Fall 2021 ATPE News

ATPE News AG ED’S GREATEST HARVEST: STUDENT LEADERSHIP How hands-on experiences and reflection help students grow Page 18

13

Best practices for managing school activity funds

16

Learn more about the turbulent road that has been the 87th Texas Legislature

25 FALL 2021 | ATPE.ORG

A look at what we know and don’t know about HB 3 Reading Academies

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NEW ATPE.ORG Have you visited the new ATPE website?

Log in to atpe.org to: • Easily contact your lawmakers using Advocacy Central • Learn how to use your exclusive member discounts •A ccess more than 100 hours of on-demand continuing professional education (CPE) courses • And more!

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First-time visitor to the new ATPE website?

You’ll need to reset your password. Visit atpe.org/new-login-info for more info.

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

ATPE News

The official publication of the Association of Texas Professional Educators

State Officers

Karen Hames.

Jimmy Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . . President, . . . . President, Lewisville Paris (11) (8) Karen Hames.

Stacey Ward. . . . . . .Vice . Vice President, President, Lewisville Humble (11) (4) StaceySerna Jayne Ward. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Secretary, Secretary,Leander Humble(13) (4) Jayne Forbis Jason Serna. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer, Midway Leander (12) (13) Tonja Gray.

Jimmy Lee. . . . . . . . . . . . .Past . Past President, President, Abilene Paris(14) (8)

Board of Directors

MaElena Ingram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . McAllen (1) Barbara Ruiz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Corpus Christi (2) Cathy Stolle Mandy Vahrenkamp . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . .Calhoun . . . Karnes County City (3) Eli Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . Cypress-Fairbanks (4) Susan Harrell.

Suellen Ener. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Beaumont . Newton (5) Gidget Belinoski-Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Willis (6) Kim Dolese.

Teresa Millard . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Northeast . . . . . . . . Woden Texas (7) Shelia Slider. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Lamar (8) Patti Gibbs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Nocona (9) Wanda Bailey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mesquite (10) Teri Naya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Birdville (11) Ron Walcik. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Killeen (12) Christie Smith.

Stephanie Stoebe. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .Pflugerville Round Rock (13) Leslie Ward. . . . . . . . . . Jim . . . .Ned . . . . Consolidated . . . . . Merkel (14) Darlene Betty GailKelly.

Wood-Rush . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . Ballinger . . . Early (15) Shane Whitten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amarillo (16) Allyson Haveman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lubbock (17) Gail Adlesperger. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Big Spring (18) Open . . Zamora Robert . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Clint . . . . (19) Laura Herrera. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North East (20)

T

he 2021-22 school year is a time for new hope while reflecting. As an educator, this past year you weathered the pandemic, discovering how to teach online and in a distanced classroom setting while also staying aware of and reacting to your mental health and that of your students. You responded to ongoing shifts in education, moving forward instead of shutting down.

ATPE shifted with you, responding to needs never addressed in our lifetimes and showing why our organization is important and why we must protect and serve members. When there’s a crisis, people turn to what they trust, and ATPE showed everyone how to react quickly with live legal webinars attended by more than 1,500 educators and a COVID-19 resource page developed in March 2020, well before our world shut down. ATPE continues to be a leader in the Texas education community, providing trusted resources available to all educators across the state. ATPE’s staff inspired me by helping members endure the hardships and maintain hope and positivity. With you, our members, I look forward to a fresh beginning.

ATPE News Staff

Sarah Gray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editor John Kilpper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Art Director Michael Spurlin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Editor Haley Weis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Associate Editor Jennifer Tuten. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Digital Editor Jesus Chavez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Contributing Editor Kristina Kaczmarek. . . . . . Contributing Designer Kate Johanns. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Editorial Director ATPE News contains legislative advertising contracted for by Shannon Holmes, Executive Director, Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300, Austin, TX 78752-3792, representing ATPE. ATPE News (ISSN 0279-6260) is published quarterly in fall, winter, spring, and summer. Subscription rates: for members of the association, $3.32 per year (included in membership dues); non-members, $10 per year. Extra copies $1.25 each. Published by the Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin, TX 78752-3792. Periodical postage paid at Austin, Texas, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ATPE News, 305 E. Huntland Dr., #300, Austin, TX 78752-3792. Advertising rates may be obtained by sending a written request to the above address.

Opinions expressed in this publication represent the attitude of the contributor whose name appears with the article and are not necessarily the official policy of ATPE. ATPE reserves the right to refuse advertising contrary to its purpose.

Copyright 2021 in USA by the Association of Texas Professional Educators

ATPE CONTINUES TO BE A LEADER IN THE TEXAS EDUCATION COMMUNITY, PROVIDING TRUSTED RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO ALL EDUCATORS ACROSS THE STATE. In this issue, enjoy learning about the next Leadership ATPE cohort and your new state officers, as well as reading a summary of the ATPE Summit and the 87th Texas legislative session. For those still in the classroom, you’ll find articles on transferring distance learning techniques to the classroom setting, teaching climate change, agricultural education, and reading academies.

Thank you for being there for your students and co-workers but especially for staying positive yourself. You are the heart of ATPE.

Karen Hames ATPE State President

ISSN ©ATPE 2021 0279-6260 USPS 578-050 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300 Austin, TX 78752-3792 (800) 777-ATPE (2873) atpe.org | atpe@atpe.org ATPE NEWS 3

Contents ATPE NEWS | Fall 2021, Volume 42, Number 1

22

22

18 FEATURES

18

On the Cover

Experience, Reflection, Experience: Ag Ed’s Greatest Harvest Is Student Leadership Agricultural education combines classroom learning, student development through FFA, and work-based learning experiences to cultivate personal growth and career readiness for Texas students.

4 ATPE NEWS

Climate change research often becomes misconstrued by communication gobetweens, which can hinder students’ learning process. ATPE member Shelby Strawn, Pleasant Grove ISD, discusses classroom strategies teachers can use to improve understanding of this difficult subject.

25

Where Literacy Rates Go, Success Follows HB 3 Reading Academies have raised a lot of questions and concerns for Texas education professionals. We dive into what we know (and don’t know) about this requirement for K-3 teachers.

Photos courtesy of The Texas FFA Association; ©iStockphoto.com/pfb1

Communications Failure: Educating Secondary Students About Climate Change

EVERYTHING ELSE 6 Calendar 8 Regional Roundup 10 Your Voice

Statewide officials are capable of helping or harming public education, and it’s our job as voters to choose the right person for each job.

11 Meet the 2021-22 Leadership ATPE Cohort

28 SPECIAL SECTIONS 16 Education Mile Markers on the 87th Texas Legislature’s Long, Turbulent Road

As we navigate the twists and turns of the Legislature’s 2021 journey, ATPE Governmental Relations takes a look at the major education bills debated this spring and summer.

28 2021 ATPE Summit

12 The Learning Curve

Our latest technology column delves into how virtual learning techniques can continue to be used in the classroom.

13 Your Ally

Handling activity funds is a necessary part of certain campus jobs. Here’s everything you need to know to set yourself up for success.

14 PAC Honor Roll 36 Your ATPE

Members convened virtually July 12–15 to learn, lead, inspire, and celebrate. Catch up on all the highlights.

Tips from a recruitment pro | Save the date for the 2022 ATPE Summit | Use the one-stop school supplies shop

34 Meet Your 2021-22 ATPE Leaders

43 ATPE Summit

Know the ATPE state and region officers for the year ahead.

THE ATPE VISION The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) supports the state’s largest community of educators who are dedicated to elevating public education in Texas.

Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award

THE ATPE MISSION ATPE advocates for educators and delivers affordable, high-quality products and services that give members the peace of mind needed to inspire student success.

ATPE NEWS 5

CALENDAR

September 1–3

State Board of Education meeting

6

State office closed for Labor Day

10–12 16–17 17 ATPE Board of Directors meeting

TRS Board of Trustees meeting

31

Constitution Day

October 1

4

18

22

23

29

State Board for Educator Certification meeting

Last day for ballotby-mail applications to be received

Last day to register to vote in the uniform election

Fall ATPE committee meetings

First day of early voting

30

Last day to join ATPE or renew to avoid 30-day wait for employment rights defense insurance to be effective*

Deadline for first-time professional members to join ATPE and be entered in the $500 Classroom Makeover Giveaway; One New = $10 for You submissions due

Last day of early voting

2

Election Day

7

Daylight saving time ends

12–14 17–19 24–26 ATPE Board of Directors meeting

State Board of Education meeting

State office closed for Thanksgiving break

*Eligibility, terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit atpe.org/protection to view important disclosures and complete details of the insurance policy. Staff attorney services are provided separate from the Educators Professional Liability Insurance Program.

6 ATPE NEWS

©iStockphoto.com/Prostock-Studio/kledge/DGLimages

November

ADVERTISEMENT

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

Kansas

T

here are more than a thousand school districts in Texas and each one has success stories. Regional Roundup highlights some of the achievements happening in our public schools.

When something special happens in your school district, let us know! Send news to comm@atpe.org.

Oklahoma 4 BURKBURNETT

3 NEW DIANA

1 SAN ANGELO

5 BRYAN

2 ALIEF

6 SABINE PASS

Gulf of Mexic

8 ATPE NEWS

From Across the State 1 Staying Above the Statistics

Statistics show that once a student falls behind in reading after the third grade, there is a 1-in-8 chance the student will never be able to catch up to their peers. San Angelo ISD wanted to make sure its students did not become part of that statistic. The district began the San Angelo READS! community-wide literacy initiative, which focuses on putting books in the hands of children and inspiring a love of reading. After only a few months of the initiative, San Angelo ISD has put more than 3,000 books in the hands of its students in the hope of encouraging future thinking and reading.

Arkansas

saisd.org

4 More than a Paycheck

Burkburnett ISD and Texas Workforce Solutions wanted to give special education students in the district a chance to expand their knowledge outside of the classroom. Participants help around the school doing handiwork, such as putting together lunches and assisting staff with chores, and have the chance to work up to 20 hours a week while they’re still in school. The best part? Students receive a paycheck for their hard work so they can learn money management as well! burkburnettisd.org

5 Magic of Mariachi

2

Growing Love and Veggies

Alief ISD students are getting their hands

dirty—all in the hopes of growing as individuals.

Louisiana Photo courtesy of San Angelo ISD, Alief ISD, New Diana ISD, Burkburnett ISD, Bryan ISD, and Sabine Pass ISD

co

HEADLI N ES

Students from Hicks Elementary School have the opportunity to join a new initiative called Inner City Greens. The program is designed to teach students about social development and personal growth, including lessons on self-esteem and setting goals, while teaching students how to grow their own food.

The group even does some yoga when it meets!

The sound of mariachi music is ringing through the halls of one Bryan ISD middle school.

After working with Bryan High School’s Los Vikingos Mariachi, music teacher Osvaldo Garcia created the Mariachi Palomino band at SFA Middle School, and so far, it has been a hit! The program has allowed students to experience new musical outlets they had never been exposed to before. Garcia hopes starting students young will give them a head start into mariachi music in the future. bryanisd.org

aliefisd.net

3

6 Keeping History Alive

Lettuce Celebrate You!

New Diana ISD’s agriculture class has been working hard in the greenhouse this year. The class produces and provides five to 10 pounds of lettuce to the school cafeteria a week! Students mainly help produce lettuce for the school but have also donated cherry tomatoes. The class allows students to give back to the school and learn the importance of growing their own produce. ndisd.org

Students at Sabine Pass ISD are restoring history—one headstone at a time. The students began the project to give back to the community and learn more about the town’s story. During the project, students created new headstones, cleaned up the cemetery, and researched the information once on the headstones of Sabine Pass’ McGaffey Cemetery.

The restoration adventure was put on hold due to COVID-19, but the district hopes to keep the project going in the future. sabinepass.net

ATPE NEWS 9

YOUR VOICE

The Buck Stops with Your Vote

I

BY MARK WIGGINS ATPE Lobbyist

10 ATPE NEWS

t was President Harry S. Truman who popularized the phrase, “The buck stops here”— his point that the ultimate responsibility for decisions at the federal level rests with the commander-in-chief.

Fearing leaders appointed by the Reconstructionera federal government, the framers of the post-Civil War state constitution made “where the buck stops” in Texas a little less clear. This can be a source of confusion around election season, when statewide officials claim credit for the work of others while dodging responsibility for their own faults and foibles.

To get a better picture heading into the next election season, it’s worth taking a look at what roles our statewide officials played during the 2021 regular legislative session.

Gov. Greg Abbott began the session by declaring five emergency items: expanding broadband access, preventing municipalities from reducing police spending, changing bail bond practices, making election laws stricter, and providing businesses immunity from pandemic-related lawsuits filed by employees or customers. Following the deadly February winter storm, Abbott added power system winterization.

The governor’s main authority lies in appointments, including the commissioner of education.

