2015 TEPSA August News

Serving Texas School Leaders August 2015 Vol. 72, No. 4 www.tepsa.org

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association

Inside

TEPSA News

Best Practices with Tom W. Manypage 8

84th Texas Legislative Session Wrap Up

Tech Lab with Trae Kendrickpage 18

Legal Ease with Kevin Lungwitzpage 14

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock Awarded Sandi Borden Tribute to Texas Children

Mistakes School Leaders Make with Grant Simpsonpage 7

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock was rec-ognized for his advocacy on behalf of Texas students with the Sandi Borden Tribute to Texas Children Award at Summer Conference. “Our state and our students are stronger because of Jimmie Don Aycock’s leadership and service to public education,” TEPSA Execu-tive Director Harley Eckhart said.

Representative Aycock was elected to the Texas Legislature in 2006. He represents House

Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock and TEPSA Executive Director Harley Eckhart at Summer Conference.

District 54, which includes the western portion of Bell County and Lampasas County. Rep. Aycock is chairman of the House Public Education Committee and serves as an appointed member of the Appropriations subcom-mittee on Education. As Chair of the House Public Education Committee, Rep. Aycock worked hard to address the concerns of a diverse group of constituents with fairness, integrity and humor. He is a passionate advocate for all students and for high quality

public education. His opposition to excessive testing has resulted in significant changes in the Texas assessment program.

by Mark Terry, TEPSA Deputy Executive Director

At the beginning of the 84th Texas Legislature, there was a general feeling of concern about what might transpire for public educa-tion given the political makeup of the Senate and the House of Rep-resentatives. All statewide elected offices were held by Republicans as were both houses. Would this be a session that saw the social conservative wing of the party

push through legislation that harmed public education? Would there be moderate Republicans who would blunt an attack on schools? Would rural legislators rule the day?

When the final bell rang on the 84th session, some beneficial laws passed, others will cause some concern, and many more were thwarted thanks

to the advocacy efforts of our members who made their voices heard on behalf of children. Thank you to everyone who helped in the efforts to defend and support public education.

Following is a brief description of a few of the many bills that will impact the day-to-day operation of your school and some ► page 4

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TEPSA News www.tepsa.org 3

TEPSA President/Eddie Damian

Region Presidents Dianabel Gómez-Villarreal La Joya (1) Annette Sanchez Beeville (2) Gabe Adamek Yoakum (3) Kathy Jahn Alief (4) Julie Gauthier Port Neches-Groves (5) Leah Russell Navasota (6) Cindy Tierney Lufkin (7) Ella Duren Detroit (8) Blake Enlow Bowie (9) Catherine Bridges Grand Prairie (10) Stacie Meadows Keller (11) Lance Malburg Killeen (12) Martha Werner Round Rock (13) Kim Jones Clyde (14) Cheri Braden San Angelo (15) Mike Word Clarendon (16) Doug Smith Frenship (17) Tanya Bell Midland (18) Michael Mackeben Clint (19) Susan Peery Alamo Heights (20)TEPSA regions coincide with regional education service center boundaries.

Staff Harley Eckhart Executive Director Joni Carlson Director of Meetings Cecilia Cortez de Magallanes Marketing & Communications Manager Ann Hopkins Membership/Standing Committees Coor. Kirsten Hund Associate Executive Director for Instruction Anita Jiles Associate Executive Director for Marketing & Communications Ken Jones Controller Trae Kendrick Chief InformationOfficer Elizabeth Kernan OfficeManager Kristina Mora Student Council & Exhibits Coordinator Lori Sanchez Membership & Communications Assistant Louis Silvas Webmaster Karen Terry Governance Coordinator Mark Terry Deputy Executive Director

TEPSA NewsPublished six times a year by Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors

Association. Subscription is included in TEPSA membership dues. Postage paid at Austin, Texas.

Articles may be reproduced by TEPSA members without written request, providedthatduplicationisforaneducationalpurposeatanonprofit

institution; copies are available without charge; and each copy includes full citation of the source.

Copyright © 2015 by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

ContactTEPSA 501 East 10th Street Austin, TX 78701

512-478-5268 800-252-3621 Fax: 512-478-1502 www.tepsa.org

Executive Committee Eddie Damian President, Fort Bend Nancy Tovar President-Elect, El Paso Manuel Gonzales First Vice President, Frisco Yolanda Delaney Second Vice President, Canyon Stacy Davis Secretary, Frenship Victorius Eugenio NAESPRepresentative,Mansfield Belinda Neal Past President, Lindale Harley Eckhart TEPSA Executive Director

Standing Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs Lisa McLaughlin Advocacy Chair, Deer Park Lorena Zertuche Advocacy Vice Chair, Katy Nayeli Carriaga Membership, Marketing & PR Chair, Sharyland Stephanie Coronado Membership, Marketing & PR Vice Chair, Humble Jackie Gorena Programs & Services Chair, Irving Robin Macke Programs & Services Vice Chair, Lewisville Amanda Schmitter Special Committee on Elections, Hardin-Jefferson Scot Clayton Nominating Committee Chair, Henrietta Libby Flores Nominating Committee Vice Chair, San Benito

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association Making time to learn new things and exploring my curiosity has always been paramount. As a child, I would make time each night to reflect on the day. During these moments, I often thought deeply in an attempt to grasp the mean-ing of things I did not quite understand. I recall looking up specific details in books, writing down thoughts, and crafting clever responses as a ritual that I would follow before going to bed each night. It is interesting how some things never change.

Recently, someone asked, “How did you learn to do that?” in reference to my handy man skills. This is such a simple ques-tion. However, as one ponders a deeper response one will begin to understand that many of us learn our skills because of the guidance and support of others. We remember those people who made time to share their knowledge with us. As a result of these collaborative encounters, we unknowingly walk away with a little piece of another person’s knowledge and experience. There is certainly a clear pattern in which our lives are made up of these little moments of time when others have invested in us.

Time is the most precious to us as we age, but it goes unnoticed while we are living day-to-day. These arbitrary moments of satisfaction are indeed powerful. However, to ensure that these special moments are seized, we must be strategic in our practices. We must make time for these occurrences, for if they are left to chance we run the risk of missing out on some great life altering experiences for ourselves and for others who could benefit from our passion and our calling.

My theme for this school year is “Make Time for Children.” I ask for your passion and enthusiasm to shine brightly every day of the coming school year. I ask that you make time to share your stories with our lawmakers and community members. Make time to listen to your staff and be present in their professional conversations. Make time for your family and friends. But most importantly, ignite or reignite, your passion and dedication to the small people in your buildings and go out and “Make Time for Children.”

Have a great school year!

