September/October 2020 Texas School Business by Texas Association of School Administrators

YEARS

The News Magazine for Public Education in Texas

Texas School Business

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER

2020

Connectivity in COVID times

School districts work to provide tech, access to students in need

Also in this issue: TASA President Brian Woods TARS President Aaron Hood

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

14 Employees in Canutillo ISD work to transport tablets and laptops to students in the district.

Cover Story

Connectivity in COVID times

TARS President Profile New TARS president is ready to advocate for Texas’ rural schools

by Dacia Rivers

by James Golsan

22 TASA President Profile Northside ISD’s Brian Woods set to navigate TASA through turbulent times by James Golsan

Departments 7 Who’s News 28 Calendar 34 Ad Index

Columns

5 From the Editor by Dacia Rivers 11 The Law Dawg— Unleashed by Jim Walsh 13 Digital Frontier by Leslie Garakani 24 The Arts 26 Regional View 34 The Back Page by Riney Jordan

Cover photo: Brand new devices wait to be distributed to students in Donna ISD.

The views expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or Texas School Business advertisers. The publisher also makes no endorsement of the advertisers or advertisements in this publication.

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From the editor

his fall kicked off one of the most unusual school years in history, with students logging into classes remotely, or walking through the doors of their classrooms wearing face coverings, or taking their seats surrounded by plexiglass barriers. School sure doesn’t look like it used to, but Texas teachers and administrators continue to do all they can to keep learning as safe and as comprehensive as ever, even in the middle of a global pandemic. For many districts, providing technology, including devices and internet access, to students continues to be a challenge. In this issue of Texas School Business, we reached out to a few school districts to learn how they’re facing this issue. Starting on page 14, we check in with administrators who are making moves to ensure every student has equal access to necessary technology. And on page 13, Leslie Garakani from Midlothian ISD has written a timely and helpful Digital Frontier column, offering an inside view at what these efforts look like in his district. It’s my hope that these articles, plus the many other pieces in this issue, will help to inspire you as well as make you proud. Proud of the work you have done in your own districts, and proud of your peers, as you’re all working toward one common goal — the betterment of all Texas schoolchildren — in the unique ways that serve your individual communities best. In case anyone else hasn’t thanked you lately, allow me to do it here. Thank you for your tireless work for our schools. It is appreciated, and won’t be soon forgotten.

Texas School Business

SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020 Volume LXVII, Issue 5 406 East 11th Street Austin, Texas 78701 Phone: 512-477-6361 • Fax: 512-482-8658 www.texasschoolbusiness.com EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

Dacia Rivers DESIGN

Phaedra Strecher COLUMNISTS

Dacia Rivers Editorial Director

Leslie Garakani Riney Jordan Jim Walsh ADVERTISING SALES

Jennifer Garrido

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Kevin Brown

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND MEDIA RELATIONS

Amy Francisco

Texas School Business (ISSN 0563-2978) is published online bimonthly with a special edition, Bragging Rights, in December, by the Texas Association of School Administrators. © Copyright 2020 Texas Association of School Administrators

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

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Who’s News Alba-Golden ISD A new superintendent is in place for the district. Cole McClendon most recently served in the lead position in Sam Rayburn ISD.

Aledo ISD Joshua Jenkins has accepted the role of

principal of McAnally Intermediate School. He comes to Aledo from Fort Worth ISD, where he was an assistant principal at Western Hills High School. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in mathematics from Tarleton State University and a second master’s degree, in educational administration, from Texas Christian University.

Mercedes Mayer is the district’s new director of communication. Most recently Arlington ISD’s communications coordinator, she began her career as a sports reporter with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She then worked with the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce before moving into public education. She received her bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Texas.

Athens ISD Janie Sims is the new

superintendent of Athens ISD. She has been with the district for 20 years, serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, director of curriculum, director of instruction and assessment, deputy superintendent and, most recently, acting superintendent.

Austin ISD Alberto Alonso has been named principal of Houston Elementary School after serving as interim principal for the 2019-20 academic year. He spent three years prior to that as assistant principal of Lively Middle School. He is a graduate of Concordia University, where he received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in educational leadership.

Harris Elementary School’s new principal, Zoila Cardenas, was assistant principal of Wooten Elementary and, prior to that, of Pecan Springs Elementary. The 16-year educator received her bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and holds two master’s degrees, from the University of Spain in Salamanca and Lamar University. Langford Elementary School has welcomed Martha Castillo as principal. An educator for 21 years, she previously was a bilingual teacher and assistant principal in the district. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio

and her master’s degree in administration from Concordia University. Padron Elementary School now has Graciela Esquivel as principal. Most recently a compliance coordinator with AISD’s multilingual education department, she previously worked as a bilingual teacher and assistant principal. She is a graduate of the University of Texas with a master’s degree in educational leadership from Texas A&M International University. Cynthia Jackson now leads Oak Springs

Elementary School. An educator for 21 years and an Austin ISD campus administrator since 2008, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Huston-Tillotson University, a master’s degree from the Austin Graduate School of Theology and a master’s degree in education administration from Concordia University.

Rosa Waters has been selected to serve as principal of Pickle Elementary School. She comes to her new job from Covington Middle School Fine Arts Academy, where she was assistant principal. She has a bachelor’s degree from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León in Mexico and a master’s degree in education from Texas Tech University.

Bastrop ISD Emily Allen has been

promoted from assistant principal to principal of Mina Elementary School. She began her career in 1996 in Livingston ISD, joining Bastrop ISD eight years later. Her bachelor’s degree was awarded from Tarleton State University and her master’s degree from Lamar University.

Elementary. The Bastrop High School graduate holds a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree from Concordia University. Kristi Kisamore has been

promoted from assistant principal to principal of Bastrop Intermediate School. She began her career in 2007, joining Bastrop ISD five years later. Her bachelor’s degree was earned from the University of Texas at San Antonio and her master’s degree from Lamar University. Kelli Ruby has joined the district as principal of Cedar Creek Elementary School from Lake Travis ISD, where she was assistant principal of Lakeway Elementary School. Prior to that, she was a principal and adjunct professor in California. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in administrative services, both from Fresno Pacific University.

Bellevue ISD Wade Wesley, former assistant superintendent of Jacksboro ISD, now leads Bellevue ISD.

Brazosport ISD Mark Bailey, choir director for Brazoswood

High School, comes to his new position with 11 years of experience in music education, most recently serving as head of fine arts at the American School of Kuwait. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and his master’s degree in music education from Texas Tech University.

Now serving as principal of Gateway DAEP (Disciplinary Alternative Education Program) is Zach Allison, who began his career in Carthage ISD in 2005 and went on to serve in DeKalb, Rusk and Hudson ISDs. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and his master’s degree from LeTourneau University.

Brazosport High School’s new girls’ varsity basketball coach is Travanti Downes, former girls’ basketball assistant coach at Brazoswood High School.

Leading Bastrop Middle School is Ladyanne Horne, who has served as the district’s secondary language arts and social studies specialist since 2018. Before joining BISD, she was an assistant principal at Dobie College Prep Academy in Austin ISD. She received her bachelor’s degree from Tarleton State University and her master’s degree in administration from Concordia University.

Now leading Rasco Middle School as principal is Darynda Klein, who joins the district from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, where she worked in the same capacity at Hairgrove Elementary School for the past 10 years.

Reba King has been chosen to lead a new

department for the district. Now serving as director of early literacy, she has spent the majority of her career in BISD, most recently as assistant principal of Red Rock

The new principal of Freeport Intermediate School is Jarrett Johnson, who was assistant principal of Galena Park Middle School in Galena Park ISD. He received his doctorate in ethical education leadership from the University of St. Thomas.

Chris Nabors has accepted the position of

head varsity baseball coach at Brazosport High School after spending the past 13 years as an assistant coach at Brazoswood High School. > See Who’s News, page 8 Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Who’s News > Continued from page 7 James Nimtz is the new head boys’ soccer

coach at Brazoswood High School, where he previously coached football, basketball and volleyball. He is a graduate of Kent State University with a master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Bowling Green State University.

Richard Sincere Jr. is now Brazosport High School’s head boys’ track coach, running backs coach and special teams coordinator. The Sam Houston State University graduate comes to his new job from Galveston ISD’s Ball High School, where he was assistant head coach, offensive coordinator, and head girls’ track coach.

Ney Pre-K School will have Dana West as principal this fall. She was previously a kindergarten teacher, interventionist, instructional coach and assistant principal. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership from Lamar University. The new principal of Brazosport High School is Ian White, an employee of the district for eight years who most recently led Freeport Intermediate School. A graduate of Harding University, he earned his master’s degree in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Steve Bassett has accepted

the position of chief financial officer. Initially working in the private sector, he went on to serve in school finance positions in San Antonio, Northside and Fort Bend ISDs. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in professional accounting from the University of Texas and is a CPA. New associate superintendent

Dana West has joined the

district from ESC Region 10, where she was director of teaching and learning services. She began her career as a teacher in Plainview ISD before moving to Amarillo ISD, where she ultimately served as superintendent.

Carthage ISD Justin Smith has been hired to

lead Carthage High School. He joins the district from Bryan ISD, where he was a community outreach officer and principal of Rayburn Intermediate School.

Cedar Hill ISD

Huey Kinchen has agreed to serve as the

Now serving in the newly created position of chief of staff is Janine Fields. She comes to her new position from Garland ISD, where she was executive innovation officer. She is at work on her doctorate in educational leadership at Southern Methodist University.

Bryan ISD

Jared Peters, who worked for the past seven years in Mansfield ISD as an assistant principal and academic associate principal, has returned to Cedar Hill ISD as principal of Coleman Middle School. Prior to his time in Mansfield, he led CHISD’s Permenter Middle School for four years.

Brenham ISD district’s interim superintendent. He was Tomball ISD’s deputy superintendent for four years and superintendent from 2013 until his retirement in 2017. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana and a master’s degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. The district has announced the hiring of a new general counsel. Courtney Dickey is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University, where she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She then received a second master’s degree in education from Texas A&M University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Houston’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She previously served as in-house counsel for Killeen ISD and was a special education teacher and curriculum designer.

Carrizo Springs CISD Former Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD superintendent Jose Cervantes now leads Carrizo Springs CISD.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

A second new position, executive director of elementary education, has been filled by Jill Vincent. Most recently principal of Ethridge Elementary School in Garland ISD, she is a graduate of the University of Louisiana with a master’s degree in educational leadership from Dallas Baptist University.

Clear Creek ISD Greg Smith, who led the district since 2008, has announced his retirement, effective the end of December. An educator for 40 years, 20 of those as a superintendent, he is the longest-serving superintendent in Clear Creek ISD’s history.

Coppell ISD Kristan Perryman has been promoted from assistant principal of Mockingbird Elementary School to principal of Austin Elementary. She previously taught for 16 years in Duncanville and Highland Park ISDs before joining Coppell ISD in 2014.

Now leading Coppell Middle School North is Lorie Squalls, former principal of Austin Elementary School. In her 21 years as an educator, she has also been a general and special education teacher, curriculum and digital learning coordinator, and principal. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix and serves as an adjunct professor of education at Dallas Baptist University.