Abbott’s pick, Commissioner Mike Morath, is the driving force behind the governor’s education agenda. Not only does he influence legislation during session, but Morath also makes rules that determine how legislation is applied year-round.

Recently, the commissioner used his power to decide whether and how schools may offer remote instruction during the pandemic, how much federal aid money they may receive, and whether to allow new charter schools to open. This session, the Legislature continued its trend of handing over more authority to this unelected official.

Over in the Legislature, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the Texas Senate. Nothing in the upper chamber happens without his consent, and the lieutenant governor’s agenda is the only one that matters.

Patrick declared 31 priority items this session; the top of the list included bills dealing with abortion and requiring sports teams to play the national anthem. Three bills at the bottom of the list affected public education: expanding virtual education,

easing charter school regulations, and regulating participation of transgender students in athletics.

Patrick wielded his absolute power over the Senate to force through several bills opposed

by ATPE, including legislation gutting “no pass, no play” by allowing home-schooled students to participate in UIL activities and legislation that will restrict how educators teach social studies.

Without Patrick, these bills would have likely died due to lack of support.

Attorney General Ken Paxton has been under criminal indictment since taking office and is being investigated by the FBI over his staff’s allegations that he abused his office to benefit a donor. Ironically, the attorney general’s duties include investigating potential crimes and issuing “opinions”—basically nonbinding legal advice in response to questions posed by legislators and other officials.

Although these opinions don’t carry the force of law, they can be influential. Paxton has marked his term by issuing opinions opposing the rights and interests of educators and has wielded his agency’s investigatory power to bully school districts over get-out-the-vote initiatives and made multiple attempts to intimidate and silence educators who dare to teach the importance of civic engagement.

There are other important statewide officials who don’t make as many headlines. The comptroller is responsible for watching the state’s bank account and letting the Legislature know how much it can spend. The land commissioner controls a portion of the state’s investments that fund public schools. The agriculture commissioner manages programs that provide meals to low-income families.

Each of these statewide officials is capable of helping or harming public education, and choosing the right person for each job is key to making sure Texas adopts public education policies that put students and classrooms first.

As a voter, you have the ultimate responsibility to decide who those people are. And when you think about it that way, the buck stops with you.

Visit TeachtheVote.org for the latest education news and to research the education platforms of political candidates and elected officials.

MEET THE 2021-22

LEADERSHIP ATPE COHORT Now in its third year, Leadership ATPE offers professional development, leadership training, and networking opportunities for education professionals chosen from within ATPE’s membership ranks who have a vested interest in serving their schools and communities.

Through this program, Leadership ATPE cohort members participate in experiences designed to hone

CONGRATULATIONS TO THESE ATPE MEMBERS: DONNETTA ALLEN

ANGELA RICE

Region 10 Mesquite ISD

Region 14 Hawley ISD

SHAWN BAILEY

SUSAN SAMSON

Region 12 Midway ISD

Region 11 Birdville ISD

DANI BOEPPLE

DENISE SANDERS

Region 10 Mesquite ISD

Region 9 Vernon ISD

CLARICE CROSS

AMBER SHIPMAN

Region 10 Plano ISD

Region 15 Brownwood ISD

SEAN DOUGLAS

KAREN THOMPSON

Region 3 Cuero ISD

Region 15 Ballinger ISD

TEMEIKA DURDEN

TONYA WHITWORTH

Region 13 Del Valle ISD

Region 7 New Diana ISD

GREG FORE

SONIA WOLFROM

Region 10 Dallas ISD

Region 6 Magnolia ISD

OPAL MOBBS

JUAQUIN ZAVALA

Region 14 Abilene ISD

Region 20 Harlandale ISD

the skills needed to serve their schools and communities, pursue leadership roles within ATPE, and advance their careers. The year-long program includes two expense-paid leadership retreats and additional networking opportunities focused on building such skills as public speaking, advocacy, nonprofit leadership, and more.

ATPE NEWS 11

LEARNING CURVE

Moving Virtual Learning Techniques into the Classroom

BY HALEY WEIS

A

fter a year of constant uncertainty and adjusting to “the new normal,” it is understandable to feel overwhelmed about the potential shifts this upcoming school year might have as we move to post-vaccinated life.

As many school districts go back to in-person learning, it might feel like all of your hard work migrating to virtual learning (or even an asynchronous learning environment) can be forgotten—but the truth is the lessons learned can be applied to your in-person teaching style! The 2020-21 school year allowed for new ideas and systems that can help move public education into a stronger, more inclusive environment. Moving these techniques into everyday curriculum can benefit educators and students alike.

The year of the mask did not stop educators from upping communication efforts. Whether it was with administration, colleagues, parents, or students, educators found effective and efficient ways to bridge the communication gap. At the height of the pandemic, educators utilized webcam-focused applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet to teach as normally as possible. As we shift out of the virtual setting, using these apps can continue to help accommodate homebound students with long-term illnesses or learning differences in special circumstances, therefore providing a more inclusive and equitable way of learning. Additionally, utilizing these applications in everyday practices can change the way educators interact with parents. Communication is key to relationships and understanding. Using these applications can maintain cooperative relationships with students’ families.

Showing the importance of open communications, whether over email, educational platforms, or Zoom, can help improve students’ understanding of proper interaction as well. Just be sure to use the systems officially sanctioned by your district.

Relentless Resources

With the stress of a global pandemic, constant changes in the classroom, and personal life adjustments, educators found themselves more stressed than ever. Valuable resources emerged making life a little less hectic for everyone.

Conversations about focusing on mental, emotional, and physical health came to the forefront. Allowing yourself to focus 12 ATPE NEWS

on you can benefit not only yourself but also your students.

Smartphone apps such as Headspace, MindDoc, and Daylio can assist with meditation, journaling, and mental health advice.

Workout apps such as Nike Training Club, food diary apps like MyFitnessPal, and daily motivation apps like Motivation, further show that it has become simpler for even the busiest among us to slow down and focus on our well-being.

Platforms for Improvement

Moving education completely online seemed nearly impossible at the beginning of the pandemic, but educators made the most of a terrible situation by dedicating themselves to learning and understanding virtual platforms. Staying organized helped minimize the chaos of online lesson planning, learning, and grading and allowed students and educators to stay in the know. Platforms such as Google Classroom, Seesaw, and Canvas keep all the information, handouts, instructions, and lessons in one place. Although full-time virtual learning was only viable as a short-term solution in a crisis, there is still a place for such platforms under some circumstances, such as for students who are physically unable to come to school.

Adopting some of these techniques used and lessons learned during virtual learning can help make your job as an educator easier, more organized, and overall more impactful. Don’t waste the skills you learned during your time in quarantine— put them to use this 2021-22 school year!

© iStock.com/gmast3r and Mochipet

Communicating Through the Change

YOUR ALLY

What You Need to Know about Managing Activity Funds

M

BY LANCE CAIN ATPE Staff Attorney

oney may not buy happiness—but if you are not careful in handling activity funds for your school, it can lead to a big headache.

Handling someone else’s money can feel like a daunting task, especially if you lack experience or training. But handling activity funds is a necessary part of certain campus jobs.

Activity funds are collected by a school through fundraising, student activity fees, and other school-related activities. The money is held in trust by the school and used to benefit the school or promote student activities.

an auditor is responsible for yearly audits of each activity fund.

If you find yourself in charge of an activity fund, lay the groundwork for success by asking for training in basic accounting procedures (collecting, handling, depositing, and documenting) and limitations on fund uses. It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with applicable district policies and handbooks.

Once you take control of the fund, follow procedures closely and keep careful documentation.

There may be numerous forms involved, but do not be intimidated. Having a record of when and where the money was collected, deposited, and spent can There are two types of activity funds: prevent future challenges. Don’t be afraid to ask for 1) Student activity funds (SAF) are generated by help. Because money is involved, it is always better individual student groups rather than the campus. to clarify than to assume.

Decisions on how to spend SAFs are made by the Prior to any fundraising, verify that all permisstudents involved. Clubs relating to specific ac- sion forms are submitted and approved. During tivities such as cheerleading, specific classes such fundraising activities, maintain an abundance as journalism, or student of the proper forms/regroups such as National ceipts, carefully docuHonor Society are comment each transaction, mon examples. and secure all cash and 2) Campus activity checks. After fundraisCONSEQUENCES FOR funds (CAF) are raised ing, make sure all funds MISHANDLING OR MISUSING by the school or donatare properly and promptACTIVITY FUNDS CAN BE SEVERE ly deposited pursuant to ed to the school and are AND IMPACT YOUR JOB OR considered by the Texas your district’s policies.

Education Agency to be It is common for fundCERTIFICATE AND INVOLVE district general funds. raising activities to occur CRIMINAL CHARGES. Expenditures of these outside of normal school funds should align with hours. Therefore, it is imapplicable state law and local policy. A campus may portant to know what to do with the money ahead have several CAFs at once. A CAF may be gener- of time because there may not be anyone available al (e.g., a principal’s account) or benefit a specific to ask. Unless you receive specific permission, group, like a library account or third grade account. never leave the money in your classroom, take the Responsibility for activity funds may fall upon money home, deposit it into an unauthorized acnumerous school employees. Having multiple in- count, or otherwise leave it unsecured. Unless it dividuals oversee such accounts reduces the risk is specifically authorized in your local policy, nevof mistakes and fraud. The club sponsor may be er mix school funds with personal bank or digital responsible for collections, deposits, and record wallet accounts—this practice may immediately keeping. A campus secretary or bookkeeper may raise concerns about possible theft or embezzlebe asked to monitor activities, handle receipts, and ment of funds. otherwise assist the sponsor. Usually, the campus If any money goes missing during or after a principal or designee is ultimately responsible for fundraiser, report it immediately. You will always safeguarding and accounting of all funds. Finally, continued on page 38 ATPE NEWS 13

PAC HONOR ROLL

Thank you for your investment in Texas public education!

Mesquite Donnetta Allen Jerry Bonham Diane Nix Vicki Rabb-Wiggins Kay Young

The following ATPE members donated $50 or more to ATPE’s Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) from April 1 to June 30, 2021.

Midway (9) Brandon Carpenter Midway (12) Jason Forbis Mission Maria Ines Trevino

Abilene Tonja Gray Allen Carrie Rivera Alvin Ron Fitzwater Amarillo Jamie Ried Kristel Sexton Austin Marcia McNeil Boerne Richard Wiggins Burleson Jacquline Price Charlotte Nora Gaitan Clear Creek Paula Marshall Coleman County Sarah Beal Community Wendy Smith

Corpus Christi Rose Perez Barbara Ruiz Corsicana Julleen Bottoms Crowley Crystal Hammill Steve Pokluda Cypress-Fairbanks Donna Gibbon Eli Rodriguez

Edinburg Elias Lozano Ferris Meredith Malloy Betty McCoy Forney Catrina Esters Fort Worth Frank Macias Galena Park Sharon Dixon Carmela Garcia

Hurst-EulessBedford Christopher Adams Kylie Herring Irving Connie Kilday Jacksboro Peggy Clayton Keller David Williams Kerrville John Milner

North Lamar Shelia Slider Northside (20) Madonna Felan David de la Garza Evelyn Miles-Hoskin Bobbye Patton J. Todd Woods

Round Rock Stephanie Stoebe Spring Branch Shawn Mustain Deborah Wilkes Stanton Bill Griffin Temple Ina Rivera Tyler Betty Berndt Eddie Hill Waxahachie Robin Brown Nora Crist Gina Kosa Kim Kriegel Eva Moyers Weslaco Craig Weart

Garland Nichole Gambulos

Krum Betty Plunkett

Olney Dale Lovett Becky Spurlock Sam Spurlock

Deer Park Leslie Gonzalez

Hale Center Lynette Ginn

Lake Travis Cassie Wheatley

Paris Jimmy Lee

Windham Sandra Bounds

Del Valle Cristela Rocha

Hays Shawna Mayerson

Pasadena Charlotte Anthony

Woden Teresa Millard

Denton Patricia Jolly

Hempstead Jessica McHale

Leander Phyllis Crider Jayne Serna Greg Vidal

Pflugerville Christie Smith

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw Laura Musgrove

Houston Gail Hall

ATPE Staff Ginger Franks Shannon Holmes Kate Johanns Cynthia Villalovos

Dallas Felicia Robinson Mary Stricker Floyd Trimble

McAllen Twila Figueroa MaElena Ingram

Humble Gayle Sampley

Did you donate during the ATPE Summit?

Look for your name in the next issue!

Invest in the ATPE Political Action Committee today!

It’s easy to donate at member.atpe.org/shop/donate.

ATPE-PAC solicits contributions only from members, employees, and their families. Participation in ATPE-PAC is voluntary.