4 www.tepsa.org August 2015

News Briefs

that will impact you, teachers and students as we move forward. Visit http://bit.ly/84legwrap for additional details.

The public education portion of HB 1 was $4.8 billion and included the Foundation School Program (think school budgets, salaries, etc.) and money for growth in statewide student enrollment. The budget will see districts continue to want for more aid as there are a number of unfunded and/or under-fund-ed mandates which came out of the legislature. Bright spots in the bill included some funding for Education Service Centers, math and reading academies and a bit more money for PreK. In addition, your school district contribution to TRS-Care remains the same.

Legislation that impacted accountability, school ratings and assessment will impact your school and community in the coming years. HB 2804 includes the new A-F rating scale for schools and districts. Originally, the rating would only have been the school assessment score, but amendments and rewrites give us a rating based on five weighted domains. Additional details can be found at http://bit.ly/84legwrap. The A-F rating goes into effect the 2017-2018 school year. In addition, HB 2804 requires the Commissioner to establish a committee to review and make recommendations regarding the next generation of assessments and accountability. The good news on assessment includes a review of the validity and reliability of our state tests and a writing assessment pilot looking at how the state requires us to assess writing.

A number of early education initiatives were passed which will assist qualifying districts, mainly those with high numbers of students in poverty. Look for a slight expansion of PreK and the return of math and reading academies for teachers.

Bills regarding discipline, safety and special educa-tion will continue to be time-consuming for school leaders. There are requirements to designate an ad-ministrator as a campus behavior coordinator, which would be the principal or the assistant principal. Visit http://bit.ly/84legwrap for additional details. Parents

can now request video cameras in special education classrooms. Schools will need to notify parents if there is a school marshal in your school, and there are more requirements regarding teacher input at ARD meetings.

Many other bills will impact you this August. Details are included in the 84th Legislative Update at http://bit.ly/84legwrap. The update includes information on everything from EpiPen requirements to sunscreen application to electronic reports to rules for accommo-dating employees who are breastfeeding their infants. I am sure you will find it a helpful review.

While there are a number of bills that will impact life at your school, with the help of TEPSA members and many other like-minded public education advocates, we prevented some very bad ideas from taking root and harming public education in our state. The following proposals did not make it through the legislative process:

• Vouchers or tax-credit scholarships• Parent trigger• Tying student state test scores to teacher appraisal

and/or compensation• Participation of home-schooled students in UIL

activities• Expansion of virtual schools• Elimination of district payroll deduction of em-

ployee association dues• “Lobbying” of advocacy of employee associations

(TEPSA)

The struggle is not over! We will need to make a dedicated effort to encourage teachers, parents, and other principals to support legislators who stand up for public education in the next election cycle. There are a number of champions for public education who are retiring. We must vote in the primary and general elections in order to ensure those in office will work to strengthen education for all students.

For questions, comments or to just talk politics, email [email protected] or follow @tepsamark. To join TEPSA’s Legislative Network email [email protected].

► 84th Texas Legislative Session Wrap Up continued from page 1


Smaller School Budgets Impact Class Size Limits in ElementaryElementary school classrooms across Texas are feeling the impact of the state’s growing enrollment and smaller school budgets. The number of classrooms exceeding the state’s 22:1maximum for K-4th grade increased slightly in the 2014-2015 school year to 5,883 classes. About 130,000 K-4 students were in oversized classes. Schools and districts may seek class size waivers based on lack of facili-ties, lack of teachers, financial hardship or unanticipated enrollment growth.

Source: Stutz, T. (2015, June14). “More Texas elementary classes exceeding size limit.” The Dallas Morning News. Available at http://www.dallasnews.com/news/education/headlines/20150614-more-texas-elementary-classes-exceeding-size-limit.ece.

News Briefs

Results from a survey of the 56 State Teachers of the Year for 2015, conducted by the Council of Chief State School Officers and Scholastic Inc, show that the nation’s top teachers believe family stress is the greatest barrier to school success for K-12 students. Poverty and learning and psychological problems followed closely behind.

At a time when a large percentage of U.S. public school students come from low-income families, teachers identified the following top three school funding priorities: anti-poverty initiatives; early learning; and reducing barriers to learning via health care and other services to poor children.

The need for more time to accomplish everything teachers need to do in a school day was overwhelmingly the response to “What do you feel is your biggest challenge as a teacher?”

View additional results from the survey at http://edublog.scholastic.com/post/we-surveyed-2015-state-teachers-year.

Sources: Layton, L. (2015, May 19). “Poverty, family stress are thwart-ing student success, top teachers say.” The Washington Post. Available at http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/poverty-family-stress-are-thwarting-student-success-top-teachers-say/2015/05/19/17f2e35a-fe3c-11e4-833c-a2de05b6b2a4_story.html.

Worrell, G. (2015, May 19). “We surveyed the 2015 State Teachers of the Year.” edu@scholastic Blog. Available at http://edublog.scholastic.com/post/we-surveyed-2015-state-teachers-year.

Family Stress Biggest Barrier to School Success

Free Video Resources: Effective Principal PracticesThe National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the Wallace Foundation are providing free tools in a new collaborative project aimed at supporting professional development for principals. Two Nationally Certified Mentors share leadership ideas and practices in “School Leadership in Action: Principal Practices.” In this series of videos, exemplary principals in varied school settings nationwide discuss the five key practices of effective principals:• Shaping a Vision of Academic Success for All Students• Creating a Climate Hospitable to Education• Cultivating Leadership in Others• Improving Instruction• Managing People, Data and Processes to Foster School

Improvement

Visit http://www.naesp.org/blog/effective-principal-practices.

Source: NAESP Principals’ Office Blog. http://www.naesp.org/blog/effective-principal-practices.

NAEP to Gather Data on GritStarting in 2017, the National Assess-ment of Educational Progress, known as the “nation’s report card,” will begin to gather background information on students’ motivation, mindset and grit. All NAEP test-takers will have to respond to a background survey that will include five core areas—grit, desire for learning, school climate, technology use and socio-economic status. For now, schools will not be judged based on the NAEP non-cognitive measures of their students, but the possibility of similar tests for account-ability purposes may be on the horizon.

Source: Sparks, S. (2015, June 2). “Nation’s Report Card to Gather Data on Grit, Mindset.”Education Week. Available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/06/03/nations-report-card-to-gather-data-on.html.


Current Research

Student Mobility: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions, published by The University of Colorado Boulder’s National Education Policy Center ex-plores ways to reduce the negative effects of student mobility and address root causes. According to the policy brief, on average most students attend at least three schools including an elementary school, a middle school and a high school. Recommendations for school officials include:• Improving overall school quality, changing suspension and expulsion

policies, and developing open enrollment policies to retain students whose families move locally.