Corsicana ISD Fannin Elementary School’s new principal, Gina Geeslin, is new to the district, coming from Alvin ISD. She has 23 years of classroom experience, including work in Waxahachie ISD. The district’s new academic UIL and fine arts director is Aimee Kasprzyk, who joins the district from Blooming Grove ISD, where she spent the past three years in a similar capacity. She also served Hillsboro and Rice ISDs as a theatre and arts programs director and as a speech, debate and poetry coach. Shana Owen has returned to Corsicana ISD as director of special programs. She previously spent six years in the district as a special education teacher and assistant principal before transferring to Kerens ISD in 2014.

Crowell ISD New superintendent Donald Rhodes comes to Crowell from Damon ISD, where he also served in the lead position.

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Former Klein ISD director of accounting Amanda Boles is now Cypress-Fairbanks ISD’s assistant superintendent of business and financial services. After beginning her career in the private sector,

she joined Klein ISD in 2012. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in accountancy, both from Texas State University. Cesar Diaz, former principal of Reed Elementary School, now holds the top position at Bane Elementary. His 16-year career began in Houston, after which he joined Aldine ISD, coming to Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in 2015. He received a bachelor’s degree from Venezuela’s Universidad Rafael Belloso Chacín and a master’s degree in education from Prairie View A&M University. Virginia Flores, former

assistant principal and head girls’ basketball coach at Cypress Woods High School, is now associate director of athletics. A graduate of the University of Texas with a master’s degree in educational administration from Lamar University, she has been with the district since 1999. Michelle Lee has accepted a

promotion from Hairgrove Elementary’s assistant principal to principal. She joined Cypress-Fairbanks ISD in 2018 after spending 18 years with Fort Bend and Spring ISDs. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in education from the University of St. Thomas. Jennifer Miller, director of

cybersecurity, acquisitions and performance excellence, was named 2020 Volunteer of the Year by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN). CoSN volunteers are recognized for their roles in supporting education technology leaders with networking and professional development. She has been with the district for 29 years. The former assistant principal of Home Elementary School, Karen Richardson, now leads Reed Elementary. She has spent 14 of her 24 years as an educator in CFISD. A graduate of the University of Houston, she earned her master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Prairie View A&M University. The district’s director of transportation, Kayne Smith, has been named president of the Texas Association for Pupil Transport (TAPT). A member of TAPT’s executive committee for the past three years, he now leads one of the largest affiliate organizations of the National Association of Pupil Transport.

Harry Wright Jr. has joined the district’s legal services office as assistant general counsel, coming to CFISD from Bryan ISD, where he was general counsel. He graduated from Dartmouth College and spent seven years as a teacher in Houston ISD before receiving his law degree from Duke University School of Law, then worked in the private sector before joining Bryan ISD.

El Campo ISD

Duncanville ISD

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

Terrence Chase is the new principal of Daniel Intermediate School. An employee of the district for 22 years, he was most recently assistant principal of Brandenburg Intermediate School. He has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Colorado and a master’s degree in school counseling from Amberton University. LaJeanna Howard has returned to

Duncanville ISD, where she previously spent five years as head girls’ basketball coach. She most recently served in the same capacity at Dallas ISD’s Lincoln High School.

Jessica Linwood now serves as principal

of Acton Elementary School, coming to Duncanville from Dallas ISD, where she worked for 20 years, most recently as assistant principal of Richards STEAM Academy. Her bachelor’s degree was awarded from the University of North Texas and her master’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas.

Evangerline Trice is Duncanville High

School’s new head volleyball coach. She joins the district from Dallas ISD’s Lincoln High, where she led the volleyball team. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and is completing her master’s degree in educational administration at Lamar University.

Now serving as principal of Kennemer Middle School is Tambia Wesco, a 16-year educator who comes to Duncanville from Mansfield ISD, where she was an associate principal. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Rahien Williams, newly appointed principal of Summit Education Center, has spent the past 14 of his 16 years as an educator in Duncanville ISD, previously serving as an assistant principal at Duncanville High School. He received his bachelor’s degree from the College of New Rochelle and his master’s degree in education from Lamar University.

A new superintendent is in place for the district. Robert Callaghan returns to Texas from Iowa, where he was superintendent of the Newton County Community School District. Prior to that, he worked in Texas public schools as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and superintendent. The district announces the appointment of Dana Barnes as executive director of educational, curriculum and instructional services. She was most recently executive director of education services. An educator for 30 years, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of North Texas and her doctorate in educational administration from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Walter Berringer, newly appointed executive

director of secondary services, comes to his new job from Chisholm Trail High School, which he led since 2017. A graduate of the University of North Texas, he earned his master’s degree from Tarleton State University and is nearing completion of his doctorate in K-12 professional leadership from the University of Houston.

The new assistant principal of Chisholm Trail High School, Stacy Donalson, comes to her new position from Keller ISD, where she served in the same capacity at Trinity Springs Middle School. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas State University and her master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Houston. Brantley Gallman, who was an English language arts teacher at Saginaw High School, is now assistant principal of the campus. A graduate of Texas Tech University, he holds a master’s degree in education from Lamar University. Kayla Livingston has

transitioned from working as a special education resource English teacher and department lead at Boswell High School to assistant principal of Wayside Middle School. She received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in leadership and policy studies from the University of Texas at Arlington.

> See Who’s News, page 10

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Who’s News > Continued from page 9

New Chisholm Trail High School principal Walter McCowan Jr. is a 17-year educator who most recently was assistant principal at Northwest High School in Northwest ISD. He earned both his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in secondary education from Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Early ISD New superintendent Dewayne Wilkins comes to the district from Gordon ISD, which he previously led.

Ector County ISD Bonham Middle School principal Mareka Austin comes to her new job from Castleberry ISD, where she held the same position at Marsh Middle School. The 11-year educator has also worked as a teacher, department chair, assistant principal, district curriculum coordinator and principal. She is a graduate of the University of Central Arkansas and holds two master’s degrees, in business administration and educational leadership, both from Dallas Baptist University.

Elysian Fields ISD The new assistant superintendent is Monica Simmons, who, in her 18 years with the district, has served as curriculum director, federal programs director and testing coordinator. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at Tyler.

Frenship ISD Brandy Copeland, new

principal of Westwind Elementary School, joins the district with 16 years of experience as an educator in Midland ISD. She has been a teacher, coach, assistant principal and, most recently, principal of Goddard Junior High. A graduate of Texas State University, she holds a master’s degree in education from Lamar University.

Galveston ISD Connie Morgenroth has joined the district as assistant superintendent of business and operations. She comes to her new position from Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, where she was assistant superintendent of business and financial services. She previously worked in Friendswood, Santa Fe (Tex.) and Clear Creek ISDs in similar capacities.

Garland ISD The following new principal assignments have been made for the district: • Tyrance Barnett, Coyle Middle School; • Lucas Pizana, Williams Elementary School; • Danielle Riddick, Lister Elementary School; • Nicole Wilson, Heather Glen Elementary School; • Lindsey Young, Stephens Elementary School.

Georgetown ISD Georgetown ISD has announced that Tara Stewart has been selected to serve as principal of the Williamson County Juvenile Justice Alternative Education Program (JJAEP), which is operated by Williamson County and staffed by Georgetown ISD. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her master’s degree in educational psychology from the University of North Texas. The district’s newly appointed director of operations and student safety is Heather Stoner, who joins Georgetown ISD from Lago Vista ISD, where she was principal of Lago Vista High School. The St. Edward’s University graduate holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Texas State University and is at work on her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Texas.

Gold-Burg ISD Former district principal Kim Williams now serves as superintendent.

Grand Prairie ISD After serving as interim superintendent since last July, Linda Ellis now holds the position permanently. She has been a part of the Grand Prairie ISD team for 26 years,

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

previously serving as deputy superintendent. She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Erin Gerdes, who was

Heritage Elementary School’s assistant principal, has been promoted to principal of Bransford Elementary. An employee of the district for 20 years, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University and her master’s degree in educational technology leadership from Lamar University. Former Colleyville Heritage High School principal Lance Groppel is now the district’s executive director of instructional leadership for secondary schools. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Tarleton State University and his doctorate from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Cross Timbers Middle School’s new principal, Jamie Halliburton, most recently led Bransford Elementary. Until joining Grapevine-Colleyville ISD in 2012, she was employed by Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Lubbock ISDs as a teacher. She holds a bachelor’s degree and two master’s degrees from Texas Tech University and a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Lamar University. Now leading Bridges Accelerated Learning Center is Jessica Ramos Jones, former Colleyville Heritage High School associate principal. She began her career in 2008 after receiving her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University. She also has a master’s degree in educational policies from the University of Texas at Arlington and is at work on her doctorate from Texas Christian University. The new executive director of learning is Lani Norman, who spent 10 years with the district as an assistant principal and learning liaison before taking her most recent position as director of curriculum and instruction for the Life School in the Dallas area. She received her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. She is at work on her doctorate at the University of North Texas. > See Who’s News, page 16

THE LAW DAWG – UNLEASHED

TSB has a new website!

What’s going to happen with “qualified immunity?” by Jim Walsh

“Q

ualified immunity” comes up in school law a lot. I checked my Daily Dawg entries for 2019 (www.edlawdawg.com) and found 21 mentions of this legal doctrine. Qualified immunity also applies to police officers accused of using excessive force. So let’s think about that in light of recent developments. The legal doctrine of qualified immunity will not help Officer Derek Chauvin when he is tried for the murder of George Floyd. That will be a state criminal prosecution. I’m sure that Minnesota law provides many levels of legal protection for officers’ use of force, but the legal concept of qualified immunity that I’m talking about is available only in federal civil litigation. For educators, this might involve a suit accusing the principal of infringing on free speech, or a superintendent denying due process of law, or a teacher discriminating based on disability. In any such instance, the lawyer representing the educator will likely argue that the doctrine of qualified immunity protects the educator from personal liability. Courts have described qualified immunity as protecting “all but the clearly incompetent.” The idea behind qualified immunity is to protect governmental officials who have to make judgment calls in areas of the law that are not clear. As you know, there are many “not clear” areas of school law. Cities, states and the federal government are now considering ways to improve law enforcement practices. Among the many suggestions being made is the repeal of the doctrine of qualified immunity. Educators would be wise to keep an eye on this debate. A bill entitled the Ending Qualified Immunity Act has been introduced. It

would amend the relevant section of federal law by adding the following: It shall not be a defense or immunity to any action brought under this section that the defendant was acting in good faith, or that the defendant believed, reasonably or otherwise, that his or her conduct was lawful at the time when it was committed. Nor shall it be a defense or immunity that the rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution or laws were not clearly established at the time of their deprivation by the defendant, or that the state of the law was otherwise such that the defendant could not reasonably have been expected to know whether his or her conduct was lawful. If enacted, that language would prevent a police officer from claiming qualified immunity if the officer’s use of force was so excessive as to violate a person’s civil rights. But it would also prevent an assistant principal from claiming qualified immunity after ordering in-school suspension for a student based on what the A.P. thinks was bullying and a judge later determines is constitutionally protected free speech. Congress could revoke the doctrine of qualified immunity in cases like Mr. Floyd’s — where physical force is used, resulting in death or serious injury, without affecting educators. If Congress did that, the next officer who kneels on a person’s neck for nine minutes would face personal liability in a federal civil suit. Or Congress could revoke qualified immunity altogether. That move would not only put abusive cops at risk, it would also put educators at higher risk. That’s what the Ending Qualified Immunity Act would do. Stay tuned, readers.