14 ATPE NEWS

North East Yolanda Capetillo Megan Fowler

Plano Katy Matthews Dennise Schuler Kristi Vest

Pharr-San JuanAlamo Michael Sweet

Willis Thisia Sayers

THE ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS AND GCU

Working Together for You

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Earning your degree from Grand Canyon University represents a positive next step in achieving your career goals. Founded in 1949, GCU offers more than 150 online programs for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in some of the fastest-growing career fields.

ATPE has a special arrangement with GCU that allows eligible participants to earn a degree, certificate or take a single course with special benefits.

BENEFITS FOR EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE PARTICIPANTS:

SEE HOW YOUR COURSEWORK AND PREVIOUS CREDITS APPLY

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Contact your local university representative for a complimentary credit evaluation. Within 24 hours, we will evaluate your coursework and provide a personalized graduation plan – including a preliminary schedule and your anticipated graduation date.

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For more information, please visit gcu.edu/TXEducators or call 855-428-1772

Important policy information is available in the University Policy Handbook at https://www.gcu.edu/academics/academic-policies.php. The information printed in this material is accurate as of April 2017. For the most up-to-date information about admission requirements, tuition, scholarships and more, visit gcu.edu. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program and other important information, please visit our website at gcu.edu/disclosures. Please note, not all GCU programs are available in all states and in all learning modalities. Program availability is contingent on student enrollment. Grand Canyon University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (800-621-7440; http://hlcommission.org/).

GCU, while reserving its lawful rights in light of its Christian mission, is committed to maintaining an academic environment that is free from unlawful discrimination. Further detail on GCU’s Non-Discrimination policies can be found at gcu.edu/titleIX. 17COEE0071

EDUCATION MILE MARKERS ON THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE’S LONG, TURBULENT ROAD B Y AT P E G O V E R N M E N TA L R E L AT I O N S

The Legislature adjourned May 31, 2021, ending an unusual regular session, given the COVID-19 pandemic, February’s crippling winter storm, and partisan divides felt throughout the country. Legislators were back in Austin July 8 for a special session that quickly fell apart.

SCHOOL FINANCE

Following the school finance reforms of the previous legislative session, the Legislature in 2021 passed House Bill (HB) 1525 by Rep. Dan Huberty (R-Kingwood) 16 ATPE NEWS

as a cleanup measure to HB 3 (2019). HB 1525 establishes a commission on special education funding; authorizes “resource campuses”; directs broadband, COVID-19, and other relief funding for schools; and modifies several other laws affecting finance and recapture. Policy changes amended onto the bill late in the session include allowing non-certified teachers to qualify for the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) and extending the deadline for certain educators to attend reading academies.

ACCOUNTABILITY & TESTING

Senate Bill (SB) 1365 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt (R-Houston) was filed in response to a failed attempt by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to take over management of Houston ISD. The bill’s House sponsor, Huberty, and a group of pro-public education legislators worked with ATPE and other educator groups to improve the initially controversial bill, omitting provisions that would have increased the commissioner’s authority to sanction a district. As passed, SB 1365 clarifies the impact of a D rating in the accountability system, addresses due process for school districts, and adds another year’s pause in accountability ratings.

Additionally, HB 4545 by Rep. Harold Dutton (D-Houston) passed, authorizing accelerated learning committees that will plan interventions for students who fail certain STAAR tests. The bill eliminates

grade promotion restrictions based on test performance. HB 4545 initially sparked controversy by proposing outcomes-based funding for school districts based on student test performance—provisions that were later removed.

The Individual Graduation Committees (IGC) law finally became permanent after the Legislature passed HB 1603 by Huberty.

HB 999 by Rep. Diego Bernal (D-San Antonio) also passed to accommodate high school seniors affected by the pandemic.

ATPE supported both bills, which helped qualified students graduate in 2021 regardless of their STAAR test performance.

CIVICS

The most controversial education bill passed this year was HB 3979 by Rep. Steve Toth (R-Conroe). Branded as a bill to ban the teaching of “critical race theory,” HB 3979 actually contains no reference to the once relatively obscure doctrine more likely to be discussed in graduate-level university courses. ATPE opposed HB 3979 because it circumvents the process used by the State Board of Education (SBOE) to adopt social studies curriculum standards—one that is guided by Texas educators. The bill prohibits requiring teachers to discuss current events or “widely debated and currently controversial” issues, as well as school disciplinary measures that could “have a chilling effect” on students’ ability to discuss those same topics. Many believe

© iStock.com/ flavijus

T

he night before the regular session ended, numerous Democratic state representatives walked out at 11:30 p.m., leaving the House without a quorum and unable to pass a controversial election reform bill before its midnight deadline.

Gov. Greg Abbott called the bill a “mustpass” item and ordered a special session to revive it. Abbott also announced he would veto part of the state budget, defunding the legislative branch of government as of September 1, in retaliation for the walkout.

The governor released his “call,” or agenda, for the July special session one day before its start. Headlining the call: a second stab at the election bill and restoring funding for legislative employees. But Abbott also placed a few high-profile education issues on the agenda.

Democratic House members quickly broke quorum again over voting rights, making national headlines. As of this writing, they were in Washington, D.C., vowing to decamp for the duration of the 30-day special session, and Abbott was planning a second special session in August. As we navigate the twists and turns of the Legislature’s 2021 journey, here’s a look at the major education bills debated this spring and summer.

the bill, ironically, will make it harder to teach students about civics.

Abbott signed HB 3979 into law but also made it a focal point of the special session, asking lawmakers to revive the Senate’s version of the bill, which removed references such as the history of white supremacy, women’s suffrage, and African American leaders from topics the House sought to have added to the TEKS. The Senate readopted its preferred version of the bill, SB 3 by Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola), in the special session.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

SB 1716 by Sen. Larry Taylor (R-Friendswood) was originally filed to make permanent an interim voucher program that Abbott created, giving parents access to supplemental special education services for their children funded with federal COVID-19 relief funds. ATPE opposed the bill until lawmakers removed the voucher aspects. SB 1716 as passed calls for regional education service centers to administer a supplemental services grant with input from admission, review, and dismissal (ARD) committees.

UIL

The Legislature passed HB 547 by Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls), letting home-schooled students participate in UIL activities without enrolling as public school students. ATPE opposed the bill, which guts the “No Pass, No Play” rule and creates an unfunded mandate by requiring school districts to fund the home-schoolers’ UIL activities despite receiving no attendance-based funding for them. Many in the home-schooling community also opposed the bill, calling it a government overreach.

In the regular session, lawmakers did not pass SB 29 by Sen. Charles Perry (R-Lubbock), which would restrict transgender students’ participation in UIL athletic competitions. However, Abbott asked lawmakers to pass legislation “identical” to SB 29 during the July special session.

CHARTER SCHOOLS

Charter school advocates picked up a win with ATPE-opposed HB 3610 by Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (D-San Antonio), exempting taxes on property leased or purchased by a charter holder. Other

ATPE-opposed bills aiming to exempt charters from local government regulations and lessen the role of the SBOE in approving charter expansions did not pass.

VIRTUAL SCHOOLS

Legislators did not pass HB 1468 by Rep. Keith Bell (R-Forney), aimed at extending virtual education options. ATPE opposed the bill because it did not include enough protections for teachers and students.

Lawmakers did pass the ATPE-supported HB 3643 by Rep. Ken King (R-Canadian), establishing a commission to study virtual education and make recommendations for the Legislature to consider in 2023.

CERTIFICATION & TRAINING

SB 1590 by Bettencourt passed, allowing observations of educator certification candidates to take place in virtual settings.

The bill as filed would have allowed all observations to take place virtually, but ATPE worked with Sen. Kel Seliger (R-Amarillo) and Rep. Gary VanDeaver (R-New Boston) to amend SB 1590 to permit a reasonable mix of in-person and virtual observations.

SB 1267 by Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) also passed with ATPE’s support. The bill streamlines state laws and rules containing educator training requirements that were often redundant.

The Legislature also approved a pair of ATPE-supported bills pertaining to bilingual education certificates. SB 560 by Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr. (D-Brownsville) calls for a strategic plan to improve bilingual education, including efforts to recruit more bilingual certified teachers. HB 2256 by Rep. Bobby Guerra (D-Mission) creates a bilingual special education certification.

RETIREMENT

Lawmakers passed the Teacher Retirement System “sunset” bill, HB 1585 by Rep. Stan Lambert (R-Abilene), which creates a new TRS “ombuds” position among other Sunset Advisory Commission recommendations to improve TRS operations. Also passed were these ATPE-supported bills on retire/ rehire: HB 3207 by Rep. Abel Herrero (D-Corpus Christi), which waives retire/ rehire penalties during a disaster; SB 202 by Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown),

ensuring districts cannot force retire/rehire employees to pay the district’s contribution owed to TRS; and SB 288 by Seliger, requiring notice to retire/rehire employees before withholding their annuity payments.

For the July special session, Abbott asked lawmakers to consider legislation that would give retired educators a one-time “13th check,” similar to multiple ATPEsupported bills that were filed but did not pass during the regular session.

SCHOOL SAFETY & MENTAL HEALTH

Numerous bills regarding school safety and mental health passed, including anti-bullying and child trafficking measures, requirements to provide suicide prevention information to students, and changes to laws regarding school personnel who carry firearms.

Lawmakers also passed SB 1109 by West calling for schools to instruct students about the prevention of child abuse, family violence, and dating violence. Abbott vetoed SB 1109 because it did not include opt-out language. He directed legislators to bring the bill back during the special session with a provision for parents to opt their children out of the instruction.

BUDGET

Finally, the Legislature’s budget bill, SB 1 by Sen. Jane Nelson (R-Flower Mound), fully funds the finance system put in place by last session’s HB 3, including funding for enrollment growth for the next two years.

Plus, districts and charters will receive $11.2 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding under the American Relief Plan Act (ARPA).

Distribution of another $5.5 billion in federal relief funding through last year’s Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSA) was held up this spring as Commissioner of Education Mike Morath said there were “unanswered questions” about those funds the Legislature needed to resolve. Morath announced in June that districts could apply for a portion of those “ESSER II” funds but that the state would also use that money to supplant the “hold harmless” attendance-based funding adjustments promised to schools during the 2020-21 school year.

Visit TeachtheVote.org for more information.

ATPE NEWS 17

EXPERIENCE, REFLECTION, EXPERIENCE: Ag Ed’s Greatest Harvest Is Student Leadership

By Sarah Gray

18 ATPE NEWS

L

et’s just get this out of the way: Agricultural education is not just about farming, and neither is FFA. Agricultural education, or “ag ed” for short, is livestock production and wildlife ecology. It’s floral design and landscaping. It’s agriculture communications and law. It’s an instructional program as vast as a wheat field or cattle pasture, and it’s the main avenue through which FFA—a student-led organization—reaches youth for leadership development opportunities, personal growth, and career success and readiness.

Texas FFA, the state affiliate of the national organization, has been around for 93 years and has just under 140,000 student members with 1,079 local FFA chapters and about 2,300 ag teachers who guide those local programs and students. In the state of Texas alone, there are more than 214,000 students enrolled in agricultural education classes.

As Texas FFA Executive Director Austin

Photos courtesy of The Texas FFA Association

Large says, “We’re in the tiniest, little towns and the biggest cities we’ve got here in the state.”

To understand everything ag ed encompasses, Large starts by explaining how career and technical education is a big umbrella, and agriculture, food, and natural resources is one of its spokes.

“Agricultural education is the combination of what happens in the classroom, what happens with student development and FFA, and what happens outside of the classroom through our work-based learning experiences, which we call supervised agricultural experiences [SAE],” he says. “Picture a three-circle Venn diagram where all three of those circles overlap.”

A variety of ag ed courses are taught in the school system, and to be an FFA member, a student must be enrolled in one of those courses. These courses range from a standard introductory course to anything from fishery to ag mechanics. Peggy Georg is a teacher at Jourdanton High School in Jourdanton ISD and an FFA advisor.

She teaches one of the ag ed introductory courses, as well as classes on livestock production, advanced animal science, and small animal management. She says those aforementioned circles intertwine together to foster growth in students.

“They learn through classroom instruction or our meat science lab, our floral lab, or our shop, and they take that knowledge base and then apply it to the FFA competitions they may do, or apply it to their SAE projects, like taking care of their animals and raising rabbits, chickens, turkeys, pigs, all the way up to cattle projects,” Georg says. “But we also have students who may have a job placement, so they may work in a feed store, have a hay bale business, or be a vet assistant. We’ve had kids work at horse farms before.

So, they take all those skills and then apply them to something. They’re learning skills that they’re going to be able to use far past high school and into college and their professional careers as well.”

Seeking Out the Ag

T

he opportunity for growth— whether in confidence, leadership, friendship, or even, yes, literally growing a crop—is a huge draw for students. Emily Dreyer is one such student.