• When school closures are necessary, ensure programs and supports are put in place to ease the transition.

• Offer students and parents sufficient and timely information with which to make sound decisions about school transfers.

View report at http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/student-mobility.

Source: Rumberger, R. W. (2015). Student Mobility: Causes, Consequences, and Solutions. Boulder, CO: National Education Policy Center. Available at http://nepc.colorado.edu/publication/student-mobility.

New Policy Brief on Student Mobility in the U.S.Benefits of Standing DesksPreliminary results from a Texas A&M University study suggests that students who stand at their desks instead of sitting improve their ability to stay on task by 12 percent. Proponents of standing desks believe that they can help combat two issues at the same time: engaging students and child-hood obesity. Other studies have shown that students who stand at their desk burn 15 percent more calories than those sitting.

Source: Schaffhauser, D. (2015, April 27). “Standing desks keep kids better tuned in.” The Journal. Available at http://thejournal.com/articles/2015/04/27/standing-desks-keep-kids-better-tuned-in.aspx.

“TEPSA is made up of professional people who are caring, informed and willing to help in any way, at any time.” -Tana Herring, Elkhart ISD

Dr. Grant Simpson wrote in a TEPSA News column that “Networking is an important tool. Without it, your sanity is at risk.” Your work is too important to do in isolation.

TEPSA membership gives you access to a network of colleagues who share best practices, the latest education news and a wealth of other resources. Learn with and from professional peers who are committed to ensuring Texas students and educators are successful!

For continuous professional liability and legal defense coverage, renew your TEPSA membership by August 31 at www.tepsa.org.


Mistakes School Leaders Make/Grant Simpson, PhD

This is a sad story, less about a leadership error and more about the human condition. It was the first day back from summer. Following a brief faculty meeting, a principal known for her kind heart was approached by Ms. Brown, a kindergarten teacher, requesting a private conference. Ms. Brown, a long time Mon-tessori teacher, was in her sixties and switched to public education late in her career to secure a better retirement. Her tiny stature and frail health were increasingly problematic for managing a classroom of diverse, active 5-year-olds. It was about to get a lot worse. She explained to her principal that the cancer, which had been in remission for years, was now back, requiring intense chemotherapy, and was deemed terminal. She asserted that she wanted to fight this by staying active and working for as long as she could and closed by saying, “I’ll know when it’s time to go.” The caring leader pledged her support for the deci-sion and held hands with Ms. Brown for a few quiet moments, shedding tears.

Like always, the school year took off like a skyrocket, and the fall began to speed by in fast forward. When healthy, Ms. Brown weighed 110 pounds. As her chemo progressed, this dropped significantly, as did her energy level, but she came to work every day. The principal reallocated an instructional aide to assist during the busy mornings and dropped in frequently to monitor and assist as needed. One afternoon in Oc-tober, she received a phone call from an upset parent reporting that her son had come home after lunch. Ap-parently, the child left Ms. Brown’s classroom, and his absence was not noted. Further, he walked to his home over a mile away. After assurances that the principal would investigate the situation, the mother agreed to

bring him back. Returning him to the classroom, the principal encountered

a befuddled teacher and a class-room teetering on the edge of

being “out of control.” After school she met with Ms.

Brown who pleaded for forgiveness and

said that coming to work was her life-line. They agreed

that the aide’s as-sistance would expand

to include the last hour of the afternoon. The princi-

pal made it very clear that the

safety of children was paramount, documented the incident and the measures taken, and alerted her area superintendent of the deteriorating situation.

Two weeks later, the aide reported that Ms. Brown was falling asleep at her desk, while the children rested and that she had trouble waking Ms. Brown up. The following Friday, the aide called the office in a panic because a child had cut her finger deeply, and they were rushing her to the nurse’s office. The nurse confirmed that she would need multiple stitches. The parents could not be reached by phone, so the prin-cipal took the child to the emergency room and sat with her, until contact was made and the distraught mother arrived. Back at school, she discovered to her dismay that the accident was a result of Ms. Brown passing out 10 sharp knives to pairs of students for apple carving. Fortunately, the aide had taken them up quickly and redirected the children to another ac-tivity. However, it was abundantly clear that children were at risk in this classroom and that she would have to take immediate action.

Her first step was asking her assistant to secure a reliable sub who could commit to a week or more, beginning the next day. The rest of the afternoon was spent conferring with the area superintendent and HR personnel who directed the principal to meet with the teacher, inform her that she was relieved of her duties, and require that she report to HR the fol-lowing morning to be placed on permanent disability. With a very heavy heart, the leader delivered the mes-sage and was deeply saddened by Ms. Brown’s angry outburst, calling her a “traitor,” pleading that she was “not ready to go,” and storming out of the office. It would be the last time she saw her.

Ms. Brown wanted to exit with dignity, but she did not know when to go. That required the intervention of a caring administrator to do the right thing for her students. Her head knows this; her heart still aches with the pain of those final, indelible moments.

“I’ll Know When to Go”

Read more from Dr. Simpson in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

Dr. Grant W. Simpson is Dean of the School of Edu-cation at St. Edward’s University. He also serves on the State Board for Educator Certification with a term expiring February 2017.


Best Practices/Tom Many, EdD, and Susan Sparks

There is no definitive list of which roles must be pres-ent on teams. At a minimum, most teams designate one person as the team leader or facilitator. Teams will often have a recorder or note taker and usually a timekeeper. Many teams assign the role of air traffic controller or process observer with the task of monitoring the level of participation or observing how the meetings were conducted. Teams may even add task-specific roles such as summarizer or most responsible person in hopes of making their team meetings more effective.

Some teams may decide it’s best to separate roles. For example, a team might decide to establish distinct responsibilities for both the facilitator and team leader. Others may decide to combine roles like the recorder and timekeeper. The number of roles often depends on the size and sophistication of the team but one of the most important roles on any team is that of team leader.

Just as district success depends on the leadership capability of superintendents, and school success depends to a great degree on the leadership of principals, the success of collaborative teams depends on the leadership capacity of team leaders. - Eaker and Keating, 2009

There are many ways to organize the leadership of collaborative teams. Some schools designate a single person who is responsible for facilitating all team meetings. Bob Garmston refers to this approach as the professional facilitator. When schools organize their teams using a professional facilitator, one per-son is designated as the facilitator and provided with extensive training. Professional facilitators manage the team process and outcomes without bringing content into the conversation. They remain neutral and focused on team dynamics and process.