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Texas School Business THE NEWS MAGAZINE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TEXAS

67 Years and Counting

JIM WALSH is an attorney with Walsh Gallegos Treviño Russo & Kyle PC. He can be reached at jwalsh@wabsa.com. You can also follow him on Twitter: @jwalshtxlawdawg. Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

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DIGITAL FRONTIER

Juggling “new tech” during COVID-19 by Leslie Garakani

t’s summer 2020 and you’ve come to the end of the most stressful school year of your career. You recall district and campus leaders navigating through iterations of change at a rapid pace and while many things have changed, one thing is certain. Our increased reliance upon technology has never been more fully tested, realized or understood. In the fall of 2017, Midlothian ISD implemented a district-wide one-to-one program, along with a new vertically aligned curriculum. Our three-year “M*Powered” plan was designed to build capacity with classroom teachers for technology integration while evolving the curriculum into a personalized learning experience for each student. In addition to the district’s investment in one-to-one, other recent technology projects included a new fiber WAN, upgrades to our primary data center, and implementation of a new secondary data center. In the midst of the school shutdown in the spring, our total bandwidth capacity was increased to 15 Gbps for nearly 10,000 students. As we closed out the 2019-20 school year, Midlothian ISD convened a task force to compose our 2020 Re-Entry Plan. In the age of COVID-19, reopening schools would be unlike anything Texas schools had ever done before. The task force of nearly 80 people met virtually, twice-aweek over a four-week period. Discussion included everything from face masks, face shields, plexiglass dividers, social and emotional concerns, scheduling, special education, bussing, food service, health and safety protocols, and technology. As the CTO for Midlothian ISD, I listened intently to our teachers, campus leaders, community partners and parents while considering technical solutions to operational problems. Are we starting face-

to-face? What happens if we start virtually? In offering both virtual and face-to-face instructional methods, how do we increase academic rigor? How do we ensure a high level of academic integrity? Whatever the solution, we knew from our community that the learning experience in the fall would need to be very different from our efforts last spring. Our task was to design a more rigorous and highly engaging experience for virtual learning. Texas K-12 technology leaders are no strangers to challenge and adversity. In recent years, many school districts across the state have been writing their strategic technology acquisition and integration plans and implementing one-to-one initiatives. While COVID-19 presents one of the greatest challenges to education, it has simultaneously become a catalyst for fundamental change. We are now seeing full-scale one-to-one deployments in both large and small school districts. Private LTE expansion is also picking up speed and providing internet access to geographical areas with little-to-no service provider infrastructure. Cellular “hot spot” issuance to households to support virtual learning is now commonplace. Software and hardware vendors have inundated district and technology leaders with solutions to all of the new and seemingly unknown challenges that exist. With districts repositioning operations dollars to support virtual learning, new constraints are being revealed. Technology teams are having to upskill quickly to provide support for all of the “new tech.” Technology support has now broadened to include over-the-phone support not just for teachers, but for parents of young children and secondary students. Our customer base has expanded, but for many school districts the number of technology support personnel has

What have I learned from all of this? Whether you’re starting the year in virtual learning or planning for the likely event that you must support virtual learning, districts should focus on the core resources needed. not. Additionally, expectations for faster turnaround times for device repair and software implementation are soaring. In recent weeks, our technology teams have worked 14-hour days, even Saturdays and Sundays. Yet, with all of the effort to get devices into the hands of students, online resources rostered, and network resources scaled and tested, Aug. 20, the first day of virtual learning in our district, was met with disaster. Starting around 7:30 a.m., our virtual call center was flooded with calls from parents having login issues. At 8:40 a.m., we received an email from our regional service center about an issue with our primary internet connection. Fortunately, we were able to switch to our secondary internet connection to resume virtual learning for teachers and students. So what have I learned from all of this? Whether you’re starting the year in virtual learning or planning for the likely event that you must support virtual learning, > See Digital, page 23

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Connectivity in COVID times School districts work to provide tech, access to students in need by Dacia Rivers

▲ A Donna ISD employee hands out district-provided devices to students.

n mid-March, when COVID-19 made its presence known in the state, Texas school districts were forced to shut down their campuses, turning on a dime to switch to remote instruction. While this was a challenging move for all districts, it presented additional difficulties to many, especially those in rural and economically disadvantaged areas, where geography and economics meant many students didn’t have access to devices or reliable internet access at home.

devices to cover students at three of its 10 schools and Technology Director Oscar Rico says he expects the rest of the devices to come in time for the district’s online-only start date of Sept. 8.

March and April, we knew that was going to grow exponentially. Now the prognosis is that we have double the amount of students without internet connections in our district.”

“We’ll have three straight weeks of deployment, starting with our three elementary schools, then moving on with the rest,” Rico says. “I know that I need to do my job and do it fast, because kids’ learning is going to suffer if I don’t become effective quickly.”

Canutillo ISD

Once the devices were ordered, administrators in Canutillo turned their attention toward providing reliable internet access to students. In the spring, the district sent smart buses into the community to provide wi-fi hotspots to students and Spectrum stepped in to provide 60 days of free service to those in need, though administrators knew these were short-term solutions.

Rico spoke with tech companies, including Cisco and its subsidiaries, Meraki and Fluidmesh, and came up with a plan to use a multi-point system to provide students with internet. By installing 100-foot towers on each of the district’s seven campuses, the schools will be able to broadcast their own internet signals out to 75 points across the Canutillo community, covering the area with reliable internet access for the first time. The district is also working with Spectrum to use its dark fiber networks, which will help increase the connection rate from 25 to 100 Mbps per second, meaning students will have the same high-speed access at home that they’d experience in their physical classrooms, at no charge to their families.

Many districts spent the summer preparing for a 2020-21 school year that would likely begin with remote instruction. In Canutillo ISD, in the El Paso area, the school board made providing devices and internet access to all students its top priority, approving the use of $6.5 million to fund the Canutillo Connect initiative. The first step was ordering devices to provide to the district’s 6,000 students. This included purchasing an iPad for each student in pre-K through second grade and a MacBook Air for all students in grades three through 12. The district placed the orders for these devices in May, and the devices started arriving in late August. As of press time, Canutillo had received enough

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

In the spring, the district found that about 700 of its students lacked reliable internet access at home. Because COVID-19 has caused financial hardships for many families, Rico says he expects that number increased over the summer. “We live in a community where a lot of our parents are below the poverty line,” Rico says. “Although we only had about 700 of our 6,000 students lacking internet in

Rico expects the towers will be completed in October. Until then, the district will send out Jetpack hotspots to students without reliable home internet. He also hopes the district will be able to receive reimbursement through Gov. Abbott’s Operation Connectivity initiative, though he says he won’t know for sure until later in the fall.

Some of Canutillo’s students live in colonias, neighborhoods where internet access isn’t available due to a lack of infrastructure that can make even running water hard to find. While the Canutillo Connect initiative will prioritize providing internet access to students in the area, Superintendent Pedro Galaviz plans to open up access to other community members in need. “I work for a very visionary leader,” Rico says. “Dr. Galaviz always asks the same question: ‘Why not?’ When we found out the community did not have available internet, he started questioning, ‘How do they pay their bills? How do they confirm their medical appointments?’ The ‘Why not?’ has really expanded the scope of our work.” In a district where most of the students are considered economically disadvantaged, it’s inspiring to see the administration’s dedication to helping the entire community. When Canutillo began ordering new devices for its students, Galaviz posited another “Why not?” Why not donate their older, soon-to-be unused devices to other school districts in the area? After contacting the district’s legal team to make sure the donation would be acceptable, the school board approved the measure. As the new devices have been coming in, the district has packed up its older devices and shipped them off to small, rural school districts in the El Paso area. So far, Canutillo has donated almost 200 devices, with a plan to donate 2,500 when all is said and done. The Canutillo technology department has also opened itself up to other districts, offering advice and making public their connectivity plans to help anyone else looking to improve internet access for their own students. Rico and the Canutillo ISD administration have toiled over the summer to make Connect Canutillo a reality, and he says

he’s thankful for the support the district received from its school board members, who voted unanimously to approve the initiative. He says he was surprised to see how generous giant corporations were in reaching out to help without requesting compensation for their engineering work in the district. “A lot of companies I called for support said it’d be $250 an hour, so I have been shocked that Cisco has not only allowed its employees to help us, but has compensated them for their time,” he says. “At one point they were recommending products that they don’t even own. It wasn’t about making money. It was about making sure that we were covered.”

Donna ISD The Rio Grande Valley has been one of the hardest-hit regions in the state in terms of COVID-19 infections. As a result, many districts along the border are kicking off the school year with several weeks of remote instruction. That’s the case in Donna ISD, where Superintendent Hafedh Azaiez took the reins in July 2018. One of his first moves as superintendent was to create a five-year strategic plan that involved improving district technology and providing access and devices to all staff and students. This initiative was planned before COVID-19 forced students to learn from home, but because the plan was designed to roll out over five years, the district has had to step up the timeline, shuffling funds and working overtime to adjust the calendar. The district invested $5.7 million to provide devices to its teachers and near-15,000 students. At press time, all teachers in the district had received laptops, all students in second grade and under had received iPads, and Chromebooks for students in grades three and up were trickling in before the district’s Sept. 8 start date. “The number-one issue we had to tackle when we went virtual was that many of our students did not have devices,” Azaiez says. “The second challenge we’re facing is our internet connection, because about 94% of our students live in poverty.”

▲ Canutillo ISD staff organizes

thousands of electronic devices that the district purchased in response to COVID-19.

The digital divide is pronounced in Donna. A district survey administered in June showed that at least 52% of students in the district did not have access to reliable internet coverage in their homes. Besides the severe economic disadvantages, many homes are in rural communities where internet access isn’t available. Azaiez says the district considered sending out hotspots, but some students live in areas where antennas just don’t reach. They considered smart buses, but the rural and

remote nature of the area made choosing access points a challenge. And in the end, administrators wanted a more permanent solution. “We want to have a long-term investment,” he says. “Down the road a year, two years, we want students to have access to the internet while they’re at home, so they can research, even do some work.” Donna is also in a hurricane-prone area, making school closures an inevitability, and reliable internet access at home would make remote instruction possible in the case of future storms. The district put out a request for proposals, and as of press time, work is beginning on work that will provide students coverage. This includes the construction of 12 towers installed on school property throughout the Donna area. Between these 12 towers and strategically placed repeaters, Azaiez says that Donna’s students will have strong, reliable internet access in their homes to use during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. He hopes all construction will be completed in November, and says that the goal is to start building the towers in areas with the most students in need of highspeed access. “We don’t want our students to fall behind. We want to give them equal opportunities,” Azaiez says. “And I want to thank our board for their support of these big expenses, because it takes a lot of support.” Tower construction adds another $3.7 million to the district’s costs, and Donna ISD was in a good place financially to cover this investment. By redirecting funds from other areas into the connectivity initiative and with money saved by canceled events and activities, the district will be able to foot the bill, though Azaiez hopes they will be able to get some reimbursement through Operation Connectivity. Donna ISD has made quick and expensive changes to be able to provide adequate technology for all of its students in an extreme time of need. For Azaiez, the work has been necessary, because giving Donna’s students equal opportunities to learn and be successful is his ultimate priority. “We started distribution of these new devices on some of our campuses, and parents are very thankful,” he says. “Whenever we can remove barriers and accomplish these kinds of things, it makes us feel proud and excited and keeps us going. That’s exactly why we decided to become educators.” DACIA RIVERS is editorial director of Texas School Business. Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Who’s News > Continued from page 10 Sheila Shimmick has accepted

the position of principal of Heritage Middle School, moving from her most recent post as principal of Colleyville Elementary. She has over two decades of experience and holds a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Now serving as principal of Colleyville Heritage High School is James Whitfield, who was principal of Heritage Middle School. Previously a teacher, assistant principal and principal in Birdville ISD, he earned his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in educational leadership from Southwestern Adventist University and his doctorate in educational leadership from Dallas Baptist University.

