11. If your local Dairy Queen sponsored basically everything at your school
I’m pretty sure there are 6 Dairy Queens for every one Texan in this state. They are in literally every small town, which means they also tend to be a big sponsor for High School related activities.
12. If people would get their friends in body shop class to jack up their trucks
You know you’re going to High School in Texas if the best car/truck modification shop in town was your high school welding/body shop class. At my school the trucks they jacked up would have easily gone head to head with Grave Digger and some of the other professional monster trucks.
13. If you knew someone who got scholarship money from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (or any other rodeo for that matter)
Not everyone in this state may be super country, but a lot of folks in this state still benefit from the folks that are. I can’t even count the number of my friends who got scholarships from the rodeo, yet probably thought Cow Pies are edible. Rodeos are good for schools.
14. If your high school football team got a police escort to games
In our state, even high school football teams are so valuable that they sometimes get police escorts. The easiest way to get a bunch of these yellow football team and marching band carryin’ buses to the next city over is to gather up a few off-duty, small town cops and have them open up the roads for Texas football.
15. If your football coaches made more money than the school principal
High School football coach is a revered job in Texas. It’s got its difficulties, but in a lot of cities, it’s got its perks. Getting paid more than a lot of other school officials is one of them. Whether this should be the case though is a topic of another discussion…
16. If you knew someone who wore camo or western clothing to Prom
Camo or cowboy, there was always someone who decided that classic formalwear was not the way for them. They had to mix up their dress and suit with something a little more country. If you know someone who did, you definitely went to school in Texas.