Dreyer was an FFA member throughout her four years of high school. She graduated from Tuloso-Midway High School in May 2021 and plans to study agriculture communications and leadership at Texas Tech University come fall 2021. Although she was already familiar with FFA (her grandfather and father were FFA members), it wasn’t until watching her older sister go through FFA that the wheels started to turn—especially once Dreyer reached high school and was in search of her own community after coming from a different school.

“I got to see the joy that FFA brought her,” Dreyer says of her sister. “I got to watch her develop firsthand. Having her as a role model really helped me in deciding what I wanted to do. I joined every single club—I was in the knitting club for a few days, I was on the cheerleading squad. I was really searching for my friend group, and FFA was there for me.”

Like many students, Dreyer’s FFA journey began with an ag introductory course, but it was the ag teachers and FFA advisors who really helped her find her way.

“Besides my sister, my ag teachers were my first experience with what FFA was and what it really means to be a member,” Dreyer says. “My ag teachers, when they saw potential and when they see potential in somebody, they made sure to tell them. Freshman year, they told me they saw something in me. They knew I could do stuff that I didn’t even know I could do. They guided me. They opened my eyes to all the different opportunities.”

Georg confirms that most FFA members have a similar path to Dreyer.

Often, those who join ag ed already have some sort of background or knowledge of either ag ed itself or FFA, but there are also students who join a class simply because they may have an elective to fill. Regardless of what brought a student in, the advisors seize on every chance to show students what agricultural education is all about.

“The beauty with ag ed, the beauty with FFA, is there’s literally anything and everything for someone out there,” Georg says. “You just have to find it.”

Advisors lean on their knowledge and passion for agriculture and building connections with students to further their success within FFA because the end goal is the same no matter what: “It’s so much more than just teaching them ag. It’s helping them become productive members of society,” Georg says.

ATPE NEWS 19

It doesn’t hurt that ag ed is set up in a such a way that students immediately can put lessons into practice with a variety of hands-on experiences and activities, with their advisors there to offer coaching and reflection. This pattern of “experience, reflection, experience,” in Large’s opinion, is why students are naturally attracted to ag ed and FFA. “Everything that we do, really, in agricultural education is set up in that way, as we provide students with these really cool experiences, and we guide them through reflection and conceptualization about, ‘How did it go, and why did it go that way?” he explains.

“Then we help them kind of create an action plan of, ‘So what do I do different next time?’ And we give them another opportunity to try it, and we just do that over and over and over again.”

What Ag Can Do for You

A

sk anyone in FFA what agricultural education can do for a student, and be prepared for a long, wide-ranging answer, all of which will hit on the triad of classroom learning, student development within FFA, and the SAEs. “We have students who own and operate their own businesses, who are working as employees within agricultural businesses, and who are conducting agricultural research,” Large says. “We have students who are conducting service-learning experiences as a part of that, and then we actually have some schools that operate businesses, but then have the students take on the leadership of those. We have a great example up near Amarillo, the Wildorado FFA chapter. They own an entire beef cattle herd, and the students manage that. So, they’ve got an executive team, they’ve got a marketing team, they have a research team, so all of these students are basically operating a cattle business together.”

And it’s more than just simply going through the motions of these experiences. Each SAE, for example, allows students a natural chance to build character.

20 ATPE NEWS

The National Blue & Corn Gold Aside from a shared mission, most organizations are also known for a corresponding color or uniform that makes it easily recognizable. But to call the FFA’s national blue and corn gold jacket “a uniform” doesn’t quite do it justice. The FFA jacket symbolism and meaning runs deep among its student members. In FFA, students are a part of something bigger than themselves and work in community with fellow members. The FFA jacket—known as “Official Dress” and worn at local, state, and national functions—includes a member’s state name above the FFA emblem and their chapter name below the emblem. It is a physical representation of that sense of community.

Emily Dreyer, an FFA member who graduated from Tuloso-Midway High School in May 2021, says the day her jacket arrived in the mail, everyone gathered around her, giddy, and at first, she didn’t understand why—until she put it on.

“When you put on that stiff jacket for the very first time, you really do feel like you’re wrapped in love.”

While the jacket is both a meaningful, —Emily Dreyer, long-standing tradition and also part of a manFFA member, Tulosodatory uniform, its $55 price tag puts it out of Midway High School reach for some students. The national FFA has

When you put on that stiff jacket for the very first time, you really do feel like you’re wrapped in love.”

a donation page set up at ffa.org/giveblue for those who want to gift the jacket to a member.

Dreyer, however, set her eyes on her local community. She recalls attending her district FFA convention and seeing jackets with no lettering or faded colors and members whose names didn’t match the name on the jacket they were wearing. Dreyer and her friend realized they had an opportunity before them.

They started reaching out to local businesses, FFA alumni, farmers and ranchers, their local farm bureau office, and other companies and individuals—some associated with agriculture, some not—for donations to then purchase the FFA jackets for students. As of May 2021, Dreyer and her friend had raised enough money to purchase 35 jackets.

“We really do think this jacket is a lot more than just a jacket,” Dreyer says.

“Because it brings the memories, the opportunities, and the new learning experiences that we’re given in FFA. We call it the sea of blue when you go to state convention. It’s overwhelming. There’s just something special about seeing that many kids who are just like you and not like you at the same time.”

“I bring up the SAE because that’s where we learn a lot of the grit of what it means to be an FFA member, what it means to be a person, and what it means to be a leader,” Dreyer explains.

“My SAE is raising cattle, and that teaches you a lot about confidence because you have to have the confidence to walk your 1,500-pound animal and have full control over it.

“I learned hard work and dedication because I had to go out and feed my animal every morning and every night, and wash him and bathe him and exercise him, and make sure he was ready for the show,” she continues. “I had to be reliable because he was relying on me, and I also had so many other people relying on me, so I had to be able to show up for not only the animal, but the people around me.”

The FFA component—where the leader development and student growth come in—cannot be overstated, either. Through this, FFA provides students scholarship opportunities, chances to travel for competitions and other events, and leadership training.

Because FFA is student-led, its members often conduct many conference sessions and maintain communication with other chapters and members. For Dreyer, the leadership aspect has been a main focus.

“I definitely learned some self-confidence, mostly in my ability to captivate an audience or that I was good enough to lead whatever I was talking about,” Dreyer says. “FFA really taught me to build community. I’ve also been able to learn things through teaching, whether it’s through public speaking or teaching responsibility. The most recent workshop I did was called ‘On Purpose for a Purpose,’ so while I’m trying to find my purpose, I’m also able to help other members find their purpose, and we can walk through this journey together.”

Georg and Large both believe these experiences and characteristics are what set FFA students apart when it comes to future successes, such as attending college or entering the work force. According to mytexasffa.org,

students with two, four, or six semesters of ag ed courses have a higher graduation rate than their peers and university leaders note that Texas FFA students are more prepared.

“I think the big part is their adaptability, flexibility, and their desire to continue to learn,” Georg says. “They [students] keep wanting to learn and keep trying harder, and I think universities truly look at that. It’s their well-roundedness, too. You look at any of our students’ resumes and they have community service, volunteering with different organizations, and leadership positions in student organizations here at the high school.

“Yeah, they know a lot about agriculture, but they know a lot about how to be a public speaker and be a leader and a teammate—that’s probably one of the biggest things that employers or universities look at,” Georg continues.

Large points out their website even features corporate sponsors like Wyndham Hotels that aren’t directly tied to agricultural education but know FFA students have a proven track record.

“Our students are hard workers,” Large says. “They [universities and employers] know that they’re [students are] going to show up to work on time, and they’re going to get the job done. They have a really strong base level of skills that are going to help them find success.”

For Dreyer, ag ed and FFA does all those things and more: “FFA is just a place where ideas can be built,

where friendships can be fostered and created. It is a safe environment where we are able to explore and become a better person in the long run, and we are able to do all this while learning and getting those hands-on experiences.”

Cultivating Growth

W

hen you consider all the things the world needs from the agriculture industry, you realize agriculture is practically the foundation of everything in our world. For FFA students, their advisors, and anyone even remotely curious about ag ed, that means there are numerous entry points into the field—and that FFA is more than what you think.

Large uses an example from his childhood: He grew up in Fresno County, California, one of the most agriculturally productive areas in the U.S. and source of most of the world’s almond supply.

“I had no idea what agriculture was, and I literally drove past it every day,” he explains. “It wasn’t until I got involved in my agriculture program in high school that I started to understand how this industry is supporting the local economy I live in.

Recognizing that and just being an informed consumer is really important.

Am I involved in production agriculture? No, not at all. I work in an office job in Austin.

Continued on page 38

ATPE NEWS 21

COMMUNICATIONS FAILURE:

EDUCATING SECONDARY STUDENTS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE

B Y: S H E L B Y L . S T R AW N , P L E A S A N T G R O V E I S D

S

cience research of anthropogenic climate change, also known as human-caused climate change, often becomes misconstrued by communication go-betweens, such as news media outlets, politicians, or researchers themselves. This dissemination of inaccurate or incomplete anthropogenic climate science information has the potential of hindering the learning process and overall student understanding. When teaching climate science, we must first consider the theory and research behind it. Then, it’s important to identify how an educator can effectively approach this topic in the classroom. Teachers must work to transmit accurate and credible climate science information for greater understanding of climate change to their students.

22 ATPE NEWS

WHAT RESEARCH TELLS US Current research addresses multiple gaps in science communication to the public, including science education. Theoretical groundwork within this research uses a social constructivist point of view as to the education (i.e., understanding) and communication of climate change. As first proposed by Lev Vygotsky, social constructivism is when individuals learn from interactions of others, such as teachers, parents, and friends (Spector, 2016).

The topic of climate change illustrates Vygotsky’s dialogue as news media, politicians, parents, teachers, friends, and social media all serve as sources for learning and understanding.

A great deal of significant research argues that children should be properly informed and taught about climate change in early childhood education. In a study conducted among 29 year-six students (ages 11–12, comparable to the American sixth grade) in an Australian primary school, results found that with a mixed methods approach, students had a clearer understanding of climate change. Likewise, higher performance levels also indicate a higher level of concern in some students.

The study outlined specific outcomes, including understanding the relationship of Australia and global environments, how various belief systems influence understanding of climate change, and evaluating how living things affect the environment. The results also communicated that students possessed significant misunderstandings at the beginning of the study. While some misconceptions were corrected among the cohort, some misconceptions persisted. “These authors point out that even when the existing conception is addressed and new information systematically introduced, the learner may still choose to remain with their initial conception. With highly resistant misconceptions, a period longer than one school term and more targeted activities may be required to produce conceptual or partial conceptual change” (Taber & Taylor, 2009). In short, the research suggests that continual reiteration of concepts regarding climate change from year to year in early childhood into secondary education courses may further assist students’ understandings.

CLASSROOM STRATEGIES & TECHNIQUES

THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT CONTINUAL REITERATION OF CONCEPTS REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR IN EARLY CHILDHOOD INTO SECONDARY EDUCATION COURSES MAY FURTHER ASSIST STUDENTS’ UNDERSTANDINGS.

RESEARCH VS. EDUCATION It’s important to discuss similarities and differences between science education and science research, which can help provide appropriate communication. Similar themes are engagement, education, and entertainment; by contrast, science education focuses on what is occurring and how scientists figure out answers, while science research is argued to have more broadened goals. In this distinction, professors and researchers Ayelet Baram-Tsabari and Jonathan Osborne argue that because science research and education possess differing emphases, objectives within science education are called into question (Baram-Tsabari & Osborne, 2015).

The researchers identify the problem of science not ever having a static or simple solution to humanity’s issues. This leads to a general belief that science education should be merely conceptual, a fatal flaw that leads to the division of scientific research and education. “Thus, if science education is really to deliver on its goal of educating students to be able to make enlightened choices, it needs to broaden its conception of what aspects of scientific knowledge it should address” (BaramTsabari & Osborne, 2015). Because of this divergence, Baram-Tsabari and Osborne discuss underlying issues of marrying science research within science education, including socio-political stance on society, knowledge gaps, and level of engagement specifically when attempting to interpret science articles and findings.

Because social constructivism plays a key role in understanding climate change, it is necessary to recognize that teachers, parents, students, and media play a role in the learning process. And it is imperative for educators to implement effective strategies when teaching climate change to secondary science students, including enhanced discussion, debate, analyzing current data sets, critical writing, case study scenarios, virtual learning, collaborative groups, and laboratory modeling and demonstrations. Furthermore, the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) describes objectives whose content requires students to analyze human interactions with the environment—for example, let’s consider the increased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere via human activity versus naturally fluctuating (cyclical) carbon dioxide levels as a specific classroom discussion topic.

According to the book The Strategic Teacher, there are two strategies that could be implemented to promote self-expression and interpersonal dialogue: extrapolation and decision-making. Extrapolation is a self-expressive strategy in which students see patterns behind texts and ideas.