Another approach used in many schools is called the citizen facilitator. When schools organize their teams using citizen facilitators, everyone is provided with some training and the responsibility for ensuring productive team meetings is shared. Citizen facilita-tors are active participants in meetings, bring their own voice into the conversation, and contribute ideas and content while simultaneously managing and monitoring the team’s dynamics and process. We encourage teams to foster a sense of interdependence between and among members so in PLCs, most grade-level or content-area teams utilize the citizen

Clarifying Roles

& Responsibilities

A Critical Task When Forming Collaborative Teams


Dr. Tom Many is an author and consultant. His ca-reer in education spans more than 30 years.

Susan Sparks is an educational consultant who helps teams and districts develop more successful schools through facilitation, training and coaching.

Read more from Dr. Many in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

facilitator approach as a way to encourage everyone’s involvement as active participants in team meetings.

With either approach, the team leader has similar responsibilities. Team leaders are responsible for de-veloping the agenda, establishing the purpose at the beginning of the meeting, referring to the products or expected results, recommending procedures for ac-complishing the task, and engaging every member in the process. They are also responsible for protecting the norms and summarizing “who is doing what by when” at the end of each meeting.

Other important responsibilities of team leaders include serving as the link between the team and the principal, helping the team develop new ways of col-laborating more effectively, and maintaining the focus on accomplishing the team’s goals around student learning. Of all the leader’s responsibilities, perhaps the most important one is ensuring that team members are clear on their roles and responsibilities. Each team member should understand what their role is, what the responsibilities of that role entail, and how their role contributes to the success of the team.

To be most effective, team leaders should review roles and responsibilities on a regular basis. Occasionally, individuals take a back seat or expect others to com-plete important tasks but team leaders can prevent this and enhance the likelihood that members will fulfill their responsibilities when the expectations for each role are clearly and carefully defined. According to Elizabeth Eyre, “When a team is performing at its best, you’ll usually find that each team member has clear responsibilities. Just as importantly, you’ll see that every role needed to achieve the team’s goal is being performed fully and well.”

The most effective teams have identified roles and responsibilities that help team members avoid confusion and resent-ment. If team roles and responsibilities are not defined when teams begin working, the effectiveness of team meetings suffers. -Susan Sparks, 2015

Team roles can change throughout the year—even from one project to the next—but for a team’s most critical activities, effective team leaders use a RASCI responsibility matrix to clearly articulate who is re-sponsible for what. An example of a RASCI responsi-bility matrix is available at http://bit.ly/RASCImatrix.

Each letter of the ‘RASCI” acronym represents a different responsibility. The letter ‘R’ designates who

is responsible for a specific task while the letter ‘A’ identifies who has overall responsibility for the team’s productivity. An ‘S’ indicates which team members will be expected to provide active support and ‘C’ clarifies who must be consulted on the task. Finally, the letter ‘I’ indicates who must be informed of the status of the work (typically this is reserved for the principal or department chair).

In a PLC, everyone shares responsibility and is mutually accountable for the work but in reality, one person usually assumes the primary responsibility for completion of a project, task or activity. Teams can create multiple matrices; one for the roles in team meetings and others for the roles associated with a specific task or activity but the matrix identifies who’s in charge, who is filling a helping role, who needs to know the status of the project and so on. The process of completing a RASCI matrix compels the team to articulate who is responsible for what and helps team leaders accomplish the important task of clarifying team roles and responsibilities.

When team members are unclear about their roles and responsibilities, even the best teams find themselves off track and less productive. -Susan Sparks, 2015

In order for collaborative teams to be successful, it is critical that team members have clearly defined roles within the team structure. It is also important that team members understand, respect, and effectively car-ry out the responsibilities for each role. Using a RASCI matrix to establish roles and responsibilities helps team leaders enhance productivity of team meetings.

ResourcesMany, T. & Sparks, S. (2015). How to Cultivate Collabora-

tion in a PLC. Bloomington, Indiana: Solution Tree.Eaker, R. & Keating, J. (2009, July 22). “Team Leaders in

a Professional Learning Community.” allthingsplc Blog. Available at http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/54/team-leaders-in-a-professional-learning-community.


TEPSA Fall Summit: A Day for LeadersNovember 5 Grapevine Convention CenterIncreasing standards and accountability, new teacher evaluation systems, flat student performance, technology integration…your challenges are endless! Invest one day with TEPSA to fine-tune your leadership skills. Add new tools to your belt, focus on what matters and find the leverage points to make the most difference in your school. Learn from education experts and Texas leaders what’s working to drive change and make an impact on campus. Rekindle your passion and support a resilient staff to serve your students. More information and schedule coming soon! Stay tuned at www.tepsa.org.

Applications for the State Schools of Character Award are due December 1. The award recognizes PreK-8 schools and districts that dem-onstrate outstanding character education initiatives based on the 11 Principles of Character Educa-tion that yield positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance. State recipients advance to compete in the National Schools of Character (NSOC) award program which will be awarded by the Character Education Partnership in March. Visit http://www.character.org/schools-of-character/national-schools-of-character-overview/application-process/.

Character.org Application Due December 1

Association NewsK-2 Learning Conference: Give Them WingsPresented by lead4ward and TEPSAOctober 13 8:30 am – 3:30 pm San Antonio Convention Center

Inspiring independent learners starts with you. While kids want to learn and teachers want to teach, some content is just plain tough. Add in the process standards, and things get crazy. Explore fresh ideas to teach kids important but complex things. Inspire yourself; give them wings!

Learn ways to:•Design engaging units and activities• Integrate reading and writing in all content areas•Map student progress with different data inputs•Get all kids to think and participate at higher levels•Evaluate instructional resources

Learn more and register at http://lead4ward.com/k-2conference/.

Sept 24 Del RioSept 25 KilgoreSep 29 Fort Worth - Phillips Sept 30 LewisvilleOct 1 Royse CityOct 2 FriscoOct 6 Victoria Oct 7 Fort Worth - PeaceOct 8 McKinneyOct 8 San Antonio - SteubingOct 9 San Antonio - ForesterOct 13 KilleenOct 14 Georgetown Oct 15 MercedesOct 16 Harlingen

Oct 16 Buda Oct 20 Clear Creek Oct 20 CoppellOct 21 MidlothianOct 21 Lamar Oct 23 GalvestonOct 23 IrvingOct 27 PlanoOct 27 HumbleOct 28 Pasadena Oct 30 Fort Bend Nov 5 Abilene Nov 6 MidlandNov 6 El Paso

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Registration is $49/person and includes lunch and materials. Learn more and register at www.tepsa.org.

Student Council Workshop Fall Schedule


Make your reservations directly with the Austin Omni Southpark Hotel:4140 Governors Row • 800-843-6664TEPSA room rates: $126 single/double; $158 triple; $178 quadCut-off date: September 13, 2015

Register by September 15 and save! Member - $267 (Register by Sept 15 - $217)Nonmember - $327 (Register by Sept 15 - $277)Registration includes snacks on Sunday, Monday’s breakfast and lunch, and Tuesday’s breakfast.