Gregory-Portland ISD Michelle Cavazos is the district’s choice for the role of superintendent. Most recently Austin ISD’s chief officer for school leadership, academics and socialemotional learning, she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Iowa, a master’s degree in school administration from the University of Houston, and a doctorate in school improvement from Texas State University.

Hays CISD Dedrah Ginn has been

promoted from Dahlstrom Middle School’s assistant principal to principal. She began her career in Killeen ISD and came to HCISD in 2016. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and received her juris doctor from South Texas College of Law. Former Dahlstrom Middle School principal Michael Watson now leads Simon Middle School. Previously a teacher in Alice ISD and director of alternative education for Gregory-Portland ISD, he joined HCISD in 2014. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi.

Highland Park ISD Jeremy Gilbert has accepted

the position of principal of Highland Park High School. An employee of the district since 2008 and principal of Highland Park Middle School since 2018, he is a graduate of Texas A&M University with a master’s degree in education administration from the University of North Texas. Chris Miller, who spent the

past 16 years in the district after beginning his career in Dallas ISD, has been selected to lead Highland Park Middle School. He has also served in Lewisville and Frisco ISDs. A graduate of the University of North Texas, he holds a master’s degree from Texas Woman’s University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Dallas Baptist University.

Holliday ISD Holliday ISD has named a new district superintendent. Cody Carroll, a 28-year educator, has spent the past eight years leading Krum ISD. He has a bachelor’s degree from Angelo State University and a master’s degree from Lubbock Christian University.

Houston ISD Khalilah Campbell-Rhone

has accepted the position of officer of special populations. A product of Houston ISD schools, she received her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees from the University Houston. Previously a teacher and administrator in the district, she most recently served as principal of Worthing High School. Houston ISD has announced the placement of 14 principals. They are:

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

• Samyra Rogers, Pleasantville Elementary School; • Nimmi Thomas, Park Place Elementary School; • Kylene Vasquez, Ashford Elementary School; • Samantha Woods, Valley West Elementary School.

Humble ISD Former Kingwood High School director of bands Destry Balch has been promoted to the district’s director of fine arts. With 32 years of experience in education, 16 of those in his previous position at Kingwood High, he joined Humble ISD in 2001. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from the University of North Texas.

Iraan-Sheffield ISD A new superintendent is in place for the district. Tracy Canter was most recently executive director of special services for Ector County ISD.

Jacksonville ISD Longtime Jacksonville ISD administrator Lindy Finley has retired, concluding 30 years of service to the district, where she was most recently associate superintendent of business and finance. She began her time with JISD as a payroll clerk, going on to work as payroll supervisor, supervisor of personnel, business manager, director of finance and assistant superintendent of finance and operations.

Jefferson ISD Jefferson ISD trustees have announced the appointment of a new police chief,

• Christina Aguirre-Oliva, Ketelsen Elementary School;

Dale Sherrill Jr.

• Eden Bass, Love Elementary School; • Yolanda Bruce, Fleming Middle School; • Emeterio Cruz, Navarro Middle School;

Katy ISD

• Cameshia Emerson, Lockhart Elementary School;

The new executive director of special education is Gwen Coffey, an educator since 1996. She has been the district’s director of compliance since 2018. She holds two master’s degrees, from Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi and the University of Houston, and is nearing completion of her doctorate from Texas Tech University.

• Annie Marie Garcia, Browning Middle School; • Gina Colion Hernandez, Herod Elementary School; • Bronchelle Johnson, Milne Elementary School; • Jerri Nixon, Westbury High School;

• Jessica Rivero, Harris Elementary School;

Jessica Hale, newly appointed

principal of Golbow Elementary School, began her career in 2008 in Katy ISD. Most recently student support administrator at Mayde Creek Junior High, she holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and a master’s degree in educational administration from Lamar University. Andrew Lowry, a 14-year

employee of the district, now serves as principal of Wood Creek Junior High. Initially a teacher and science instructional coach, he has also served as an assistant and associate principal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Bear Creek Elementary School has welcomed Stephanie McElroy as principal. She began her career in the district in 1998. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University and her master’s degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake. Shafer Elementary School now has Shannon Smith as principal. Previously an employee of Mesquite, Sherman and CypressFairbanks ISDs, she joined Katy ISD in 2015 and was most recently assistant principal of Taylor High School. Melinda Stone, who has been with the district for 22 years, the past four as principal of Wood Creek Junior High, now leads Taylor High School. She is a graduate of the University of Arkansas with a master’s degree in educational management and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Now serving as chief operations officer is Ted Vierling. He has been with KISD for 22 years, working as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and assistant superintendent of operations. He received his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Houston.

Keller ISD Michael Crow, now leading

Vista Ridge Middle School, is the former associate principal at Grapevine High School in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD. His bachelor’s degree was awarded from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. Stephanie Speaks has been

named principal of the Keller Center for Advanced Learning. She had been serving as the school’s academic dean and prior to that was an assistant principal at Indian Springs Middle School. The 12year educator holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma and a master’s degree in educational technology leadership from Lamar University. New Keller Learning Center principal Katie Wawak began her career in the district in 2008, working as a teacher and assistant principal. Her bachelor’s degree was awarded from Texas A&M University and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Lamar University. Keller ISD has welcomed Scott Wrehe as its chief financial officer. He comes to his new position from Carroll ISD, where he was assistant superintendent of financial services. He has served in school finance positions since 1998, working in Joshua, Burleson and Fort Worth ISDs. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Texas Christian University.

Kerrville ISD Now serving as head basketball coach at Tivy High School is Joseph Davis. He served as an assistant basketball coach for the past 11 years while teaching and coaching at Peterson Middle School. His bachelor’s degree in exercise science was awarded from Schreiner University.

Killeen ISD Gina Brown, newly named principal of Eastern Hills Middle School, comes to Killeen from Pflugerville ISD, where she was an assistant principal.

The new principal of Wood Elementary School is Pam Disher, who previously led several district campuses and was most recently director of elementary school support.

Meadows Elementary School now has Nickolas Smith as principal. He came to Killeen ISD last year as director for secondary school support and has 11 years of experience as an educator, including administrative positions in Gatesville and Comal ISDs. New Pershing Park Elementary School principal Jessica Taylor most recently was assistant principal of Venable Village Elementary. An educator for 15 years, she has a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Tarleton State University. Alena Thomas is the new principal of Hobby

Elementary School. Initially an instructional aide, she went on to work as a special education and kindergarten teacher, district instructional coach and assistant principal of Fowler Elementary School. She holds a master’s degree from St. Leo University.

Jennifer Warren now leads Murphy Middle School. Previously principal of Hobby Elementary, she has spent her education career in the district. Her doctorate in education, educational leadership and policy studies was awarded from Tarleton State University.

In addition, two new chief learning officers have been named. They are: • Susan Buckley, secondary schools; • Jo-Lynette Crayton, elementary schools. Also, the appointment of four executive directors has been announced. They are: • Dagmar Harris, secondary schools; • Steve Hudson, elementary schools; • Carrie Parker, elementary schools; • Mike Quinn, secondary schools.

Krum ISD In 2013, Mike Davis retired after serving as Krum ISD’s superintendent for five years. He has returned to the district as interim superintendent. Tamra Woods is the new

University.

assistant principal of Krum Middle School. An educator for 10 years, she is a graduate of the University of North Texas with a master’s degree in education from Lamar

La Porte ISD Former Brenham ISD superintendent Walter Jackson now holds the top position in La Porte ISD. He spent the past five years with Brenham ISD and, prior to that, was with Alief ISD. > See Who’s News, page 20 Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

PRESIDENT PROFILE

Texas Association of Rural Schools

New TARS president is ready to advocate for Texas’ rural schools by James Golsan

ew Texas Association of Rural Schools (TARS) President Dr. Aaron Hood knew early on he wanted a career in the education field. The son of two educators — his father was previously superintendent of Robert Lee ISD, a position the younger Hood now occupies — he planned on spending his professional life as a teacher and coach, but opportunity knocked early in his career. Hood’s first principal position came to him at age 25; at 26, he followed in his father’s footsteps and accepted the superintendent’s position with Robert Lee ISD, a job he’s held for the last 15 years. While it might seem like Hood was all but born to serve as the district’s superintendent, he says that while he always wanted to be an educator, he began his career ambivalent as to whether he wanted to work in a smaller district or a larger, more urban one. He says it was having children of his own that changed his mind. “When I started having kids, that’s what really changed my mind. At a smaller school, kids just have the opportunity to participate in more things, and I wanted that for my own kids.” Hood was familiar with Robert Lee ISD and the joys of West Texas small town life, but reaching the administrative ranks so young meant he had to grow quickly as a professional. Hood specifically

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

credits early support from Bronte ISD Superintendent Alan Richey as a major early influence on his career as an education leader. He also cites early involvement with TARS with a portion of his development as an administrator. “[Wall ISD Superintendent] Walter Hollick was kind of a mentor of mine and took me under his wing when I first became a superintendent, and he was the one who told me I needed to get involved with TARS,” Hood says. “I was a 26-year-old superintendent and didn’t really know what to do, so I signed up and started attending the meetings.” As he assumes the presidency at TARS, Hood sees a direct leadership mandate for himself: to advocate on behalf of Texas’ rural schools as best he can. “I really just see myself as a kid from West Texas who wants to do what’s best for rural schools,” he says, adding that those rural schools, be they larger, smaller, West Texan or in the Rio Grande Valley, face many of the same challenges. One he highlights as a longstanding issue that has become all the more important in a world still clawing through the COVID-19 pandemic is broadband access and connectivity for TARS constituents.

“This is an issue that’s really come to the forefront, not just for our schools but in the broader rural community in industries like agriculture and oil and gas,” Hood says, and adds that he hopes to spend his two-year TARS presidency term doing all he can to get broadband in place for more rural school districts. “Some [technology challenges] are actually easier for smaller districts, like getting computers and tablets into the hands of students. The connectivity issue is just still a challenge.” Another issue Hood says TARS must advocate for on behalf of its constituents, particularly with the 87th Texas Legislature kicking off in January, is small school district consolidation, a process through which two or more small districts combine to form a single district covering a large swathe of land. In an economic environment in which thousands of Texans, rural and urban alike, are facing employment challenges, Hood sees school consolidation as a potential problem in many rural Texas communities.

“We have the right to pick the size school district we want to be in, and in the case of rural districts, the school is often the heartbeat of the community. When the school goes away, the town dies with it.” Hood says that the state senators and representatives who advocate on behalf of rural constituents do an excellent job, and he hopes to find allies from other parts of the state who will keep the interests of rural schools at heart during what promises to be a challenging budget cycle for the entire Texas education system. “The reality is that rural schools don’t have as much representation as urban ones,” he says, and adds that he will work with the Legislature to produce the best possible outcomes for Texas’ rural schools when the 87th wraps up in May 2021. The 2020-21 school year is going to be a complicated, challenging time for Texas schools. In Aaron Hood, TARS has a leader who will go the mat on their behalf any way he can.