There are three steps: “Examine known or easily understood sources, [e.g., understand important concepts and vocabulary [like] carbon dioxide cycling, pollution, global warming, and climate change], extract the key structural elements from these sources [e.g., elevated carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere increase global warming and thus, over time, shifts climate patterns], [and] put their newfound structural comprehension to work by using it to better understand a new source [e.g., the effect of pollution on global warming, glacial and ice cap melting, greenhouse effect, ozone layer, and aquatic viability; different views on the existence of global warming]” (Silver, Strong, & Perini, 2007).

The authors claim this strategy primes students for new learning and is built upon analogical problem-solving. Extrapolation further builds upon existing knowledge of climate change while also building upon new information that may solidify learning or mitigate misconceptions. Critical writing may be introduced to link prior and new ATPE NEWS 23

THE DECISION-MAKING STRATEGY ALLOWS STUDENTS TO BECOME PERSONALLY INVOLVED WITH WHAT THEY ARE STUDYING. ASKING SAMPLE QUESTIONS CAN INVITE STUDENTS TO DEVELOP POWERFUL INSIGHT AND OPINION, WHILE ALSO MAKING INFORMED DECISIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.

learning by preparing a speech, performing a dialogue between friends, or writing a news article that explains basic to more complex points of elevated carbon dioxide levels.

The decision-making strategy allows students to become personally involved with what they are studying. Asking sample questions can invite students to develop powerful insight and opinion, while also making informed decisions on controversial issues. A probing question regarding elevated carbon dioxide levels could be providing students a statistic of how many vehicles on the road are contributing to fossil fuel emissions per developed country. For example, “Based on this information, what legislation could you enact if you lived in a country with higher fossil fuel emissions from vehicles to get to lower emissions?” The authors claim that using this method is a strategically important way to introduce a difficult or controversial topic. They also state that using case studies to show how an expert uses graphical analysis and other data sets to make informed decisions, as well as discussion briefs to continue the collaborative discourse on the topic at hand, are all forms of comparative thinking. For instance, the question regarding increased fossil fuel emissions per country asks students to categorize highest to lowest and implications thereof. “Recent research makes clear both the value and benefits of classroom decision making strategies …

learning through decision making leads to higher levels of conceptual understanding because it lets students access and manipulate content through the lens of their own personal value system” (Silver, Strong, & Perini, 2007). This strategy could be utilized in case study scenarios, building experiments around simulating carbon dioxide emissions, analyzing virtual data or historical data of carbon dioxide levels and its implications, and preparing for debate or circle discussion regarding both sides of climate change.

Active learning strategies also play a role in understanding points of climate change.

Active learning involves any activity in which students play an active role in their individual learning. This participation is enhanced if they are provided choices and are shown their opinions are valued. A study conducted in 2013 by Kirk, et.al., entitled “Undergraduate Climate Education: Motivations, Strategies, and Successes, and Support” provided a survey to undergraduate faculty educators about successful strategies in teaching climate science.

“Frequent responses emerged around the themes of using the local environment to learn about nearby climate impacts, creating active classroom experiences such as structured discussion or role playing, or using ‘hands-on’ lab activities” (Kirk, et. al., 2013). The authors pointed out that more than one strategy could be implemented by a single educator. Like the collaborative

strategies mentioned in this work, debates and town hall meetings are included in active learning. Other approaches include using Google Earth and remote sensing or computer-based mapping with real data.

Discussion and presentations, inquiry-driven hands-on laboratory activities, and citizen science (fieldwork) are also mentioned.

This study may translate to secondary science climate change education. The authors also mention productivity in learning when considering a potentially controversial topic such as climate change to present or debate. “The range of values over climate change can be further highlighted by activities that employ role playing, negotiations, and opportunities for students to consider the points of view of diverse stakeholders. … Effective use of these activities allows for an understanding that values, emotion, and affect play a role in understanding climate impacts and climate policy and thus can help ease the divide that has arisen around climate change” (Kirk, et.al.). Active learning strategies may assist in correcting climate change misconceptions, and by communicating effectively with students and Continued on page 38

SHELBY L. STRAWN has six years’ experience teaching middle school to college level life sciences. Most recently, she has taught AP and dual credit biology and as an adjunct instructor. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in learning technologies with the College of Information at the University of North Texas. She credits her biology teaching and educational background with how far she has come in her research experience, education, and passion for nature. She enjoys spending time with family, including her husband and two daughters, and friends; being active; and getting outside.

References Baram-Tsabari, A., & Osborne, J. (2015). Bridging science education and science communication research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 52(2), 135-144. doi:10.1002/tea.21202 • Kirk, K. B., Gold, A. U., Ledley, T. S., Sullivan, S. B., Manduca, C. A., Mogk, D. W., & Wiese, K. (2014). Undergraduate climate education: motivations, strategies, successes, and support. Journal of Geoscience Education, 62(4), 538-549. doi:10.5408/13-054 • Silver, H. F., Strong, R. W., & Perini, M. J. (2007). The strategic teacher: selecting the right research-based strategy for every lesson. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. • Spector, J. M. (2015). Foundations of educational technology: integrative approaches and interdisciplinary perspectives. London, England: Routledge. • Taber, F., & Taylor, N. (2009). Climate of concern - a search for effective strategies for teaching children about global warming. International Journal of Environmental & Science Education, 4(2), 97-116. Retrieved from ijese.net

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WHERE LITERACY RATES GO, SUCCESS FOLLOWS ATPE takes a look at what we know (and don’t know) about the HB 3 Reading Academies

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B Y J E S U S C H AV E Z

n 2019, the 86th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 3 (HB 3). A sweeping and comprehensive piece of school finance reform legislation, HB 3 promised billions in new funding for Texas public schools, an increase in teacher compensation, and tax relief for local property owners. Inside HB 3 were other things, too: Texas made it law that any educators and school principals providing core instruction to kindergarten through third grade participate in and complete state-sponsored “HB 3 Reading Academies.”

According to the Texas Education Agency (TEA), educators must complete “… year-long, intensive, job-embedded trainings and coaching fellowships aligned to the science of teaching reading” before the 2022-23 school year. Per changes to the law made during the 87th Texas Legislature, educators now have until the end of their first year of placement to complete the requirement.

As outlined by HB 3, the reading academies initiative is composed of two parts that take place before and after an educator’s placement. The first component is the Science of Teaching Reading (STR) Certification exam, which, per TEA, “… demonstrates a teacher’s proficiency in the science of teaching reading.” It’s required of all teacher candidates who teach grades pre-K through six. The second component, the HB 3 Reading Academies, is meant to reinforce educators’ knowledge of reading instruction. School districts have some flexibility in how they implement the trainings on their calendar and in choosing the providers.

The requirement is broad enough to include educators who have been teaching students to read for decades, teachers who are entering their first classroom, and nearly every teacher in between. It also mandates that school principals, special education teachers, literacy specialists, and librarians, among

others, complete the trainings if they are deemed by their districts to provide “core instruction” to students. That’s roughly 120,000 educators.

Reading academies aren’t exactly a new development. As Monty Exter, ATPE’s senior lobbyist, explains: Texas has previously adopted similar tactics when state reading scores were trending downward, and the reading academies of the past have helped.

Those reading academies—or literacy academies—sometimes took the shape of a year-long fellowship that included a five-day summer workshop, three two-day professional development sessions, a three-day workshop after the school year ended, and continual embedded coaching throughout the school year. Some were less involved.

“Our net reading scores would then go up for a number of years as teachers took these professional development trainings and put those methods into place in their own classroom,” Exter says. “The test scores would then positively reflect those efforts.”

Once any lagging scores improved, he added, Texas’ priorities—and funding— tended to shift to other areas, and the improved scores would then plateau or start trending downward again.

That’s what happened leading up to HB 3. In 2017, Texas students ranked 46th in the U.S. for fourth grade reading proficiency. TEA announced that reading scores for the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) had fallen for students in nearly every grade level. Later that year, Gov. Greg Abbott and TEA launched a precursor of sorts to the reading academies push known as the Texas Readers Initiative, which provided professional development opportunities and created a public awareness campaign focusing on the ATPE NEWS 25

importance of children’s literacy.

In 2018, the Texas Commission on Public School Finance reported that only four in 10 students met the state’s reading standards. The 2018 STAAR test scores revealed that approximately 58% of Texas third graders were not reading at their expected levels.

“The phrase that got bandied about during the initial meetings proposing a new literacy achievement policy was, ‘up to grade three, you’re learning to read, and after grade three, you’re reading to learn,’” Exter says. “There was a strong belief out of the school finance commission at the time that student success past the third grade was extremely dependent upon a student’s ability to read.”

They weren’t wrong to think so, either. In a study published in 2010 by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to children’s well-being, researchers found that reading proficiency at the end of third grade is a pivotal marker of students’ educational development. According to the study, incoming fourth graders, especially low-income fourth graders, who were not proficient in reading literacy were several times more likely to drop out of school.

This was the reality in which TEA and state legislators found themselves while crafting one of the most sweeping education funding bills in recent memory, and that’s more or less why educators are being asked to attend this new and more forceful iteration of the reading academies.

IMPLEMENTING THE ACADEMIES TEA Deputy Commissioner for School Programs Lily Laux spoke about the HB 3 Reading Academies in a February 2021 article by the Longview News-Journal. (TEA did not return our request for an interview in time for publication.)

In the article, Laux said that across the state, reading scores not being where TEA wanted them was the impetus for the adoption of these curricula and programming. She added that she believed all early learning teachers could potentially benefit from taking a reading academy.

That said, it’s mostly been left to school districts to enroll and schedule educators in the HB 3 Reading Academies. It is also their responsibility to inform educators when their jobs could be affected, when they will have the opportunity to enroll, what their testing and retesting times will be, and what a suitable passing score for their comprehension check will be.

Many educators have already taken the course, or they soon will through their regional Education Service Center (ESC), school district, or another of TEA’s approved providers.

The cost to enroll an educator in an HB 3 Reading Academy can be anywhere from $400 per educator for a fully online course to $3,000 per educator for the comprehensive course, which includes online modules and in-person learning. School districts are expected to shoulder the cost of enrollment. Once enrolled, educators choose one of three learning paths: general and special education, bilingual general and special education, and administrator.

TEA says the HB 3 Reading Academies are meant to be 26 ATPE NEWS

completed over the course of 11 months to a year, amounting to no more than 10 full days of work. As far as can be ascertained, it is a one-time certification that will then transfer across school districts in perpetuity once completed.

Tonja Gray is a literacy coach and cohort leader for the ESC Region 14 Texas Reading Academy based out of Abilene, and, in 2018, she was on the committee that created the framework for the Texas STR exam. Cohort leaders provide participants with material and coaching throughout a reading academy.

“The reading academies are steeped in material that is evidence-based and comes from years of research,” says Gray, who also served as the 2019-20 ATPE state president. “Thanks to the material I know that, even as a presenter, I have grown as an educator because of what I have been learning about the science of reading over the past few years.”

Gray believes that there are several misconceptions about the HB 3 Reading Academies and the science of reading, in general, which she has been working to help educators overcome.

“One prominent misconception that I have heard many times is that this is just another pendulum swing and will go away with the next swing,” Gray says. “I realize many of us who have been teaching for a while have seen that happen before. I have heard many people say they aren’t going to take this seriously [because of that]. The thing is: The science behind what we are teaching and the skills we are developing have always been there. It has just gotten pushed aside.”

HOW DO EDUCATORS FEEL? As a staff attorney in the ATPE Member Legal Services Department, Jennifer Gordon has been helping ATPE members navigate the new legal requirement and their school districts’ implementation of it.

“We’re hearing from educators who’ve already been informed by their district what they have to do, and we’re hearing from people who are in the midst of it who are very burdened by the time commitment,” Gordon says. “These are people who are debating whether they want to raise challenges about the commitment and the compensation, or lack thereof, and whether it’s fair to them.”

Gordon notes that while educators’ contracts often include stipulations that allow districts to request educators work additional time outside of their contracted hours, it has to be, as Gordon puts it, “reasonable.”

Some educators, like Heather Bratton Chapman, would argue it isn’t.

“No other profession is micromanaged in this

way,” says Chapman, who has taught primary grades for 20 years and previously attended a reading academy offered by her school district.

“I understand and do not deny the need for continued professional development. [However,] the requirements of the HB 3 Reading Academy are grossly excessive.”

ATPE spoke with several educators about their experiences with the HB 3 Reading Academies. Some expressed concerns about the time commitment. Others wondered if it was worth the cost—especially since there is no guarantee they will be paid for their time. Currently there aren’t any state funds earmarked specifically to compensate educators who take part in the academies, and, while there is no guidance preventing school districts from paying educators for their time, there isn’t currently any guidance telling them they should, either.

“We have seen that money was put into place by the Texas Legislature to develop the curricula and programs, but there wasn’t any money put into providing teachers with compensation for participating,” Exter says.

This leaves educators like Mandy Estrada feeling like her time isn’t being respected.