October 4-6, Austin Omni Southpark

Maximize your leadership potential! Learning includes a focus on improving instruction through teacher evaluation, time management, discipline and legal updates. Plus some serious fun learning to build a positive campus culture!

Assistant Principals Conference

AgendaSunday, October 42:30-3:30pm Registration

3:30-5:30pmYou’re More Than an Assistant Principal...You’re an “Awesome-ness Promoter”Heather Patterson, Lamar CISDLooking to make your job as the Assistant Principal more than the three Bs: books, buses and behavior? Make that happen by choosing to be in the business of being AWESOME! Learn effective, easy, and downright fun take-aways to engage staff and transform your cam-pus by tweaking your job title from Assistant Principal to “Awesome-ness Promoter”! Bring your electronic device, as there will be lots of visuals, props, and ideas to document.

Monday, October 58-8:30am Breakfast

8:30-11:45amFrom Rigor to VigorJohn Wink, Tatum ISDEffective leaders not only need to know what rigor is, but how to put it in action. Help teachers plan, deliver, reflect, intervene and extend high levels of rigor with fidelity. Design a personalized plan to transform your campus definition of rigor into actionable steps for teachers using the power of professional development and professional learning communities aligned to T-TESS.

11:45am-12:30pm Lunch

12:30-4pmFundamental LeadershipSean Cain, Lead Your School Focus support with the five fundamental leadership practices that increase staff capacity and drive the con-tinuous improvement of your campus. Register online at www.tepsa.org.

Tuesday, October 68-8:30am Breakfast

8:30-10am Legal MattersKevin Lungwitz, TEPSA General Counsel From appraisals and contracts to discipline and par-ents, learn how to handle the most pressing matters for assistant principals. Return to campus with the most up to date legal information in order to stay out of trouble. 10-10:15am Break

10:15-11:30amBe a Leader Not a DisciplinarianPhillip Hubler, Austin ISDDiscover techniques and strategies that can reduce discipline by up to 70%, improve academic achieve-ment, and allow you more time to be an educational leader. Develop a culture of respect on your campus.


National Distinguished Principal Finalists: Airemy Caudle, Cooke Elementary, Cleburne ISDJeannine Keairnes, Scarborough Elementary, Northside ISDRacheal Rife, Curtis Elementary, Weatherford ISDAmy Stephens, Wright Elementary, Lubbock ISDMichelle Wooten, Donald Elementary, Lewisville ISD

H-E-B Excellence In Education Elementary PrincipalAaron Peña, Woodway Elementary, Midway ISD

H-E-B Excellence In Education Elementary Principal FinalistsGlenell Bankhead, Neidig Elementary, Elgin ISDYolanda Castillo, Garcia Elementary, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISDDr. Joanealda DeLeon, Highland Hills Elementary, San Antonio ISDBenjamin Perez, Taylor Ray Elementary, Lamar CISD

Assistant Principals of the Year: Adriana Sifuentes, La Joya ISD, Region 1Jaclyn Vasquez, Flour Bluff ISD, Region 2Lisa Baughman, Victoria ISD, Region 3Melissa Bolding, Fort Bend ISD, Region 4Karen Ford, Warren ISD, Region 5Courtney Dyer, Montgomery ISD, Region 6Mike Moore, Lindale ISD, Region 7Lori Kelley, Chisum ISD, Region 8Audrey Ash, Burkburnett ISD, Region 9Ashley Miller, Frisco ISD, Region 10

Congratulations to All PreK-8 Award Recipients!2015 National Assistant Principal for Texas

Hewitt Elementary’s Heather Metzgar is the 2015 National As-sistant Principal for Texas.

Serving in her fourth year as assistant principal, Metzgar’s innovative ideas and her love of education are evident in her daily work. Whether creating programs that

target the mind, body and heart of students or collaborating with high school teachers on projects that impact learning for all Midway students, Metzgar focuses on the whole child and uses this knowledge to plan and imple-ment highly effective initiatives.

The National Assistant Principal of the Year award is sponsored by TEPSA in coordination with the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Horace Mann supports the Texas program.

Diane Gough of Hewitt Elemen-tary in Midway ISD is Texas’ 2015 National Distinguished Principal.

“Diane has demonstrated a pas-sion for campus leadership that has earned her the respect of students, parents, teachers and peers,” TEPSA Executive Direc-tor Harley Eckhart said. “She’s an innovative leader whose creative thinking inspires others to achieve excellence.”

When Gough took the helm at Hewitt Elementary in 2009, discipline problems and special education referrals were rising and demographics changing quickly. Gough collaborated with local agencies to locate resources for families, and she provided profes-

Diane GoughPhoto courtesy of Provine.

Midway ISD Administrator is Texas’ 2015 National Distinguished Principal

Heather MetzgarPhoto courtesy of Provine.

sional development opportunities for teachers and staff to increase active, engaged learning in classrooms. Teachers embraced the learning and Hewitt Elementary became a leader in best practices in Midway ISD.

Partnering with parents, Gough found creative ways to involve them in their children’s education. Knowing that many of her parents work multiple jobs, she replaced the traditional PTA meeting with special curriculum nights, small group meetings and informational videos for each grade level. Community participation has increased as well and several programs implemented by Gough are now replicated throughout the district.

Gough was awarded a check for $10,000 thanks to a gen-erous donation from longtime TEPSA business partner Mentoring Minds. She will represent Texas at the Nation-al Distinguished Principals program held in Washington, D.C. in October.


Congratulations to All PreK-8 Award Recipients!