Some [technology challenges] are actually easier for smaller districts, like getting computers and tablets into the hands of students. The connectivity issue is just still a challenge.

JAMES GOLSAN is a writer and education professional based in Austin.

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Who’s News > Continued from page 17

Lake Travis ISD Former Texarkana ISD superintendent Paul Norton has been chosen to fill the top position in Lake Travis ISD. He began his career in 1996, joining his most recent district in 2001 as an associate principal. He then served as principal of Texas High School. His bachelor’s degree was awarded from Texas Tech University and his master’s degree in education from Texas A&M University at Texarkana.

Lamar CISD Navarro Middle School now has Toshila Darjean as principal. She has 15 years of experience as an educator, six of those as an assistant principal, most recently at Lamar Junior High. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Houston Clear Lake and is at work on her doctorate. Sandra Glenn has been chosen as the new principal for Hutchison Elementary School. She has spent 12 of her 29 years in education as an assistant principal, most recently at Velasquez Elementary. She is a graduate of Lamar University with a master’s degree from the University of Houston at Victoria.

Randle High School, slated to open in the fall of 2021, will have John Montelongo as its first principal. A graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University with a master’s degree from Texas Southern University, he is nearing completion of his doctorate from Lamar University. He has spent 10 of his 25 years in education as a principal, most recently at Hightower High School in Fort Bend ISD. Mike Rockwood has been

named the district’s first deputy superintendent of administrative services and leadership development. The Texas A&M University graduate comes to his new position from Sheldon ISD. He holds a master’s degree from George Washington University and a doctorate from Baylor University.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Serena Williams, newly appointed principal of Meyer Elementary School, earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston, her master’s degree from the University of Houston Clear Lake, and her doctorate from Walden University. She comes to Lamar CISD from Alief ISD, where she was an assistant principal.

Leander ISD Former Wiley Middle School principal Brandon Evans has moved into the position of executive director of campus support. His 15 years with the district include prior service as assistant director and senior director of student support services. His bachelor’s degree is from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree from American Intercontinental University. Wiley Middle School’s new principal, Angela Hodges, led Steiner Ranch Elementary for the past two years. Prior to that, she worked in Pflugerville ISD as an assistant principal and principal. She has a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. Dallas ISD’s former director of information technology infrastructure, Jason Miller, is now Leander ISD’s chief technology officer. His bachelor’s degree was awarded from the University of Phoenix and his master’s degree in business administration from Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Liberty-Eylau ISD Dewaski Davis has been

Lamar University. He has been with the district since 2004.

Lufkin ISD Amy Fain has transferred from leading Anderson Elementary School to the top position at Brookhollow Elementary. An employee of the district for 14 years, she previously taught in Coppell ISD. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University. Pamela McClendon has been

promoted from assistant principal to principal of Brandon Elementary School. The 25-year educator is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University, where she also earned her master’s degree in education. The new associate principal of curriculum and instruction at Lufkin High School is Julie McManus, who has been with LISD for 17 years as a teacher, counselor and director of counseling. She received her bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, where she also obtained her master’s degree in counseling. Now serving as assistant superintendent for education services and accountability is Shelly Slaton, who joined the district in 2004 as senior counselor at Lufkin High School. She has served as the school’s associate principal for the past five years. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and her master’s degree in counseling from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Lumberton ISD

Former Decatur ISD superintendent Judi Whitis now holds that position in London ISD.

Former executive director of innovation for Little Elm ISD Tony Tipton now leads Lumberton ISD as superintendent. The 25-year educator holds a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University, a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Arlington, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Texas A&M University at Commerce.

Lubbock-Cooper ISD

McCamey ISD

Landon Winton has been promoted from assistant principal to principal of Lubbock-Cooper High School. The Lubbock native is a graduate of Texas Tech University with a master’s degree in educational leadership from

Michael Valencia has been promoted from principal of McCamey High School to district superintendent.

named athletic director and head football coach. He previously held both roles in Queen City and Clarksville ISDs.

London ISD

McKinney ISD

Mabank ISD

North Lamar CISD

Now leading Webb Elementary School as principal is Maria Hafner, a 24-year educator who spent the past four years as assistant principal of McClure Elementary. She began her career in schools in Pinellas County, Fla., then worked as a teacher and coordinator in Fairfax County, Va. She came to Texas in 2005 to work in Frisco ISD, joining McKinney ISD in 2016.

Mabank ISD’s new superintendent is Brad Koskelin, who had served as acting superintendent since January. He joined the district in 1996, working as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal, and assistant superintendent for human resources. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Northwestern Oklahoma State University and his master’s degree in educational leadership from Stephen F. Austin State University.

North Lamar High School has a new principal. Mark Keith, a graduate of the campus, has spent the past nine years with Lufkin ISD, most recently as principal of Brandon Elementary School. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin State University and a master’s degree from Texas State University.

Hali Hunt, one of two newly named human resources directors, worked in human resources in the U.S. Army and the private sector before serving as a math and science teacher in Dallas ISD. He then joined the human resources department in DeSoto ISD, going on to work in Medina Valley and Lake Worth ISDs. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a master’s degree in business administration from Northcentral University.

Former Webb Elementary principal Kyle Luthi is now principal of MISD’s Disciplinary Alternative Education Program (DAEP). He has spent his 18 year career in the district, 13 of those as a campus administrator. He is a graduate of the University of Wyoming with a master’s degree in education administration from Dallas Baptist University. A 27-year educator,

Karla Massey has been

approved to lead Caldwell Elementary School as principal. After earning her bachelor’s degree from Harding University and beginning her career as a teacher in Arkansas, she joined Garland ISD in 1993, going on to work in Lewisville ISD before returning to Garland ISD to take her most recent position as principal of Montclair Elementary. Shelly Spaulding is the district’s second human resources director, joining the department after working as assistant principal of McKinney High School. She brings 16 years of experience in education, beginning her career as a coach, teacher and reading specialist in Richardson ISD. She received her bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and her master’s degree in education administration from Lamar University and is currently pursuing her doctorate at the University of North Texas.

Magnolia ISD The following administrative assignments have been announced: • Brandon Garza, chief academic officer; • Ben Petty, executive director of special services; • Sarah Wright, executive director of teaching and learning.

Marathon ISD The district’s new superintendent is Pete Price. A former social studies teacher and coach in New Hampshire, Belgium, and Austin’s Eanes ISD, he served as an assistant principal in Round Rock ISD and as a principal and director in Austin ISD. He is a graduate of Middlebury College with a master’s degree from the University of Texas and a doctorate from Texas State University.

Merkel ISD Joseph O’Malley has been promoted from Merkel ISD assistant superintendent to superintendent.

Montgomery ISD New superintendent Heath Morrison comes to Texas from North Carolina, where he was superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. In addition, he previously was a community superintendent in Montgomery County, Md., and superintendent of schools in Nevada’s Washoe County School District. He graduated from the College of William and Mary and holds a master’s degree in educational administration and a doctorate in educational policy from the University of Maryland.

New Braunfels ISD Miriam Blanton has been

selected to serve as principal of Seele Elementary School. She began her career in Abilene ISD and served as a teacher, instructional coach, academic dean and assistant principal in Judson ISD.

Paris ISD A new assistant principal has been named for Crockett Intermediate School. Richard Caldwell, a 20-year educator, holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Texas A&M University at Commerce. Paul Wallace is the new

assistant principal of Aiken Elementary School. He spent six years with CypressFairbanks ISD and six with Katy ISD and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas A&M University and a doctorate from Stephen F. Austin State University.

Pasadena ISD Jennifer Capra-Berry is the newly appointed

principal of Community School, where she was assistant principal since 2013. She has served the district for 23 years after beginning her career in San Antonio’s Northside ISD. She is a graduate of Our Lake of the Lake University.

Jennifer Stewart, newly appointed principal of Jackson Intermediate School, initially taught in Lufkin and Texarkana ISDs, coming to Pasadena in 2006 and serving as assistant principal of Pasadena High School. She is a graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University.

Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD New superintendent Brent Jaco is a 20-year educator who has served as an assistant principal, principal and district administrator, most recently as Brazosport ISD’s chief of staff and governmental affairs officer. He is a graduate of the University of Houston with a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Ashford University.

Pflugerville ISD Former Pflugerville Middle School assistant principal Brett Coleman is now acting principal of the Provan Opportunity Center. An assistant principal for the past 13 years in Round Rock and Austin ISDs as well as > See Who’s News, page 31 Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

PRESIDENT PROFILE

Texas Association of School Administrators

Northside ISD’s Brian Woods set to navigate TASA through turbulent times by James Golsan

ew Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) President Dr. Brian Woods says that one of the most jarring, challenging moments of his career was when he made the transition from campus-level administrator to a district level one. Used to the pace and feel of a campus life where he was able to work with students and teachers every day, Woods felt like a fish out of water. “I remember early on, maybe four weeks in, I went into John’s [Dr. John Folks, previous superintendent of Northside ISD] office, closed the door, and said, ‘Dr. Folks, I just don’t think this is working out; I think you should put me back on a campus.’” Had Folks granted his young deputy superintendent’s request, Woods’ career likely would have gone very differently, although leadership roles seem to come naturally to him. Now, he takes the reins as the president of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) during uniquely challenging times for the Texas education community.

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It’s a role Woods has had a chance to grow into. His mentor, Folks, also served a term as TASA president, and while Woods says he appreciated having the opportunity work closely with him during his stint in leadership, it was his own direct work with the organization — first as a regional representative and then later through his participation in the search committee for an executive director — that made him realize that if an officer’s position became available, he would want it if his peers backed him for it. While Woods’ goals for his time in leadership include continuing to build on the legacy established by previous presidents, he faces a pair of unique challenges previous TASA presidents have not had to confront. The first is the COVID-19 pandemic, which disrupts education delivery — to say nothing of funding and the safety of students, parents and educators — in a way that little else has. The second is the racial and social justice movement currently taking place in the United States. “These conversations [about racial and social justice] are taking place all over our community right now, and our principals are

a reflection of that community in our schools,” Woods says. “TASA has assembled a diverse group of education leaders to have a conversation about where we can lead in this space, and help not only our own organization, but schools across the state with regard to these issues.” Where TASA’s COVID-19 response is concerned, Woods highlights multiple challenges the organization is assisting its membership with, both in terms of how district leaders interact with each other (“In most districts, face-to-face meetings are just how people are used to getting things done,”) and wading through what can be rocky political waters associated with the pandemic. Woods is quick to credit TASA Executive Director Kevin Brown and organizational staff for their commitment to helping education leaders respond to the pandemic anywhere they can. “Kevin and the staff have done a really fine job of being available to schools, doing everything from translating the everchanging state guidance to school leaders to providing professional development specific to our current circumstances, such as leading virtually.” With 2021 approaching, Woods and TASA leadership have another daunting task

ahead of them: advocating on behalf of the Texas education community during what is likely to be among the most fiscally challenging legislative sessions in a century when the 87th Texas Legislature convenes in January. While Woods says TASA is still developing their legislative priorities, their focus in 2021 will be on protecting funding for Texas schools. “We are going to be very involved in those budget conversations during the session, and while we would love for there to be no budget cuts, if there are any, we will be advocating for those that do the least damage to student programming over time,” Woods says.