“I think it’s unfair to ask teachers to give even more of their time than they already do—uncompensated at that,” Estrada says. “Since this is a requirement by the state, teachers need to be provided with substitutes so we can complete the requirements within our contracted time.

If teachers work on the academy outside of our contacted time, those hours should be logged and compensated for.”

She adds: “Teachers are already attending numerous professional development sessions throughout the year. I agree that professional growth and development are critical, but once we have fulfilled our required hours, we should be paid for our time. Of course, we love our kids, and we want to be our best for them. But our time and well-being are valuable, too.”

Shelley Lum is a veteran educator of 28 years. She completed her HB 3 Reading Academy in May 2021, after beginning the program in July 2020. Lum believes it took every one of the required hours to complete the academy and more.

“The curriculum contained some valuable information, but I felt it could have been delivered in less time and through a different format,” Lum says. “It was a slap in the face to be ‘required’ to take such a time-consuming class on top of

schoolwork, planning, and regular professional development hours. To receive no compensation from the state whatsoever was the final blow.”

Cristina C. Gonzáles took the bilingual literacy learning path with a reading academy held by her region’s ESC. Gonzáles says the course left much to be desired.

“Our district only hired a reading cohort leader for the English reading academy, not a biliteracy cohort leader,” Gonzáles states. “We had to go through our region center.

Our cohort leader isn’t even [bilingual]. I had to do everything online on my own with basically no guidance [whereas] other teachers got help. They got to do some of the trainings face-to-face with help from the other cohort leader and each other. Bilingual teachers were again left as an afterthought.”

Some educators have also questioned why previous, nonHB 3 reading academies or certifications don’t allow them to test out of the new requirement. The answer is complicated.

Jennifer Bowland will start her reading academy beginning fall 2021 with an expected completion date next summer.

She has a master’s degree with a reading concentration and previously took part in a non-HB 3 reading academy at the beginning of her career. She has taught primary grades, served as a reading specialist, and is now a dyslexia specialist at her school. In many ways, she has been training to teach reading and writing her entire career.

“I think [reading academies] will be great for people who might be more novice in the areas of reading and writing,” Bowland says. “However, I think if you meet certain criteria, you should be exempt.”

Very few prior trainings are being recognized for exemption credit, however, and it is unlikely that educators will be able to simply ‘test out.’

Although she acknowledges that some educators may have valid concerns, Gray believes there has been some misrepresentation about the HB 3 Reading Academies and what they are meant to accomplish.

“I have had many teachers inform me that they have already done a reading academy in the past, and that it should count,” Gray says. “It does not. Why? The previous academies were not based in the science of reading and only lasted three to five days. The HB 3 Reading Academy lasts longer and covers the material at a broader and deeper level.

It works on the application in your classroom and spends time specifically looking at how the material looks with students of differing abilities.”

Even charter schools are being told they must comply with the state law, something rare for Texas. It is something that must be completed by any educator who wishes to teach grades K-3 moving forward.

When asked why a math, science, or social studies teacher should be required to attend a reading academy, Gray says it’s simple: “All teachers are reading teachers.”

Beyond that, Gray says she’s seen firsthand how beneficial continued on page 38

ATPE NEWS 27

ATPE members gathered virtually July 12–15 for the 2021 ATPE Summit—the

association’s

annual

leadership

training

and

governance conference. This year’s event focused on making new connections and invigorating inspiration that may have dwindled after a tough school year. Thanks to videoconferencing and online election software, ATPE members received training to help them successfully run ATPE local units and regions, listened to a legislative update from Governmental Relations, participated in the House of Delegates (HOD) meeting, and elected state officers. July 15 also marked a special one-day professional development event, Inspired, that featured a variety of sessions from ATPE’s professional learning partners, allowing attendees to earn continuing professional education credit.

The next few pages highlight leaders, members, and supporters who are making a difference in ATPE and their communities. You will also find information about decisions made during the HOD. Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2021 ATPE Summit.

28 ATPE NEWS

Alyce Bell, Betty Berndt, Sandra Bounds, Jose Delgado, Suellen Ener, Twila Figueroa, Nicole Fuller, Jackie Hannebaum, Lotus Hoey, Scott Mathis, Michael Perez, Katrina Price, Abigail Ramford, Abby Rogers, Kristel Sexton, Jayne Serna, Elizabeth Sunderland, and Tami Wilkinson

Nomination/Election Committee

Chair Rebecca Monsevalles, Sara Connaway, Sarah Czar, Christina Flores, Carl Garner, Lisa Hinojosa, and Debbie Williamson

Acknowledgments Thank you to our generous corporate and association partners.

Corporate partners Frost Bank, RBFCU

Association partners

It’s Time Texas, Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented, TCEA, Texas Association of Future Educators, and Texas ASCD

Ad Hoc Committee on Governance

Chair Dale Lovett, Gail Adlesperger, Augustine Anduiza, Cindy Chapman, David de la Garza, Kimberly Dolese, Cesarea Germain, Tonja Gray, Karen Hames, Allyson Haveman, Byron Hildebrand, Maya Issac, Jimmy Lee, Meredith Malloy, Ryan Nassif, Charles Pickitt, Michael Robinson, Jayne Serna, Eduardo Sierra, Mandy Vahrenkamp, Ron Walcik, Stacey Ward, Shane Whitten, Richard Wiggins, and Betty Gail Wood-Rush

Bylaws Committee

Chair Dale Lovett, Augustine Anduiza, Cesarea Germain, Maya Issac, Meredith Malloy, Ryan Nassif, Michael Robinson, and Eduardo Sierra

Resolutions Committee

Chair Stephanie Stoebe, Sue Ambrus, Allen Bettis, Wendy Cook, Misael DeLeon, Karen Hill, Phyllis Jarzombek, David Ochoa, Felicia Robinson, and Susan Samson

House of Delegates ATPE’s annual House of Delegates meeting reflects our member-governed philosophy. At the HOD, delegates representing their local units and regions vote for ATPE’s next leaders and determine policies that will guide our association. This year, delegates met July 13 and 14 to hear candidates for state office speak and to consider bylaws amendments and honorary, current, and standing resolutions; the ATPE Legislative Program; and other agenda items.

Bylaws Amendments

The HOD adopted eight bylaws amendments that transfer authority over the bylaws from the House of Delegates to the ATPE Board of Directors, ensuring compliance with the Texas Business Organizations Code.

Learn more at atpe.org/bylaws.

Resolutions

Educator of the Year Committee

Chair Jenna Norris, Erika Mitcham, Rhonda Smith, Cindy Stouff, and Greg Vidal

The HOD readopted 13 standing resolutions and voted to allow current resolutions 1, 2, 3, and 4 to expire.

Members can read the resolutions at atpe.org/hod. The HOD also adopted an honorary resolution recognizing Past State President Tonja Gray for her service to ATPE.

Leader of the Year Committee

ATPE Legislative Program

Chair Scoie Green, Stefani Johnson, Teresa Millard, Opal Mobbs, Edana Slaight, and Kimberly Woerner

Legislative & PAC Committees

Chair Jason Forbis, Elizabeth Abrahams, Donnetta Allen,

The ATPE Legislative Program outlines the association’s legislative priorities and guides ATPE Governmental Relations in its advocacy efforts. The HOD adopted the 2021-22 ATPE Legislative Program. Visit atpe.org/leg-program to review the program.

ATPE NEWS 29

2020-21 Awards ATPE honored educators, students, ATPE leaders, and education journalists at the summit.

Charles Pickitt Educator of the Year Award The Charles Pickitt Educator of the Year Award recognizes ATPE members who demonstrate exceptional or innovative capabilities in their respective educational fields.

Administrator of the Year

Associate of the Year

Elementary Teacher Secondary Teacher of the Year of the Year

Special Services Educator of the Year

Bruce Wilson Corpus Christi ISD

Madonna Felan Northside (20) ISD

Sarah “Sally” Hunter Austin ISD

Audrey G. Young Nacogdoches ISD

Finalists: Domingo Villarreal, La Joya ISD, and Ramiro Pena, Banquete ISD

Finalists: Hilda Martinez, La Joya ISD, and San Juana Mercado, Edinburg CISD

Finalists: Christina “Chrissy” Leal, San Antonio ISD, and Michael Renteria, Amarillo ISD

Kimberly Grosenbacher Boerne ISD Finalists: Kally Evans, Willis ISD, and Roya Dinbali, Nacogdoches ISD

Finalists: Myra Rodriguez-Berrones, Zapata ISD, and Yvonne Frate, Killeen ISD

Floyd Trimble Local Unit of the Year Awards The ATPE Local Unit of the Year Award acknowledges local unit efforts and accomplishments during the year.

Local Units with 1–200 Members

Local Units with 201–500 Members

Local Units with Local Units with 501–1,000 Members 1,001+ Members

University Local Units

Krum ATPE Region 11

McAllen ATPE Region 1

Waxahachie ATPE Region 10

Edinburg ATPE Region 1

2020-21 officers: President Betty Plunkett (pictured), Vice President Tanya Gray, Secretary Shellie Hale, and Treasurer Julie Nabors

2020-21 officers: President Twila Figueroa (pictured), Vice President Maria Trevino, Secretary Maria Guzman, and Treasurer MaElena Ingram

2020-21 officers: President Antonio Mercado (pictured), Vice President Misael DeLeon, Secretary Amancio Garza, Treasurer Elias Lozano

Finalists: Lackland ATPE, Stephenville ATPE

Finalists: Galena Park ATPE, Pharr-San JuanAlamo ATPE

2020-21 officers: President Nora Crist (pictured), Vice President Renee Graff, Secretary Angie McClain, Treasurer Patty Hilton, and Membership Chair Kim Kriegel

University of St. Thomas ATPE Region 4

30 ATPE NEWS

Finalists: Alief ATPE, Leander ATPE

Finalists: CypressFairbanks ATPE, Northside (20) ATPE

2020-21 officers: President Cynthia Mendoza (pictured), Vice President Monica Hernandez, Secretary Leidy Reyes, and Treasurer Madeleine Yates Finalists: Tarleton State University ATPE, University of Houston–Downtown ATPE

Doug Rogers Campus Representative of the Year Award The Doug Rogers Campus Representative of the Year Award acknowledges those special ATPE volunteers who are fundamental to the continued growth and development of our grassroots organization.

Local Units with 1–200 Members

Local Units with 201–500 Members

Local Units with Local Units with 501–1,000 Members 1,001+ Members

Elizabeth Bitar Kennedale ISD

Jamie Villarreal Hays ATPE

Hilda Martinez La Joya ATPE

Karina Torres Cypress-Fairbanks ATPE

Finalists: Nicole Edwards, Bandera ATPE, and Myra Rodriguez-Berrones, Zapata ATPE

Finalists: Rhoda Ard, Lumberton ATPE, and Melanie Gohn, Boerne ATPE

Finalists: Rosemary Gonzalez, North East ATPE, and Robin Brown, Waxahachie ATPE

Finalists: Jay Guerrero, Cypress-Fairbanks ATPE, and San Juana Mercado, Edinburg ATPE

Although the ATPE Summit was virtual this year, some members held watch parties across the state.

ATPE NEWS 31

2020-21 Political Action Committee Honorees William B. Travis ATPE-PAC Honorees

William B. Travis Honorees are members who donated $150 or more to ATPE-PAC between August 1, 2019, and July 31, 2020.

Charlotte Anthony, Betty Berndt, Sherry Boyd, Brenda Bryan, Wendy Cook, Hector Cruz, Ona Beth Day, David de la Garza, Sharon Dixon, Deryl Elms, Robert Evans, Madonna Felan, Twila Figueroa, Ron Fitzwater, Jason Forbis, CaRita Forte, Ginger Franks, Carl Franks, Brenda Fuller, Nichole Gambulos, Yessica Garza, Patti Gibbs, Sharon Ginn, Tiffiiany Godley, Jennifer Grady, Tonja Gray, Bill Griffin, Karen Hames, Crystal Hammill, Margaret Hastings, Allyson Haveman, Jean Henderson, Byron Hildebrand, Shannon Holmes, Charles Huebel, Maria Elena Ingram, Phyllis Jarzombek, Kate Johanns, Stefani Johnson, Darlene Kelly, Connie Kilday, Deann Lee, Jimmy Lee, Sondra Lewis, Jerrica Liggins, Glenda Loftin, Dale Lovett, Meredith Malloy, Katy Matthews, Shawna Mayerson, Antonio Mercado, Evelyn Miles-Hoskin, Teresa Millard, Donald Milner, Roger Moralez, Russell Mullins, Teri Nail, Ryan Nassif, Lynn Nutt, Bobbye Patton, Dominic Perez, Deborah Pleasant, Betty Plunkett, Steve Pokluda, Abigail Ramford, Dianne Reed, Michael Renteria, Jennifer Richter, Dawn Riley, Brooke Roberts, Lindsay Robinson, Eli Rodriguez, Abby Rogers, Michelle Ruddell, Gayle Sampley, Gary Schepf, Jayne Serna, Mauro Sierra, Edana Slaight, Maria Slette, Shelia

32 ATPE NEWS

Slider, Debra Smith, Wendy Smith, Christie Smith, Samuel Spurlock, Becky Spurlock, Cathy Stolle, Michael Sweet, Judi Thomas, Greg Vidal, Colleen Vigil, Eileen Walcik, Melissa Walcik, Ron Walcik, Stacey Ward, Virginia Welch, Katherine Whitbeck, Shane Whitten, Richard Wiggins, David Williams

Stephen F. Austin ATPE-PAC Honorees

The members below have contributed the following cumulative amounts to ATPE-PAC since July 1997. $10,000 – PAC Hall of Fame Twila Figueroa, Ginger Franks, Gayle Sampley*, Richard Wiggins *This year’s newest inductee.