Mara Betancourt-Segura, Keller ISD, Region 11Heather Metzgar, Midway ISD, Region 12Therese Wafford, Round Rock ISD, Region 13Mike Kerley, Wylie ISD, Region 14Christy Finn, Brady ISD, Region 15Noe Renteria, Canyon ISD, Region 16Mary Dickerson, Plainview ISD, Region 17Patricia Beard, Midland ISD, Region 18Dawn Davis, Clint ISD, Region 19Carol Pierce, North East ISD, Region 20

TEPSANs of the Year: Martin Muñoz, Jr, La Joya ISD, Region 1Annette Sanchez, Beeville ISD, Region 2Laura Longoria, Victoria ISD, Region 3Kathy Jahn, Alief ISD, Region 4Paul Shipman, Beaumont ISD, Region 5Leah Russell, Navasota ISD, Region 6Sue Wilson, Longview ISD, Region 7Carrie Gray, Rivercrest ISD, Region 8Sandy Camp, Wichita Falls ISD, Region 9Alisha Crumley, Grand Prairie ISD, Region 10Ronnita Carridine, Fort Worth ISD, Region 11Wendy Haider, Killeen ISD, Region 12Alisa Niemeyer, La Grange ISD, Region 13Jeffrey Brokovich, Abilene ISD, Region 14Cheri Braden, San Angelo ISD, Region 15Casey McBroom, Tulia ISD, Region 16Ann Callaway, Meadow ISD, Region 17Jill Arthur, Midland ISD, Region 18Rosa Parga, El Paso ISD, Region 19Graciela Martinez, Edgewood ISD, Region 20

National Schools of CharacterFort Settlement Middle School, Fort Bend ISDZwink Elementary, Klein ISD

Texas Schools of CharacterCottonwood Creek Elementary, Coppell ISDHL Brockett Elementary, Aubrey ISDMarshall Leadership Academy, Grand Prairie ISDNorthgate Crossing Elementary, Spring ISDSimon Middle School, Hays CISDT.E. Baxter Elementary, Midlothian ISD

Student Council Excellence AwardsFor a complete list of 2014-2015 Student Council Excellence Schools visithttp://www.tepsa.org/?HonorSchools2015.

Learn more about TEPSA’s Award program at www.tepsa.org.

TEPSA Awards CelebrationSpecial thanks to TEPSA Partner Provine School Pictures

for taking Awards Reception photos.Visit TEPSA’s Facebook page for additional photos.


Legal Ease/Kevin Lungwitz

Many new teachers, as well as some veteran educators, believe, “You cannot touch a student.” Is this true? No. And yes. Obviously, it is criminal and unethical to touch a student for romantic or sexual gratification. It is also illegal to assault or abuse a student. This article will not address these situations; however, educators make physical contact with students every day in the course and scope of their duties. Can a teacher hug an injured elementary child on the playground? Can a coach physically move players around on the practice field? Can you separate students who are fighting? Can you gently place your hand on the shoulder of a child to encourage him to sit down? The short answers to these questions are “yes,” but the details matter.

What law authorizes the use of force on students? Texas Penal Code Section 9.62 allows professional school employees standing in loco parentis (temporarily in place of the parent) to use reasonable force on students to care for, supervise, further a special purpose or to “maintain

discipline in a group.” One Texas court used the following guidelines to determine whether the use of force was reasonable:

1. The age, sex, and physical and mental condition of the student;

2. The nature of the student’s offense and his motive;

3. The influence of the student’s example upon others in the group;

4. Whether the force is reasonably necessary and appropriate to compel obedience to the proper command;

5. Whether the force is disproportionate to the offense, unnecessarily degrading, or is likely to cause serious or permanent harm.1

An educator may not use force or violence against a student merely because the child is unable or fails to perform, either academically or athletically, at a desired level of ability, even though the teacher considers such violence to be “instruction or encouragement.”2

Can I be fired for using reasonable force on a student? Short answer: No. In 2003, Texas Education Code

Section 22.0512 was enacted immunizing a professional school employee

from disciplinary proceedings for the use

of physical force against a student justified by Tex. Penal Code Section 9.62. A district may not discharge, suspend, terminate, or nonrenew the employee’s contract; and TEA/SBEC may not pursue certification charges against the educator.

However, Section 22.0512 does not prevent a school district from disciplining an employee who violates its corporal punishment policies. In other words, Section 9.62 does not apply to the premeditated force associated with corporal punishment. Section 9.62 applies to brief, impulsive contact used to further a legitimate purpose. Without school board authorization corporal punishment may amount to child abuse. (Note: TEPSA advises against the

What Constitutes Reasonable Force in the School House?


legal easeWebinars with Kevin Lungwitz

Free for members! Join Kevin Lungwitz for cur-rent education law updates and information on legal hot topics. New season coming this fall. Archived recordings are available 24/7 to all TEPSA members. Visit www.tepsa.org.

}Upcoming Webinars:September 10: What is “Reasonable Force” in the School House?Many new teachers, as well as some veteran educa-tors, believe you cannot touch a student at school. Is this true? No. And yes. Tune in to this month’s Legal Ease webinar for clarity and understanding about these “touchy” issues.

administration of corporal punishment, even in districts that authorize it, because of the lack of legal protection for the administrator.)

How would you decide these cases?Here are some student contact cases that made their way through the legal system. The facts are greatly paraphrased for brevity. Do you think the contact was defensible?

A. A teacher turned a student’s head toward the reading material on her desk to refocus the student’s attention.3

B. A special education teacher pressed her foot into the back of a six-foot, 200 pound, severely disturbed child lying on the floor in a temper tantrum. The child was not hurt, and the mother had given the teacher permission to use reasonable force.4

C. A four-year-old slapped a special education teacher in the face. The teacher instinctively admonished the child and slapped the student’s face in return.5

D. A high school assistant principal confronted a student who was in the hall without permission. The student refused to obey, and the assistant principal twisted the student’s arm behind his back and kept it there even after a counselor arrived on the scene.6

E. A probationary contract employee was ► page 20

terminated for using reasonable force on a student. Do the reasonable force rules protect probationary employees? 7

F. To encourage better grades, two coaches put a middle school student’s head in a noose and pretended to threaten him with a handgun.8

G. When a middle school student would not behave in class, and threatened classroom discipline, the teacher forcibly removed the student from class and forcibly marched him to the assistant principal’s office.9

As you might have figured out, court cases often contain sensational facts. Also, because of the different evidentiary standards, these cases might be resolved differently depending on whether they are tried in a termination or nonrenewal hearing.

ConclusionAlthough Tex. Educ. Code Section 22.0512 strengthened an educator’s right to physically contact a student, this right has limitations. Force should be the exception, not the rule. Here are some general rules of thumb to stay out of the legal system:

1. Reasonable force may be used to protect the safety of the campus community.

2. Non-injurious, non-degrading, incidental

October 8: Help! I’ve been slammed on social media! First Amendment Rights of Students and ParentsIt’s only a matter of time before an angry parent or disrespectful student slams you on Facebook or Twitter for all the world to see. How can you legally respond in light of First Amendment rights? Kevin sheds light on some of the issues and challenges.


2014-2015 Annual ReportTexas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association

5,943 Total Members(as of June 2015)

2,763 Principals2,196 Assistant Principals476 TEPSA/NAESP201 Aspiring Administrators

Advocating for Studentsand Principals

TEPSA is well represented with lawmakers at the state and

national levels. During the 84th Texas Legislative Session:

1482 Legislative Network Members925 Actively Advocated for Students

143 Viewed Legislative Webinars

To join TEPSA’s Legislative Network email [email protected].