A pandemic, a social justice awakening, and what could be an immensely challenging legislative session — any one of these issues would represent a major leadership challenge.

A pandemic, a social justice awakening, and what could be an immensely challenging legislative session — any one of these issues would represent a major leadership challenge. TASA is fortunate to have an experienced, passionate and humble president at the helm to guide them through the next year. The Texas education community needs all the support it can get. In Woods, it has a leader who can provide plenty. JAMES GOLSAN is a writer and education professional based in Austin.

DIGITAL FRONTIER

> Continued from page 13

districts should focus on the core resources needed. Do you have an effective learning management system (ex. Blackboard, Canvas, D2L, etc.)? Do you have a dependable web conferencing platform with modest features to help teachers facilitate virtual learning? Have you considered academic integrity with online proctor testing platforms (ex. Proctorio, ProctorU, Examity, etc.)? This is not the time for approving every software request by staff. By focusing on the core services needed, however, you can provide support in the most critical areas. In the early days of COVID-19, the Texas K-12 CTO Council hosted member Q&A sessions moderated by council board members. For 15 years, the Texas K-12 CTO Council has existed as the premier technology organization for school district technology leaders. The collective

experience and wisdom of our member leaders helps guide schools into trusted, tested and proven solutions for successfully affecting 3.5 million Texas students. When superintendents lean on their technology leaders for solutions to challenging problems, technology leaders can access the strength and experience of the Texas K-12 CTO Council. No other organization has contributed more to my personal and professional growth. I rely immensely upon my professional network within the Texas K-12 CTO Council. LESLIE GARAKANI is the chief technology officer for Midlothian ISD and the current treasurer for the Texas K-12 CTO Council.

This is not the time for approving every software request by staff. By focusing on the core services needed, however, you can provide support in the most critical areas.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

THE ARTS

News in fine arts education

Finding joy by Meredith Riggs

his spring, I delighted in watching the videos of my students’ families as they played handclap games and laughed joyfully when mistakes were made. While some might see them just as silly games, what I see is my students beautifully achieving the very goals I have for them: singing together, working together, finding delight in mistakes that can lead to growth.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

First-grader Zalayah loves participating in her elementary music class. As I head into my 14th year of teaching, I’ve been reflecting on how what I’ve learned and changed throughout the years has affected my students. Some of the biggest changes have resulted in my students expressing more joy and laughter as well as being more reflective of their learning.

Focus on selfawareness The first shift was incorporating social and emotional learning into the music space — it’s a most natural inclusion, given how inherently social and emotional musicmaking is. Yet, while inherent, it does require intentional implementation. Taking time for student-led mindful movement at the beginning of class helps ensure smooth transitions — an aspect of elementary music classes that can be difficult for some. It also allows for students to try on leadership roles in a safe way. Another SEL strategy I use is having students check in with their bodies when they complete something successfully. It’s easy for us to remember our failings, so calling attention to feelings of success and having my students describe those feelings helps them seek it out more. They can carry this practice with them throughout their lives. I’ve also taught my students simple mindfulness methods to help them in moments of frustration, because frustration is often a part of learning. With simple breathing or touch strategies, students can navigate those moments and come out of them with a feeling of growth. When I notice a student is stuck on something, I ask them what strategies they can use. “Finger tracing!” “Hot cocoa!” And away we go! While I’ve witnessed how SEL strategies help every student, Talia especially comes to mind. She started the year like any other student, but as academic pressures grew, she frequently became physically agitated. She often interrupted class with random noises or outbursts. I knew not to take her behavior personally, so I had private conversations with her to learn what she was feeling in those moments and to determine what she needed to stay focused. With her classroom teacher, counselor and administrator, we worked together to help Talia incorporate breathing exercises and self-reminders. While things were never perfect, issues were more quickly resolved, and Talia became more aware of her triggers and ways to recover. It’s important to acknowledge that we all have strong emotions at times, but we can use mindfulness to recognize the cause and effect and then move forward.

How we say it matters Another important shift in my teaching has been in the language I use with my students. In college, I wasn’t taught about how significantly my words would affect my students’ views of themselves. Instead of “Great job on singing,” I might say, “I

▲ Meredith Riggs teaches a music lesson at Blackshear Elementary School. noticed you were thinking ahead to the next part of the song and were able to remember all the lyrics and pitches.” This gives students more concrete feedback on what they did and how it helped them be successful. The most meaningful result of this change is evident when students begin identifying those things themselves. This language shift is similarly transformative when applied to classroom management as students can identify how their behaviors affect their learning and relationships with others.

Music is movement Movement has always been present in the form of musical games and moving to music. It’s always everyone’s favorite part of class — it’s a natural reaction to hearing music. Yet, I discovered a greater impact to student success when I began incorporating more of it into the learning of music literacy. Previously, I created parameters for our literacy-based movement, but in the past two years, I stepped back and allowed students to be more creative and collaborative in those activities. When students create their own interpretation of the melodic shape of a phrase, there is so much experimentation and laughter. I love hearing their conversations with each other about how things worked or didn’t and what they can change to make it more interesting or silly or athletic. When engaged in these fun movement activities, students don’t even realize they’re learning important music lessons and developing a deeper creative self — something that transfers to all aspects of

“I really love to sing because it just makes me happy.” —Miranda, sixth-grader learning. Moments like these reveal what’s amazing about music learning. Through our academic discipline of developing music literacy and skills, we experience the joy of making music with our friends and opportunities for self-expression, risktaking and confidence building. While most of my reflections have centered on in-person activities, many of these things were easily adapted for distance learning. We may have lost a little of the collaboration between peers, but watching siblings teach each other and work together in video submissions was joyful and offered a whole new level of learning. In the spring I lost the student-led movement piece, but all summer I’ve been looking forward to seeing it return in student submissions to be shared (with parental consent, of course). We’re all learning and growing through this uncharted territory, and as we navigate it, we will continue to discover ways to help our students and ourselves find joy. MEREDITH RIGGS is an elementary music specialist at Blackshear Elementary School in Austin ISD. She is certified in Kodály levels I–IV and Orff levels I & II, and has completed Dalcroze coursework. Learn more about Meredith and her elementary music students in the video “Music Makes Me Happy” at www.tmea.org/happy.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

REGIONAL VIEW

Education service center programs & practices

Transforming prekindergarten one partnership at a time by Kim Thorne

day in the life of education can be defined by three powerful words: connect — collaborate — educate. Over the past year, Region 9 Education Service Center (ESC) has worked to add one more word to the list: partnership. In 2018, Region 9 learned about a unique grant opportunity offered by the Texas Education Agency. The grant, known as RECESS, began as a federal Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG) distributed to the Texas Workforce Commission. TWC passed funding to TEA to support quality and access in early childhood education. These efforts resulted in establishing the Regional Early Childhood Education Support Specialist (RECESS) grant. The objective of RECESS is to enhance early childhood technical assistance for programs serving children from birth to 5 years of age across three initiatives: general early childhood support, improving teacher-student interaction and public-private partnerships. Region 9 ESC was awarded Initiative 2: Improving Teacher-Student Interactions, as well as Initiative 3: Public-Private Partnerships in February 2019. A few months later, Gov. Greg Abbott signed an $11.6 billion dollar school finance measure, House Bill 3 (HB3), mandating, among other things, full-day prekindergarten for eligible 4-year-old students. The legislative mandate requires school districts to provide 75,600 instructional minutes to eligible 4-year-old students. Moreover, LEAs

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

must consider and solicit prekindergarten partnerships prior to constructing, repurposing or leasing a facility needed to provide the necessary classroom space for eligible 4-year-old students. For some school communities, creating a full-day 4-year-old prekindergarten program became problematic due to a lack of space or certified teachers. However, a full-day prekindergarten waiver, through TEA, provided school districts time to take the necessary steps to accommodate full-day prekindergarten. HB3 encouraged public-private partnership conversations with districts, private early learning centers, and Head Start programs. Public-private partnerships rely on crosssector collaboration and relationships to best serve individual community and district needs. Partnerships provide the opportunity to initiate and sustain a shared vocabulary and dialogue between leaders and influencers in early learning. Each partnering entity must continue to operate within their mandated guidelines. Beyond that, the shareable resources within a partnership are limitless. Conversations and considerations for partnerships can be adjusted to align with specific district, community, early learning and school-readiness needs. Factors to consider can include, but are not limited to: •

Enhanced services for children and families

•

A full day of care and education supporting working parents

•

Expanded training and professional development opportunities for early learning certified and non-certified staff

•

Cost to both programs, such as overhead, teacher salary and supplemental staff

•

Transition to kindergarten

Region 9 acknowledges all conversations will not evolve into formal partnerships and shared funding for dually enrolled students. Districts and early learning stakeholders may feel a school readiness integration partnership (SRI) better meets the needs of each respective stakeholder and community. In an SRI partnership, students are not dually enrolled and ADA funding is not shared. However, SRI partnerships support programs through resources, professional development and instructional frameworks aligned with TEA’s Prekindergarten Guidelines. For a school district considering formal partnerships in their area, specific requirements and guidance are available to ensure private early learning centers are partnership ready. These requirements include one of the following: •

Texas Rising Star Provider with a 3-star certification or higher

•

Nationally accredited (NAEYC, Head Start, NAC, AMI)

•

Texas School Ready Participant

•

Meet the requirements under Texas Education Code Sec. 29.153

Region 9 ESC, with RECESS support, is able to guide interested private early learning centers that currently do not meet TEA partnership requirements toward becoming partnership ready. Prior to initiating partnership conversations between LEAs and private programs, Region 9 conducted a high-level landscape analysis to recognize each community’s assets and gaps that impact early education and school readiness. The demographic and economic structure varies throughout Region 9, as well as the number of LEAs who currently provide full-day prekindergarten. Region 9’s early learning department communicated and coordinated between individual LEAs, superintendents and early learning programs to determine specific needs across each district to support high-quality prekindergarten, ultimately creating a shared vision of a strong early learning community within Region 9. Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD), with guidance from Region 9, began the 2019-20 school year with one public-private partnership classroom, the first in Region 9 to begin the transformative partnership conversation. WFISD, a district already providing full-day prekindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds, worked with Child Care Partners to support one 4-year-old classroom of dually enrolled students. Appreciating the district’s community, the partnership classroom was designed to support this working neighborhood. Dually enrolled students and their families were able to receive wraparound care, including a certified teacher, from one location without added transportation or cost.

for 21 partnership classrooms serving up to 300 students. There is no question the 2020-21 school year will not be without challenges across the region and state. During this unprecedented time in education, Region 9 will continue to create, support and foster prekindergarten partnerships. HB3 set the stage for the conversations, efforts and successes seen across Region 9. However, the stars are those who participated in the

forward-thinking conversations resulting in transformative changes across the region. Region 9 is grateful for each partner’s growth mindset that facilitated the vision and out-of-the-box thinking needed to guide and restructure services for eligible 3- and 4-year old prekindergarten students. KIM THORNE is a regional public/private partnership specialist for Region 9 ESC.