$5,000 Eileen Walcik, Melissa Walcik $2,500 Jason Forbis, Deann Lee, Dale Lovett, Meredith Malloy, Lynda Stark, Judi Thomas $1,500 Sarah Beal, Deryl Elms, Sheila Fields, Carl Franks, Bill Griffin, Carol Phelps, Dawn Riley, Lindsay Robinson, Eugenia Rolfe, Wendy Smith, Jane Sykes, Virginia Welch $500 Barbara Graham, Kate Johanns, Kristin Kilday, Barbara Lebold, Carolyn Little, Glenda Loftin, Shawna Mayerson, Donald Milner, Dominic Perez, Charles Pickitt, Abigail Ramford, Edana

ATPE state officers conducted the House of Delegates from San Antonio.

Slaight, Maria Slette, Debra Smith, Stephanie Stoebe, Johanna Ullrich, Roberto Villanueva

Davy Crockett Fundraising Challenge

This challenge was established to recognize the regions and local units that raise the most money per member for ATPE-PAC. Region, 10,001 or more members Region 10 Region, 10,000 or fewer members Region 20 Local unit, 1–200 members Woden ATPE Local unit, 201–500 members Boerne ATPE Local unit, 501+ members Humble ATPE

ATPE-PAC Statesman Award

The ATPE-PAC Statesman Award honors ATPE members who have donated $20 or more to the ATPEPAC for 12 consecutive months.

Charlotte Anthony, Julleen Bottoms, Sherry Boyd, Brenda Bryan, David de la Garza, Twila Figueroa, Ron Fitzwater, Carita Forte, Brenda Fuller, Bill Griffin, Shannon Holmes, Darlene Kelly, Jerrica Liggins, Glenda Loftin, Dale Lovett, Meredith Malloy, Roger Moralez, Bobbye Patton, Deborah Pleasant, Steve Pokluda, Jennifer Richter, Dawn Riley, Brooke Roberts, Lindsay Robinson, Eli Rodriguez, Jayne Serna, Wendy Smith, Becky Spurlock, Samuel Spurlock, Judi Thomas

ATPE’s Top Recruiter

Meet your 2021-22 state officers, from left to right: President Karen Hames, Lewisville ATPE; Vice President Stacey Ward, Humble ATPE; Secretary Jayne Serna, Leander ATPE; Treasurer Jason Forbis, Midway (12) ATPE; and Immediate Past State President Jimmy Lee, Paris ATPE.

Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award

The Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award is ATPE’s highest honor and is presented to individuals demonstrating superior service to public education, often over an extended period of time. It is named after ATPE founding member Judy Coyle. This year, ATPE awarded its highest honor to all Texas public school employees in recognition of their extraordinary service and dedication to students amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alafair Hammett Media Award

ATPE’s recruitment challenge, One New = $10 for You, is designed to encourage new member recruitment by recognizing and rewarding successful recruiters.

Named for ATPE’s first state president, this award recognizes individual local media reporters for their outstanding support and coverage of public education. The 2021 recipient is:

Rachel Melancon, Dallas ATPE

Alex Caprariello, KXAN News

Staff Service Awards Congratulations to the following staff members honored during the summit for their 120 years of combined service.

5 years of service Anna Belle Burleson Kelly Curtis Ginger Franks Jeff Kelly Vanessa Salazar

10 years of service Steve Lockwood Mary Rivera

15 years of service Lance Cain James Callaway

20 years of service John Kilpper

30 years of service Stephanie Williams

ATPE NEWS 33

Meet Your 2021-22 ATPE Leaders 2021-22 State Officers

Karen Hames

Stacey Ward

Jayne Serna

Jason Forbis

Jimmy Lee

Hames, a 43-year education veteran, is an eighth grade English/language arts and reading teacher.

Ward, a 24-year education veteran, is a fifth grade science and social studies teacher.

Serna, a 31-year education veteran, is an adjunct professor of history.

Forbis, a 24-year education veteran, is a kindergarten teacher.

Lee, a 33-year education veteran, is a substitute teacher.

PRESIDENT Lewisville, Region 11

VICE PRESIDENT Humble, Region 4

SECRETARY Leander, Region 13

TREASURER Midway, Region 12

PAST PRESIDENT Paris, Region 8

2021-22 Region Officers REGION 2

REGION 3

REGION 4

REGION 5

REGION 6

MaElena Ingram McAllen

Barbara Ruiz Corpus Christi

Mandy Vahrenkamp Calhoun County

Eli Rodriguez Cypress-Fairbanks

Suellen Ener Beaumont

Gidget Belinoski-Bailey Willis

Michael Sweet Pharr-San Juan-Alamo

Jackie Hannebaum Corpus Christi

Tiffany Keszler Ganado

Eden Renovato Hempstead

Katelyn Hanson Burkeville

Donna Ward Willis

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Norma Vega La Joya

Amerika Reyes Corpus Christi

Lance Schultz Calhoun County

Jay Guerrero Cypress-Fairbanks

Sandra Turner Port Arthur

Michael Robinson Willis

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

Rene Zuniga South Texas College

Adriane Taylor Corpus Christi

Sean Douglas Cuero

Scott Moore Klein

Lori Burton Jasper

Susan Ambrus Navasota

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

Twila Figueroa McAllen

Lorrie Gomez Corpus Christi

Kelli Cook El Campo

Lotus Hoey Houston

Maya Issac Newton

Leia Leveridge Huntsville

PRESIDENT

DIRECTOR

REGION 1

34 ATPE NEWS

REGION 8

REGION 9

REGION 10

REGION 11

REGION 12

REGION 13

Teresa Millard Woden

Shelia Slider North Lamar

Patti Gibbs Nocona

Wanda Bailey Mesquite

Teri Naya Birdville

Ron Walcik Killeen

Stephanie Stoebe Round Rock

Katherine Whitbeck Nacogdoches

P. Anthony Williams Chapel Hill (8)

Denise Sanders Vernon

Donnetta Allen Mesquite

Betty Plunkett Krum

Christina Flores Belton

Christie Smith Pflugerville

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Betty Berndt Tyler

Yesica Munguia Paris

Dale Lovett Olney

Julie Fore Dallas

Marianne Eckley Lewisville

Courtney Jones Connally

Kristin Shelton Round Rock

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

Kimberly Dolese Northeast Texas

Amy House Chapel Hill (8)

Belinda Wolf Wichita Falls

Nichole Gambulos Garland

Tina Alvarado Graford

Lisa Monthie Waco

Danielle Sanders Austin

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

Michelle Adams Martinsville

Jennifer Marsh Chisum

Traci Morrison Nocona

Alicia Hinkle Irving

Sarah Mann Hurst-Euless-Bedford

Christina Taylor Axtell

Greg Vidal Leander

PAST PRESIDENT

PAST PRESIDENT

PAST PRESIDENT

Samuel Spurlock Olney

Wendy Smith Richardson

Christopher Adams Hurst-Euless-Bedford

PRESIDENT

DIRECTOR

REGION 7

REGION 15

REGION 16

REGION 17

REGION 18

REGION 19

REGION 20

Leslie Ward Merkel

Betty Gail Wood-Rush Early

Shane Whitten Amarillo

Allyson Haveman Lubbock

Gail Adlesperger Big Spring

Robert Zamora Clint

Laura Herrera North East

Nicole Fuller Jim Ned Consolidated

Cheryl Buchanan Ballinger

Sherry Boyd Spearman

Abigail Ramford Lamesa

Michelle Adams Midland

Mark Mendoza El Paso

Ygnacia Capetillo North East

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Gae McInroe McMurry University

Amber Shipman Brownwood

Sandra Woods Perryton

Susan Wilson Lamesa

Stacy Gallier Andrews

Sarah Mayne El Paso

Evelyn Miles-Hoskin Northside (20)

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

SECRETARY

Amy Sparks Abilene

Sarah Beal Coleman County

Kiersten Diamond Bushland

Jamie Jenkins Post

Ashley Debusk Midland

Samantha Garza Clint

Dubelsa Lara North East

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

TREASURER

Tommie Hicks Hawley

Mari Mendez Junction

Nancy Fowler Amarillo

Sharon Ginn Hale Center

Tamara Wilkinson Andrews

Eduardo Sierra San Elizario

Juaquin Zavala Harlandale

PRESIDENT

DIRECTOR

REGION 14

PAST PRESIDENT

Elizabeth Turner Northside (20)

ATPE NEWS 35

YOUR ATPE

Tips from a Recruitment Pro—and Details on ATPE’s One New = $10 for You Incentive Program Most educators join ATPE because a colleague, friend, or family member personally asks them to join—which is why our One New = $10 for You incentive program focuses on personal interactions as a way for members to make some extra money and grow the association!

“I’m proudest knowing that I am empowering and equipping educators with the support and peace of mind they need and deserve to teach our students in the classroom.”

—Rachel Melancon, Dallas ATPE, ATPE’s 2020-21 Top Recruiter and a 2020 Campus Representative of the Year When encouraging her colleagues to join ATPE, Rachel tells them: “Please, do not hesitate.

Become a member of the largest and best educator group in Texas—ATPE—today! Surround yourself with other educators for fun, fellowship, and learning.”

HOW IT WORKS

Here’s how One New = $10 for You works: Any active ATPE member who recruits a new member between now and October 31, 2021, can earn $10 per member.

Just make sure the new member joins in the first-time professional, associate, or administrator categories.

A “new member” is someone who has never been a member of ATPE. (A caveat: previous college student and student teacher members do qualify as new members!)

Incentives will be paid for each recruited member who is an active member in ATPE’s database on February 1, 2022, and all funds will be issued via direct deposit in March 2022.

The top recruiter will receive $1,000 in addition to $10 per member recruited.

No entry form needed—simply tell the educators you recruit to clearly print or enter your full name in the “recruited by” box on their membership application.

SAVE THE DATE!

36 ATPE NEWS

ATPE Summit 2022 | July 6–8, 2022 | Gaylord Texan, Grapevine, Texas

YOUR ATPE

ATPE MEMBERSHIP SAVINGS! One-Stop School Supplies Shop Stock up on school supplies and take advantage of the savings your ATPE membership provides! We’re talking about discounts of up to 80% on more than 93,000 products at Office Depot and OfficeMax. Members can shop online or in stores and enjoy FREE next-day shipping on online orders over $50!

Log in to your ATPE account and visit atpe.org/member-discounts for full deals!

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ATPE NEWS 37

continued from page 13—Your Ally

have time to look for the money, but the longer it is missing, the more suspicious a delayed report may seem. Early reporting will show good faith and increase the search effort.

When it comes time to use activity funds, rely on your training and district handbook, which may contain spending restrictions. Depending on the nature of the fund, acceptable uses may include equipment, supplies, trip expenses, etc. If purchasing food, make sure to refer to your district’s nutrition guidelines.

Consequences for mishandling or misusing activity funds can be severe and impact your job or certificate and involve criminal charges. Even a mistake or disorganized record keeping can lead to negative employment action if the district’s procedures aren’t followed. And if your district feels the conduct was intentional, there may be fraud charges and potential sanctions to your teaching certificate(s).

Strictly adhering to your district’s training and guidelines, as well as following these general tips, will go a long way in helping you avoid potential problems.

The legal information provided here is accurate as of the date of publication. It is provided here is for informative purposes only.

Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers needing individual legal advice should consult directly with an attorney. Please note: Rights based on the Texas Education Code may not apply to all. Many Texas Education Code provisions do not apply to public charter schools, and public school districts may have opted out of individual provisions through a District of Innovation plan. Eligible ATPE members may contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department. continued from page 21— Experience, Reflection, Experience: Ag Ed’s Greatest Harvest Is Student Leadership

But I’ve learned so many skills that have allowed me to lead a large nonprofit association, and I learned and created a network that helped us to create these really unique experiences for students.”

Georg echoes those same sentiments: “I think as a whole, people need to understand that agricultural education is very vital to how we are going to continue our existence and grow.