Visit http://www.tepsa.org/?AboutTEPSAVolunteers to find out how you can become more involved with TEPSA.

TEPSA is thebest opportunity to

grow as an administrator, network and service others!

-Kent Broussard, Splendora ISD

TEPSA supports,

educates and advocates!

-Stephanie Coronado, Humble ISD


104 Schools recognized with Student Council Excellence Award

Visit http://www.tepsa.org/?HonorSchools2015 for a list of Student Council Excellence Schools.

FinancialsAs of fiscal year ending June 30, 2014

Appraisal value of TEPSA’s downtown Austin office, the associaton’s single biggest asset:

$1.4 million

Annual operating budget: $3.1 million Estimated amount in reserve account: $1.6 million The estimated reserve would cover nine months of operating expenses. The suggested reserve for the association industry is six months of operating expenses.

TEPSA is in sound financial position.

2,664Students trained through

Student Council Workshop

804Advisors trained through

Student Council Workshop

Visit www.tepsa.org for current information on professional development opportunities for 2015-2016.

•3,995 Attended regional & statewide learning events

• 5,055 Viewed & shared recorded webinars with staff

• 259 Served by legal services 48Regional Meetings

Held


Tech Lab/Trae Kendrick, Ed.D.

Dr. Trae Kendrick is TEPSA’s Chief Information Officer.

Read more tech tips in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

• Principal PLN (http://principalpln.blogspot.com)• Principally Speaking (http://www.principallyspeak-

ing.com)• EdTechTalk (http://edtechtalk.com) • Michael and Susan Dell Foundation’s Personal-

ized Learning Podcast (https://soundcloud.com/dell-family-foundation/sets/personalized-learning-podcasts)

• Let’s Get Busy (perfect to share with your librarian; http://lgbpodcast.blogspot.com)

• PBS News Hour on Education (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/pbs-newshour-topics-education/id114344312?mt=2)

• Talks with Teachers (http://talkswithteachers.com/podcasts/)

• Classroom 2.0 LIVE (http://live.classroom20.com/index.html)

Do you have something to say that’s worth sharing? Start your own podcast series to add to the list above! Here are some apps that will help you create and share your own podcasts:• GarageBand (iOS; $4.99)• VoiceThread (iOS; free)• iPadio (iOS and Android; free)• Mobile Podcaster (iOS; $2.99)

Podcatchers. No, that’s not a typo for podcasting. It’s the newer term for apps that do more than just play your podcasts. Podcatcher apps automatically download the newest episodes of your subscribed podcasts, sort them, and help you manage your subscriptions. an

dLearnLunchGrab your lunch and join us for online learning on timely topics. Free for current members! All webinars will be held from 11-11:45am Central. No registration required. Visit www.tepsa.org.

Upcoming Webinars: September 2 - Sparking Creativity: A National InitiativePassionate about creativity? Learn from artist Bren-dan O’Connell, TEPSA and NAESP lifetime member Principal Gale Parker, and long-time elementary educator Pat Barry how to empower your staff and students to be more creative in school.

Podcatchers: Catch Great Learning

Check out the following pod-catcher apps:•Instacast(iOS;free)•PodWrangler(iOS;free)•Stitcher(iOS;free)•Soundcloud(iOS;free)•Overcast(iOS;free,buthas $4.99 feature unlock)•iCatcher(iOS;$2.99)•Downcast(iOS;$2.99)

•Castro(iOS;$3.99)• Player FM (Android; free)• Beyondpod (Android; free trial)• Doggcatcher (Android; $2.99)

If you have a good podcatcher app, then you need equally good podcasts. Discover great learning from these popular podcast series:• TED Talks (http://www.ted.com/talks)• TED Radio Hour (http://www.npr.org/programs/

ted-radio-hour/?showDate=2015-01-30)• Dose of Leadership (http://www.doseofleadership.com)• Coaching for Leaders (http://coachingforleaders.

com/podcast/) • Quick and Dirty Tips (http://www.quickanddirtytips.

com/get-it-done-guy) • This Is Your Life (http://michaelhyatt.com/thisisy-

ourlife)• Beyond the To Do List (http://beyondthetodolist.com) • TechLandia (http://techlandia.podomatic.com) • EdChat Radio (http://www.bamradionetwork.com/

edchat-radio/)

October 7 - Redesigned Faculty MeetingsKris Mitzner, Katy ISD Principal, shares how you can transform your faculty meetings to 30-minute sessions focused on professional learning, relationship building and problem solving. Use technology to redesign your time and enhance learning experiences for your staff.


► What Constitutes Reasonable Force in the School House continued from page 15

contact may be used to protect classroom and campus order and to compel obedience to reasonable commands.

3. Force used in anger is suspect. 4. Section 22.0512 does not protect corporal

punishment.

Kevin Lungwitz is TEPSA’s Outside General Counsel.

Note: Information from Legal Ease is believed to be correct upon publication, but is not warranted and should not be considered legal advice. Please contact TEPSA or your school district attorney before taking any legal action, as specific facts or circumstances may cause a different legal outcome. Archives of past columns are available to members in Legal Resources at www.tepsa.org.

Endnotes1Hogenson v. Williams, 542 S.W.2d 456, 460 (Tex.

Civ. App. – Texarkana 1976, no writ), citing The Restatement of Torts §§150-151, Second Edition. See also Wright v. Clear Creek Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 335-R2-591 (Comm’r. Educ. 1997).

2Id.3The commissioner of education reversed the teacher’s

termination because the hearing examiner found that the teacher reasonably believed her actions were necessary, and the force was reasonable. The board could not change this finding. The teacher is protected from termination even if others disagree with the reasonableness of the action. Harper v. Alvarado Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 047-R2-0410 (Comm’r Educ. 2010).

4 The commissioner of education reversed the teacher’s termination. The hearing examiner assigned to hear the evidence concluded the force was reasonable under the circumstances, and the board could not change this finding. Garcia v. Corpus Christi Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 074-R2-0809 (Comm’r Educ. 2009).

5The commissioner upheld the nonrenewal of the

teacher. A board’s decision on a nonrenewal must only be supported by “some” evidence, a lighter standard than is applied in a termination case. Here, there was “some” evidence the teacher did not slap the child instinctively, but rather admonished the child and then slapped her. Gaddy v. Kilgore Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 086-R1-0512 (Comm’r Educ. 2012).

6The hearing examiner assigned to the termination case was not convinced the Assistant Principal believed the force was necessary and reasonable. The commissioner upheld the termination. Peters v. Dallas Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 022-R2-11-2012 (Comm’r Educ. 2013).