Region 9 and superintendents worked assiduously to ensure high-quality early learning and prekindergarten programs not only met but exceeded HB3’s expectations. Taking into account the available funding from TEA for eligible 3-year-old students to cover 32,400 instructional minutes, public-private partnership conversations began to evolve. Recognizing schoolreadiness is a discernible challenge, and typical elementary campuses are often not developmentally appropriate for 3-year-old prekindergarten programs, Region 9 and 11 superintendents began public-private partnership conversations for the region’s youngest prekindergarten students. Starting with the 2020–21 school year, Region 9 will serve, support and offer improved resources

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Calendar Professional development & events Note: Many events are being moved, postponed or canceled due to COVID-19. Please verify any event listed below by calling the included phone number for the most up-to-date information.

October 5-6

October 13-14

October 20

TASPA Fall Support Staff Conference Embassy Suites, San Marcos For more info, (512) 494-9353. www.taspa.org

SEPTE M BE R

October 6

TASBO School Operations Conference This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $235; nonmembers, $285; associate members, $410; associate nonmembers, $560.

TASA/N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 2 of 6 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $600 for all six sessions.

September 30-October 1 TASA/N2 Learning Principals’ Institute, Session 1 of 6 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $4,250 for all six sessions. September 30-October 1 TASA/N2 Learning Executive Leadership Institute, Session 1 of 4 For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $2,850 for all four sessions. September 30-October 2 September 30-October 2 TASA|TASB Convention: txEDCON Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasa.tasb.org Cost: Pre-registration: Full board/ superintendent team, $325 each; TASA/TASB members, $425; nonmembers, $525. Add $100 pp for late registration.

O C TO BE R October 1 TEPSA Region 14 Meeting Al’s Mesquite Grill, Abilene For more info, (512) 478-5268 or (800) 2252-3621. www.tepsa.org October 3 TASB Delegate Assembly This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 467-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org October 4-6 TEPSA Assistant Principals Conference This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 478-5268 or (800) 252-3621. www.tepsa.org

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

TASBO Workshop: Certified School Risk Managers TASBO offices, Austin For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org October 7 TASSP Region 9 Meeting ESC Region 9, Wichita Falls For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org TASSP Region 17 Meeting Ropes High School, Ropesville For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org Texas ASCD Webinar Series with Dr. Douglas Reeves Session 2 of 3: Equity and Excellence Now For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org October 7-8 TASB Training: Get a Grip on the Family and Medical Leave Act This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 467-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org Cost: $150. October 8 TEPSA Region 6 Meeting ZOOM meeting For more info, (512) 478-5268 or (800) 252-3621. www.tepsa.org October 12, 14, 16 TASA/CMSi Curriculum Management Audit Training, Level 1 Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasanet.org Cost: TASA members, $750; nonmembers, $850.

October 14 ED 311 Back to School Workshops Last day to access the 2020 Back to School webinar series (September 9, 16, 23 and 30) For more info, (512) 478-2113. www.info@ed311.com Cost: Registration for all four sessions only: $160. Registration for all four sessions plus printed workbook, $185. TASSP Region 16 Meeting ESC Region 16, Amarillo For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org October 16-18 Texas PTA LAUNCH Conference Hilton Anatole, Dallas For more info, (512) 320-9801. www.txpta.org October 18-19 Texas ASCD Transformative Principal Leadership Academy (session 2 of 3) This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org October 19 TASBO Academy: Personnel Fundamentals Two attendance options, in person or remote Omni Galleria, Houston For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $225; nonmembers, $275. TASBO Academy: Payroll Fundamentals Two attendance options, in person or remote Omni Galleria, Houston For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $225; nonmembers, $275.

TASBO Payroll and Personnel Academy Two attendance options, inperson or remote Omni Galleria, Houston For more info, (512) 4620-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $305; nonmembers, $355. TASBO Course: ITM201 Technology Leadership This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $175; nonmembers, $225. October 20-21 TASPA Conference: Title IX Administrators This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 494-9353. www.taspa.org October 21 TASBO Workshop: Orange Frog – The Happiness Advantage Mansfield ISD, Mansfield For more info, (512) 4620-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $335; nonmembers, $385. TASSP Region 13 Meeting Location TBA, Pflugerville area For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org October 21-23 TASB Conference for Administrative Professionals TASB offices, Austin (512) 467-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org October 22-November 12 TASB/TASPA Texas School HR Administrators Academy This will be a virtual event each Thursday during the dates listed above For more info, (512) 457-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org Cost: $250.

October 26-27

November 2, 4, 6

November 9-10

November 19

TASBO Accounting and Finance Academy Two attendance options, in person or remote Embassy Suites, San Marcos For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $305; nonmembers, $355.

TASA Curriculum Writing Workshop Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasanet.org Cost: TASA members, $450; nonmembers, $500.

TASB XG Summit TASB offices, Austin For more info, (512) 467-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org

Texas ASCD Transformative Principal Leadership Academy, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (session 3 of 3) Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Cypress For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org

October 26, 28, 30 TASA/CMSi Curriculum Management Audit Training, Level 2 Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasanet.org Cost: TASA members, $750; nonmembers, $850. October 27-28 TASA/N2 Learning Principals’ Institute, Session 2 of 6 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $4,250 for all six sessions. October 28 TASSP Region 11 Meeting Joe T. Garcia’s, Fort Worth For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org TASSP Region 14 Meeting ESC Region 14, Abilene For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org October 29 TASBO Workshop: Getting Things Done TASBO offices, Austin For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $335; nonmembers, $385. Texas ASCD Webinar Series with Dr. Douglas Reeves Session 3 of 3: The 100-Day Leader For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org

N OV E M BE R November 2 TASBO Workshop: Purchasing Fundamentals Two attendance options, inperson or remote Courtyard by Marriott, Pflugerville For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $225; nonmembers, $275.

November 3 TASBO Workshop: Orange Frog – The Happiness Advantage Robinson ISD, Waco For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $335; nonmembers, $385. Texas ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy, McKinney (session 3 of 3) McKinney ISD, McKinney For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org November 3-4 TASBO Purchasing Academy Two attendance options, inperson or remote Courtyard by Marriott, Pflugerville For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $305; nonmembers, $355. TASSP Region 15 Meeting Lowake Steak House, Rowena For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org TASSP Region 18 Meeting ZOOM Meeting For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org November 4-5 TASA First-Time Superintendents Academy, Session 3 of 4 Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasanet.org Cost: TASA members, $795; nonmembers, $895. November 5 TASBO Workshop: Certified School Risk Managers TASBO offices, Austin For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org November 8-9 TEPSA Grow Leadership Conference Hilton Dallas/Rockwall Lakefront, Dallas For more info, (512) 478-5268 or (800) 252-3621. www.tepsa.org

TASBO Accounting and Finance Academy Two attendance options, inperson or remote Embassy Suites DFW, Irving For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: TASBO members, $305; nonmembers, $355. November 10, 12 TASA/CMSi Curriculum Management Planning Workshop Virtual For more info, (512) 477-6361. www.tasanet.org Cost: TASA members, $450; nonmembers, $500. November 11 TASSP Region 2 Meeting Cunningham Middle School, Corpus Christi For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org November 11-14 Texas Counseling Association Professional Growth Conference This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 472-3403. www.txca.org Texas ASCD Curriculum Leadership Academy, Katy (session 2 of 3) Katy ISD, Katy For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org November 16-18 TASBO Synergy This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: $305. November 17-18 TASB Training: HR Services This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 467-0222 or (800) 580-8272. www.tasb.org November 18 TASSP Region 8 Meeting ESC Region 8, Pittsburg For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org

DECEMBER December 1-2 TASA/N2 Learning Executive Leadership Institute, Session 2 of 4 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $2,850 for all four sessions. TASA/N2 Learning Principals’ Institute, Session 3 of 6 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $4,250 for all six sessions. December 2 TASSP Region 10 Meeting Spring Creek BBQ, Richardson For more info, (512) 443-2100. www.tassp.org Texas ASCD Workshop: Creating an UnderstandingBased Curriculum and Assessment System for 21st Century Learning Rockwall ISD, Rockwall For more info, (512) 477-8200 or (800) 717-2723. www.txascd.org December 2-5 TAHPERD Annual Convention This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 459-1299. www.tahperd.org December 3 TASA/N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 3 of 6 Virtual For more info, (972) 515-2268. www.n2learning.org Cost: $600 for all six sessions. TASBO Workshop: What’s New for Tax Year 2020 This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $75; nonmembers, $125.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

December 8 TASBO Course: Certified School Risk Managers TASBO offices, Austin For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org December 8-11 THSADA State Conference Convention Center, Waco For more info, (832) 623-7803. www.thsada.com

Where did you find that great conference?

December 9 TASPA/Legal Digest Personnel Law Conference for School Administrators Renaissance Hotel, Austin For more info, (512) 494-9353. www.taspa.org December 9-11 TASPA Winter Conference Renaissance Hotel, Austin For more info, (512) 494-9353. www.taspa.org December 10 TASBO Workshop: Orange Frog â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Happiness Advantage Galena Park ISD, Houston For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $335; nonmembers, $385. TASBO Workshop: Filing W2s This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $75; nonmembers, $125. December 10-11 TAMS Annual Legislative Conference Lakeway Resort and Spa, Austin For more info, (512) 346-2177. www.midsizeschools.org Cost: $150 for first district participant, $100 for all others from same district. December 17 TASBO Workshop: Filing 1099s This will be a virtual event For more info, (512) 462-1711. www.tasbo.org Cost: Members, $75; nonmembers, $125. â&#x2014;&#x201E;

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

I found it in Texas School Business!

Discover upcoming conferences and continuing education opportunities in the calendar section of each issue of Texas School Business and on our website. TexasSchoolBusiness.com

Who’s News > Continued from page 21

Pflugerville, he also taught in Lewisville ISD. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Texas and a master’s degree in educational administration. Pflugerville ISD veteran Carrie Quinney has been named principal of Murchison Elementary School. An employee of the district for 18 years, she began as a kindergarten teacher and was most recently assistant principal of Riojas Elementary. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas and her master’s degree in teacher leadership from Lamar University. Former Westview Middle School assistant principal Alma Ramirez now leads the campus as principal. Prior to joining Pflugerville ISD in 2019, she was an assistant principal in Hutto and Alice ISDs. She has a bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University at Kingsville and a master’s degree in educational administration.

Plano ISD Plano ISD has named Courtney Gober assistant superintendent for student, family and community engagement. He joins the district from San Antonio ISD, where he served in a similar capacity. He is a graduate of Morehouse College with a master’s degree in education from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and a doctorate in educational administration and curriculum and instruction from the University of North Texas. Plano Senior High School now has Kelly Stallings as head girls’ basketball coach. She has taught and coached at the school since 2008.

Prosper ISD Dustin Toth is the principal of Prosper ISD’s new Rock Hill High School, which opened its doors in August. After graduating from Texas A&M University, he began his career in Wylie ISD, completed the educational leadership program at Dallas Baptist University, and worked as an administrator in Farmersville and Pilot Point ISDs before joining Prosper ISD as assistant principal of Prosper High School.

Red Oak ISD Fabian Garcia, new principal of Red Oak

Middle School, is a 20-year educator who spent the past four years as an assistant principal in Manor ISD. Prior to that, he was with the New York City Public School

System for 12 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oregon State University and two master’s degrees, from New York University and Baruch College.