We’ve got to come up with new advancements of growing and raising food and building different products. The aspect an agriculturist can bring in is crucial. This world is ever-changing.

Agricultural education takes what we were founded on, but we also look more into the future and what we can do to prepare for 15, 20 years down the line in terms of new jobs, better ways, and technology. It’s a very vital piece of a student’s education.”

Dreyer and her fellow FFA classmates are living proof of that force we’ll need to achieve a prosperous future. She recalls a common saying among FFA students: “We’re a lot more than plows and sows; we’re leaders, believers, and achievers.”

“FFA members are going to be the next presidents, doctors, pharmacists, lawyers, farmers, agriculturalists, teachers, 38 ATPE NEWS

principals, and medical professionals,” she says. “We send people into every industry, and you can see the values that FFA has instilled in them.” continued from page 24—Communications Failure: Educating Secondary Students About Climate Change

holding appropriate discussions on their particular level of understanding, culture, and environment, educators can assist in alleviating misconceptions from the beginning.

Teachers, administrators, and students are subject to varied viewpoints and claims from nonscientific sources that may misconstrue climate science data or not provide accurate information for understanding. Their interactions with climate science ultimately influence how the information is transferred to those around them. Ultimately, any strategy used to mitigate communicative misconceptions of climate change executed with accuracy and actively has the potential to be effective. Furthermore, and perhaps just as important, various existing studies and research could provide additional context in effective teaching strategies for not only the topic of climate change, but other controversial topics that are in the media presence. continued from page 27—Where Literacy Rates Go, Success Follows

the courses have been for select educators, even for those who had trepidations going into it.

“The teachers who went through the reading academy sessions with me this past year and who took the material seriously, using it with their students and in their classrooms, saw growth and change,” Gray says. “Not just in their students but in themselves as educators.”

Reading academies going forward

Attending an HB 3 Reading Academy is, for now, the law of the land. If you teach K-3, or hope to one day, be prepared to spend extra time attending a reading academy.

But once an educator has completed an academy, their name is placed on a state list, and according to Gray, once completed, educators do not have to take an academy again, even when moving districts or changing grade levels.

Proponents, like Gray, believe the HB 3 Reading Academies are necessary for growth in both educators and student success.

“If I ever felt that I knew all there was to know about teaching, it would be time to get out of the profession,” Gray says.

“The end goal is truly trying to do what is best for every student sitting in our schools so they can grow and achieve as a learner and person.”

However, as the results of this new experiment still wait to bear out, is that a good enough reason for the educators who are sacrificing their personal time to complete this process?

“For now, educators are really just hoping that school districts in time will recognize that they shouldn’t ask teachers to put in the extra time for free,” Gordon says.

YOUR ATPE

Meet ATPE’s

REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP SPECIALISTS ATPE’s eight dedicated regional membership specialists support ATPE’s members and volunteers in their local communities across the state. Not sure what region you're in? Enter your ISD in the map at atpe.org to find out.

ROGER GUTIERREZ

CYNTHIA VILLALOVOS

GINGER FRANKS

JOSEPH CRUZ

Regions 1 & 2 rgutierrez@atpe.org

Regions 3 & 4 cvillalovos@atpe.org

Regions 5–7 gfranks@atpe.org

Regions 8 & 10 jcruz@atpe.org

DIANE POKLUDA

MARY JANE WAITS

JEFF VEGA

YVETTE MILNER

Regions 9 & 11 dpokluda@atpe.org

Regions 12, 14, & 15 mjwaits@atpe.org

Regions 16–19 jvega@atpe.org

Regions 13 & 20 ymilner@atpe.org

ATPE NEWS 39

“

Within ATPE, I like that everyone’s inclusive. We have members from all over the state and are able to exchange ideas and make connections.

— QUINCY LUPER Special education paraprofessional, Keller ISD

”

What sets ATPE apart? Our belief that everyone working in a Texas public school plays an important role in making education happen for Texas students.

ATPE is proud to support all Texas public school employees with our membership benefits.

atpe.org | (800) 777-2873

Renew your ATPE membership today to ensure you have continued access to your ATPE benefits, including legal resources*, advocacy in Austin and D.C., professional learning and leadership programs, valuable discounts, and expert analysis on education policy, law, and trends.

Discounted membership rates available when you join online via credit card or bank draft! Log in to renew your membership today at atpe.org.

*Eligibility, terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit atpe.org/protection to view important disclosures and complete details of the insurance policy. Staff attorney services are provided separate from the Educators Professional Liability Insurance Program.

Use this side to join by

CHECK

2021–22 ATPE Membership Application

Installment payments & auto-renew available for credit card/bank draft at atpe.org STEP 1

MM

Personal Information

Name (first, middle, last)

Last 4 digits of SSN

ATPE member ID (optional)

Male

Birthdate (MM/DD/YY)

ISD

Female

Campus

Cell phone (required)

Home phone (optional)

Personal email (required) Campus email (optional)

Employee ID number

Mailing address State

City ZIP

Recruited by Print: First Name

STEP 2

Membership Category (select one) & Invest in Education

Last Name

DESIGNATED ATPE REPS Received Date

See below for category descriptions.

Student Teacher, College Student, and Public members may join online at atpe.org. 2021-22 Professional, Associate, and Administrator memberships will not be accepted after Jan. 31, 2022. FirstTime Professional memberships will not be accepted after Oct. 31, 2021.

Professional (teacher, counselor, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . $139 $175 First-Time Professional (never been a professional member) . $110 Associate (para-educator, aide, support staff, etc.) . . . . . . $80 $90 Administrator (principal, superintendent, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . $225 Retired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10 OPTIONAL: Invest in Education ATPE Local Unit Dues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ Support ATPE in your local school district.

ATPE-PAC Suggested Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . $ Make a voluntary donation to our political action committee.

Yes, contact me about becoming a volunteer!

How to Submit Your Application

12

TOTAL $

Mail your completed application and check to: ATPE | 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300 | Austin, TX 78752

Print Name Signature

ATPE membership year begins 8/1/21 & ends 7/31/22. Some benefits’ effective dates may not match effective membership dates. Visit atpe.org for disclosure details/limitations. I understand that ATPE may contact me via information provided on this application, including email and text, to communicate about my benefits/account. ATPE dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes but may be deductible as misc. itemized deductions, subject to IRS restrictions. Approx. 95% of your dues dollar is considered deductible; 4.9% is used for lobbying activities and is therefore not deductible.

Or hand-deliver it to an authorized ATPE representative. Faxed or scanned applications are not accepted.

ATPE MEMBERSHIP CATEGORIES You must join in the appropriate insured category in order to qualify for the Educators Professional Liability Insurance Policy. ATPE reserves the right to determine eligibility for the appropriate membership category. Commissioned peace officers are eligible for public membership only. Professional, First-Time Professional, Associate, and Administrator membership are open to persons employed in Texas by a public school district, institution of higher education, Regional Education Service Center, State Board for Educator Certification, or the Texas Education Agency. If you have a question about the eligibility of job descriptions not listed below, call (800) 777-2873.

INSURED CATEGORIES Professional Member First-Time Professional Member (Rate available only through 10/31/21) Athletic Director/Coordinator Athletic Trainer At-Risk Coordinator Audiologist Band/Choral Director Business Manager Coach Counselor

Curriculum Director Dean of Instruction Department Head/Chair Diagnostician Instructional Officer Intern Teacher IT Director/Coordinator Librarian Nurse (RN) Parent/Community Coordinator Assistant Principal Regional Service Center Staff School Psychologist/Associate

UNINSURED CATEGORIES Social Worker Teacher Therapist/Pathologist University Professor Visiting Teacher Administrator Member Educators who are employed in Texas by a public school district as a principal, assistant/deputy/ area superintendent, or superintendent, and whose position requires certification

by the State Board for Educator Certification Associate Member Aide to position in Professional category Alternative Center Aide Bus Driver Cafeteria Worker Clerk–General Computer Programmer/Entry Custodial Worker Deaf Interpreter

Educational Aide/Technician Maintenance Worker Nurse (LVN) Regional Service Center Aide Secretary Security Guard (Unarmed) Substitute Teacher Commissioned peace officers are eligible for public membership only.

Student Teacher Member Student/clinical teacher in Texas

Join online at atpe.org College Student Member Non-teaching college student Retired Member Retired former school employee Public Member Friend of public education

Use this side to join by

PAYROLL DEDUCTION

2021–22 ATPE Membership Application

 Save when you pay by credit card, bank draft, or check! See reverse.

STEP 1

MM

Personal Information

Name (first, middle, last)

Last 4 digits of SSN

ATPE member ID (optional) ISD Cell phone

Male

Birthdate (MM/DD/YY)

Female

Campus Home phone (optional)

(required)

Personal email (required) Campus email (optional)

Employee ID number

Mailing address State

City ZIP

Recruited by Print: First Name

STEP 2

Membership Category (select one) & Invest in Education

Student Teacher, College Student, and Public members may join online at atpe.org.

OPTIONAL: Invest in Education ATPE Local Unit Dues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ ATPE-PAC Suggested Donation . . . . . . . . . . . . $ Make a voluntary donation to our political action committee.

Received Date Print Name Signature

ATPE membership year begins 8/1/21 & ends 7/31/22. Some benefits’ effective dates may not match effective membership dates. Visit atpe.org for disclosure details/limitations. I understand that ATPE may contact me via information provided on this application, including email and text, to communicate about my benefits/account. ATPE dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes but may be deductible as misc. itemized deductions, subject to IRS restrictions. Approx. 95% of your dues dollar is considered deductible; 4.9% is used for lobbying activities and is therefore not deductible.

Support ATPE in your local school district.

Yes, contact me about becoming a volunteer!

STEP 3

DESIGNATED ATPE REPS

Professional (teacher, counselor, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $175 First-Time Professional (never been a professional member) . $110 Associate (para-educator, aide, support staff, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . $90 Administrator (principal, superintendent, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . $225 Retired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10

Professional, Associate, and Administrator memberships will not be accepted after Jan. 31, 2022. FirstTime Professional memberships will not be accepted after Oct. 31, 2021.

Last Name

12

TOTAL $

Payroll Deduction Authorization

2021–22 Professional, Associate, and Administrator memberships will not be accepted after Jan. 31, 2022.* First-Time Professional memberships will not be accepted after Oct. 31, 2021.

I authorize ISD to deduct membership dues and donations. I further authorize ATPE to notify the ISD of changes in the amount of my annual dues and the ISD to deduct the new amounts. If my employment with the ISD ends, I authorize any unpaid balance to be deducted from my final check. This authorization for deductions is effective until I give notice to the ISD that I want to revoke it.

Total Amount $ I get paid

Total # of Deductions

Monthly

Last 4 digits of SSN

Bi-weekly

Date

I wish to cancel deduction of membership dues for: TX AFT

TCTA

TSTA

UEA

Other

Employee ID

Printed Name Signature

*ISD payroll offices may stop accepting payroll authorizations before Jan. 31, 2022.

How to Submit Your Application

Mail the entire application to: ATPE | 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300 | Austin, TX 78752

Or hand-deliver it to an authorized ATPE representative. Faxed or scanned applications are not accepted.

Presenting the 2021 Recipient of the Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award … You ATPE awards its highest honor to all Texas public school employees in recognition of their dedication during the 2020-21 school year The Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award is named after one of ATPE’s founding members, Judy Coyle, a long-time educator who worked daily to better the Texas public education system. ATPE’s highest honor is presented to those who truly go above and beyond to advance public education in Texas. Previous award recipients have included education leaders, education advocates, and elected officials—including former Texas House Speaker Joe Straus.

For many ATPE members, Coyle’s lifetime dedication to serving public schools is representative of ATPE’s pro-public education values, and when it came time to name the 2021 recipient, the ATPE Board of Directors unanimously agreed no one was more deserving than the collective body of Texas public school employees for their work during the 2020-21 school year.

“Texas’ public school employees have gone above and beyond for our schools and our students during the last year, from adapting to the many, many challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic to weathering the hardships brought about by the winter storm of 2021,” said 2020-21 ATPE State President Jimmy Lee. “In 2021, ATPE could think of no one individual who has done more for public education than our public school employees did collectively over the past year, and it is our honor to share this with them.”

Please visit bit.ly/JudyCoyleAward to watch a short video about the 2021 Judy Coyle Texas Liberty Award selection process.

2021 JUDY COYLE TEXAS LIBERTY AWARD Presented by the Association of Texas Professional Educators on the fifteenth day of July, two thousand twenty-one

All Texas Public School Employees

© iStock.com/Sohag Miah

For their unparalleled dedication and commitment to the students of Texas during the many challenges of the 2020-21 school year

Shannon J. Holmes, Ed.D Executive Director

Jimmy Lee 2020-21 ATPE State President

ATPE NEWS 43

Association of Texas Professional Educators 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300 Austin, TX 78752-3792