7The commissioner acknowledged a probationary employee may be terminated at the end of the year if the board finds it is in the best interest of the district, and then the termination is not appealable. So, could a school board terminate a probationary teacher for using reasonable force on a student? The commissioner held it could not because TEC Section 22.0512 trumped the probationary contract laws. Flores v. Houston Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 089-R10-0807 (Comm’r Educ. 2012). But see Almeyda v. Alief Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 086-R2-0810 (Comm’r Educ. 2012), where the commissioner acknowledged that if the district terminated a teacher‘s probationary contract at the end of the year for using force compliant with Tex. Penal Code Section 9.62, such an action would violate Texas Education Code section 22.0512. It is the teacher’s burden under a deferential standard of review, to prove the use of force was the district’s reason to terminate.

8 Just wanted to see if you were still paying attention. This force was not reasonable. Spacek v. Charles, 928 S.W.2d 88 (Tex. App. Corpus Christi 1996, writ dism. w.o.j.)

9The court held the teacher was acting “only to protect the school learning process from disruption by a wrongdoer by physically removing the wrongdoer and escorting [him] to the public official designated by rule, regulation, or law to impose the necessary and proper ‘discipline punishment’ – the Vice-Principal.” Note: Be careful about force used in anger. Doria v. Stulting, 888 S.W.2d 563 (Tex. App. – Corpus Christi 1994, no writ).


TEPSA partners for all the ways you support TEPSA members and their students!

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Longtime TEPSA partners Teresa Sherman, Mentoring Minds, and Jackie McGrail, Horace Mann, at Summer Conference.

Horace Mann finds another way to partner with youNo one loves to form partnerships with educators more than Horace Mann. It’s why so many school districts welcome our agents into their buildings and why so many teachers take advantage of our insurance and retirement planning expertise.

A new partnership with DonorsChoose.org helps donors find teachers who need financial assistance for classroom projects big and small. Teachers post their projects, donors choose projects to support, and teachers and kids benefit with materials

delivered right to their schools. Now that’s a partnership that can help everyone.

Contact your local agent today or visit horacemann.comPlease visit our partners online at www.tepsa.org.


TEPSA Regional Meetings

Meet your 2015-2016 Board of Directors! Visit TEPSA’s Facebook page for more photos.

September8 Region 1 Meeting: 9-10am @ Hampton Inn, McAllen Information: Dianabel Gómez-Villarreal, [email protected]

21 Region 19 Meeting: 5:30pm @ TBD, El Paso Information: Mike Mackeben, [email protected]

22 Region 18 Meeting: 4:30-6pm @ GreenTree Country CLub, Midland Information: Tanya Bell, [email protected]

23 Region 8 Meeting: 11am @ El Chico, Mount Pleasant Information: Ella Duren, [email protected]

Region 15 Meeting: NooN-1pm @ Region 15 ESC, San Angelo Information: Cheri Braden, [email protected]

24 Region 17 Meeting: 11:30am-1pm @ Lakeridge Country Club, Lubbock Information: Sherrie Warren, [email protected]

October1 Region 20 Meeting: 4:30-6:30pm @ TBD, San Antonio Information: Susan Peery, [email protected]

7 Region 16 Meeting: 9am-NooN @ Region 16 ESC, Amarillo Information: Mike Word, [email protected]

8 Region 7 Meeting: 11am @ Traditions, Tyler Information: Cindy Tierney, [email protected]

Region 12 Meeting: 5:30pm @ Schoepf’s BBQ, Belton Information: Lance Malburg, [email protected]

13 Region 2 Meeting: NooN-1pm @ Harrison’s Landing, Corpus Christi Information: Annette Sanchez, [email protected]

14 Region 5 Meeting: NooN-1:30pm @ Pappadeaux, Beaumont Information: Julie Gauthier, [email protected] Region 6 Meeting: 10:30am @ Smith Elementary, Magnolia Information: Leah Russell, [email protected]

15 Region 3 Meeting: 11:30am-1pm @ Pumphouse, Victoria Information: Gabe Adamek, [email protected]

Region 11 Meeting: 11am-1pm @ TBD Information: Stacie Meadows, [email protected]

21 Region 9 Meeting: 9-10:30am @ Region 9 ESC, Wichita Falls Information: Blake Enlow, [email protected]

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Growing Disparity Between Wealthy and High Poverty SchoolsAdditional information available at www.tepsa.org or 800-252-3621.

Calendar/Deadlines• SummerConferencecontentavailablein the TEPSA Live Learning Center. Visit http://tepsa.sclivelearningcenter.com.

•Free webinars for members - New seasons of Lunch & Learn and Legal Ease kick off in September!

•TEPSA Regional Meetings - Connect with local peers and get important up-dates at your fall regional meeting. See page 22.

•Student Council Workshops start September 24 . Dates and locations vary.

• Assistant Principals Conference is October 4-6 at the Austin Omni Southpark Hotel.

• K-2 Learning Conference is October 13 at the San Antonio Convention Center.

• Fall Summit is November 5 at the Grapevine Convention Center.

• Schools of Character application deadline is December 1.

• TEPSA State Office deadline to declareintenttorunforofficeisDecember 1.

TEPSA Highlights

Improvements in the Economy Have Not Equaled More Funding

Please recycle your TEPSA News copy.

According to a recent report from The Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Education Law Center, despite improvements in the economy, most states continue to shortchange public schools by not providing sufficient resources while continuing to increase academic standards. Poor and minor-ity students, who now make up the majority of students in the nation’s public schools, are particularly affected. The report “Cheating Our Future: How De-cades of Disinvestment by States Jeopardizes Equal Educational Opportunity” shows that state and federal policies and funding formulas ignore this simple, urgent fact and contribute to a growing disparity between wealthy and high poverty schools:• Black, Latino, Native American and low-income students are dispropor-

tionately assigned to under-resourced schools and classes that provide di-minished prospects for academic success when compared with their more privileged peers.

• The highest poverty districts in the country receive about $1,200 less per stu-dent than the lowest poverty districts. Districts serving the largest number of students of color receive about $2,000 less than the districts serving the fewest.

• Most states do not provide equitable funding for students from low income families, students who are learning English or those who need special educa-tion services. These services require substantially higher costs for schools, but most states do not provide sufficient funding to cover these costs.

• Many states have not restored major school budget cuts made during the most recent economic recession.

View report at http://civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/reports/Resource-Equity-Report-WEB.pdf.

Source: The Leadership Conference Education Fund. (2015, June). Cheating Our Future: How De-cades of Disinvestment by States Jeopardizes Equal Educational Opportunity.” Available at http://civilrightsdocs.info/pdf/reports/Resource-Equity-Report-WEB.pdf.

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2015 TEPSA August News

Documents

Transcript of 2015 TEPSA August News