Richardson ISD The district’s new chief technology officer, Henry Hall, has been with Richardson ISD for 20 years, including service as principal of Richardson West Junior Technology Magnet and Berkner High School’s STEM Academy.

Rockwall ISD

Amanda Serna, new principal of Grisham Middle School, was the school’s assistant principal since 2016. A graduate of the University of Texas at El Paso, where she also earned her master’s degree in education administration, she has been a teacher in both Round Rock and El Paso ISDs.

Early College High School has welcomed Elizabeth Watson as its new principal. The 23-year educator most recently led Fern Bluff Elementary and previously worked in Austin ISD. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Xavier University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in education from Texas State University.

Royse City ISD

The district’s new chief of student services is Kelvin Stroy, who comes to the district from Mansfield ISD, where he was director of student services. He is a 22-year educator, having previously worked as a secondary math teacher, assistant principal, principal and director of academic services. He received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in secondary mathematics from Louisiana Tech University and his doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from the University of Texas at Arlington.

A new position, executive director of cultural development, has been created for the district and Taryne Dismuke has been hired to fill it. She joins RCISD from the private sector, where she worked as an education solutions strategist. Prior to that, she was with Lancaster and Grand Prairie ISDs. She is a graduate of Prairie View A&M University and is nearing completion of her master’s degree in organizational leadership and development.

Rosebud-Lott ISD

San Angelo ISD

A new superintendent is in place for the district. James Rosebrock most recently led George West ISD.

The new head baseball coach for Lake View High School is Geraldo Bueno, previously a PE teacher and coach in Pecos-BarstowToyah ISD. A former professional baseball player, he earned two bachelor’s degrees, in business administration and kinesiology, from Houston Baptist University.

Round Rock ISD Donald Bosier has accepted the position of

principal of the Round Rock Opportunity Center. Most recently a curriculum coach, educational consultant and restorative practices trainer and coordinator, he also worked as an assistant principal in Leander ISD. He received his bachelor’s degree from Baptist University of the Americas and his master’s degree in education administration from Concordia University.

Brian Braudrick is the new principal of Live

Oak Elementary School, having served as its assistant principal since 2016. With 14 years of experience in education, he has also worked as a teacher, interventionist, curriculum coordinator and summer learning principal. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma City University and a master’s degree in education administration from Concordia University.

The district’s new director of health services is Brandy Hafner, who since 2017 has served as health services team leader for the Westwood Learning Community. Prior to that assignment, she worked as a school nurse in Round Rock, Pflugerville and Austin ISDs and in the private sector. She is a graduate of Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Rodney Chant has accepted the position of

executive director of athletics. Most recently director of athletics in Fort Bend ISD, he previously coached and served as an athletic administrator in Terrell and Pasadena ISDs. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Howard Payne University and a master’s degree in management from the University of Houston. He currently serves as president of the Texas High School Athletic Directors Association.

Santa Anna ISD Former Perryton ISD assistant superintendent Todd White now leads Santa Anna ISD. The 30-year educator is a graduate of Colorado State University with a master’s degree in educational administration from the University of Texas.

> See Who’s News, page 32

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Who’s News > Continued from page 31

Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD (San Antonio) Clemens High School has a new principal. Amy Sirizzotti has been with the district since 2016, serving as the school’s assistant principal for the past two years.

Shallowater ISD New superintendent Anita Hebert comes to Shallowater from Magnolia ISD, where she was assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction since 2002.

Shepherd ISD Jason Hewitt, the district’s new

superintendent, was formerly associate commissioner of governance for the Texas Education Agency.

Sherman ISD A new principal is in place for Washington Elementary School. Heather Wood is a 21year educator who comes to Sherman from McKinney ISD, where she was assistant principal of Caldwell Elementary. She is a graduate of East Central University with a master’s degree in educational administration.

Silsbee ISD Silsbee ISD has welcomed Amanda Jenkins as principal of Silsbee Middle School. The 20-year educator began her career in Port Arthur ISD, going on to work as an administrator in Nederland, Hamshire-Fannett and Orangefield ISDs. She was most recently principal of Orangefield Elementary School. She is a graduate of McNeese State University with a master’s degree in education administration from Lamar University.

Socorro ISD (El Paso) Adalberto Garcia has been

named the district’s school improvement officer. An educator for 31 years, he has served as a principal in SISD for the past 23, most recently at Drugan Pre-K-8 School. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso and Stephen F. Austin State University.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

The new director of transportation,

Jacqueline Gutierrez,

has been a part of the Socorro ISD transportation department for 23 years. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. Lucero Miranda-Reid now leads Socorro High School as principal, returning to the district where she began her career in 2005 as a teacher at the school. She most recently spent six years in El Paso’s Ysleta ISD as an instructional coach, assistant principal and director of the Center for Health Professions.

Sunnyvale ISD The district’s new assistant superintendent of finance and operations is Kyle Penn, who most recently served in the same capacity in Westwood ISD. He received his doctorate from Dallas Baptist University and is an adjunct professor of public school finance at the University of Texas at Tyler.

Sweetwater ISD New superintendent Drew Howard comes to Sweetwater ISD from the Texas Education Agency, where he was senior director of school governance. An educator for 15 years, he holds a doctorate in educational administration and policy studies from Tarleton State University.

Temple ISD April Jones has returned to Temple ISD,

where she previously spent six years, to serve as assistant principal of Western Hills Elementary School after working in the same capacity in Manor ISD. She holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a master’s degree from Central Michigan University.

The district’s new coordinator of student intervention and response is Emilio Olivares. He obtained both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and comes back to central Texas from Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD.

Texarkana ISD Autumn Thomas has accepted the role of

interim superintendent of the district. An employee of TISD since 1997, she has served as deputy superintendent since 2008.

Texas ESC Region 7 Todd Schneider has been

appointed ESC Region 7’s executive director. He has worked for 25 years in education, 18 of those in Region 7 schools. He was most recently the East Texas regional advisory director of Raise Your Hand Texas, working as an advocate for public education. Previously, he was superintendent of Bullard and Martin’s Mill ISDs, an assistant superintendent in Katy ISD, and a high school principal, coach and teacher.

Victoria ISD Now filling the position of director of talent acquisition, support and retention is Tammy Nobles, who led the district’s office of student services for the past 10 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in administration and supervision from the University of Houston at Victoria.

Winona ISD Damenion Miller has been promoted from principal of Winona High School to district superintendent.

Ysleta ISD (El Paso) The district announces the following principal appointments: • Natalie Alvarez, Pasodale Elementary School; • Maritza Balderrama, Del Valle Elementary School; • Dana Boyd, Parkland Elementary School; • Maribel Guillen, Riverside High School; • Robert Martinez, Eastwood High School; • David Medina, Eastwood Knolls International School; • Roxanne Merfa, Del Norte Heights Elementary School; • Norma Myers, Capistrano Elementary School; • Sandra Perez, Hacienda Heights Elementary School; • Claudia Poblano, East Point Elementary School; • Christopher Puga, North Loop Elementary School. ◄

UPLOADING...

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Curated speakers will provide information on relevant topics foremost on your mind, including advocacy, communication, equity, and social justice. Earn up to 10 hours of credit during the live event. Registered participants may access content for 30 days after the event to earn additional credit for all completed sessions.

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Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

THE BACK PAGE

O, what we can learn from uncharted waters by Riney Jordan

ou may not know Max Lucado, but he’s one of my favorite authors. I’m currently reading one of his books entitled “When God Whispers Your Name.” In one of the chapters, he tells the short story of a little boy who fell out of his bed one night. His mom heard the crash and rushed in to check on him. “What in the world happened?” she asked. He thought for a moment, then responded, “I don’t know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in!” Now think about that for a moment. How many of us have “stayed too close to where we got in?” I know I have. I’ve gotten comfortable in a situation and was unwilling to try anything new. Why? Maybe it was fear. Perhaps I didn’t want to fail. Maybe I just got too comfortable with the way things were going. Now. Here’s the other side of this coin. When I did try something new, however, more often than not, I loved it. I realized that it was a more effective way of doing something. It saved time. I got better results. And, who doesn’t love a challenge? The computer was one of those frightening things to me originally. However, I’ve come to love the myriad of tasks, the joy of games, and music, and videos, and … well, you get the idea. How many times have I uttered these words: “I don’t know how I got along without it!” With COVID-19 coming on the scene, we’re suddenly in totally uncharted waters. We are faced with new problems. How do we teach effectively? How do we reach the child who is typically a “loner?” What about the child who needs constant encouragement? What about the one who craves companionship? Oh, my. So many questions. So much to figure out. So much that it sometimes feels overwhelming.

But this isn’t helping. Maybe we’ve just “stayed too close to where we got in.” Look at it like this: There has never, I mean never, ever, been a time like this in our world. What an opportunity to “take the bull by the horns” and teach differently, lead differently, act differently, solve a problem. Can we even begin to imagine the fear, the uncertainty, the confusion in the minds of our students? No. We can’t. And if ever they needed role models to show them how to get through a crisis, it’s now.

Corgan..............................................................6 corgan.com Harris County Department of Education.............................................12 Choicepartners.org Hilltop Securities.......................................2 hilltopsecurities.com Stantec............................................................4 stantec.com/education TASA.............................................................. 36 Tasanet.org TASA|TASB Convention ................. 33 tasa.tasb.org TASPA.............................................................. 5 Taspa.org

Because if we ever needed to adapt, refocus and discover new methods and techniques, it’s now.

txascd.org

There is too much at stake to stay like we were. As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

Texas ASCD.................................................19 Texas Assessment Conference ....... 35 txassessmentcon.com Texas School Business.................. 11, 30 texasschoolbusiness.com

And may I share one of my favorite thoughts that I have quoted so often: Yesterday is history. (There’s really nothing we can do to change that, so just accept it.) Tomorrow is a mystery. (We have no idea what tomorrow holds, so don’t spend a lot of thought and energy on that one.) But today is a gift. That’s why it’s called ‘the present.’ (Oh, such truth!) Go now, and make today something really special. Touch a life. Make the world a little better. Try something new. Be courageous. Lose your fear. For you have been selected to be an educator, a teacher, an administrator, an encourager, at one of the most challenging times ever. Yes, you’ve got these uncharted waters under control. So, smooth sailing, my friends.

convocation, graduation or awards banquet, visit www.rineyjordan.com.

Texas School Business SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020

Advertiser Index

So, take a deep breath. Take on the challenge. Take on the responsibility of being a change agent.

RINEY JORDAN is the author of two books and a frequent public speaker. To invite him to speak at your

Texas School Business

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November 16-17, 2020 | Virtual Celebrating its 35th year in 2020, the Texas Assessment Conference remains the only statewide conference dedicated to providing the latest information on assessment, testing, and accountability in education — elementary, secondary, and post-secondary. The conference is going virtual this year and will be hosted on the Hopin co online conference platform, allowing for amazing speakers, networking, expo booths, and breakout sessions — just like the in-person conference. The diﬀerence is you don’t need to travel to Austin or book a hotel to show up this year! Learn more and register today! September 25: Session Proposals Due September 30: Early-Bird Registration Deadline txassessmentcon.org

Join Us! TASA is the professional association for Texas school leaders. In addition to advocacy and professional learning, we provide networks and services that offer mentorship and inspiration to our members. Although 2020 has introduced a new set of challenges, TASA is working hard to provide the support that Texas school leaders need. We invite you to be part of TASA in 2020-21!

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