Key Communicator Meet this year’s recipient, Andy Welch

COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS

By Rebecca M. Villarreal, APR Director of Communications New Braunfels ISD TSPRA At-large Vice President, Place 1

Please note that these tips may need to be slightly modified due to the current pandemic. Connect with new businesses. New businesses often have a broad marketing budget and plan for their launch. If they provide a youth-related service or something that would benefit your employees, don’t hesitate to reach out to them to share your marketing and advertising opportunities.

Get to know your local non-profits. Get to know who they are and what programs they fund. If they have a program that directly benefits your families, parents will be more receptive to receiving information from them in the future and possibly forge a stronger relationship.

Find a mutual benefit. Every year your needs will change and so will the local business climate. You have to identify those needs whether it be monetary or in-kind and find a way to connect. Show your appreciation. This is something we don’t always do enough of or in the right way. A lot of times we spell out what they will get in return, but it does not have to stop there so be creative and make then feel appreciated in a way that resonates with them.

Stay engaged. Rather than just reach out to your community partners once or twice a year, find ways to get them in your schools and stay engaged. Probably the most rewarding thing you could do is recruit them and/or their employees to serve as volunteers and mentors in your schools.

Important Dates

SEPTEMBER

1 Deadline for Nominations for 2021-2022 TSPRA Executive Committee 1 Deadline for appointments to the 2020-2021 Nominating Committee 6 Labor Day/TSPRA offices closed 9 Portal opens to submit #TSPRA21 conference proposals to present 11 Portal opens to submit 2020 Star Awards entries 15 Financial Records & Procedures Committee conducts member review of TSPRA financials 15 TSPRA leadership & committee members expected to have 2020-2021 dues renewed 16 TSPRA Newsletter resumes weekly 30 #TSPRA21 conference registration opens

OCTOBER

1 TSPRA Executive Committee meeting 1 Nominating Committee meets 2 #TSPRA21 conference scholarship applications available 2-3 2020 Key Communicator presented at TASA/TASB Convention 12 Columbus Day/TSPRA offices closed 29 Last day to submit #TSPRA21 conference proposals to present 31 Last day to renew 2020-2021 dues without late fee

NOVEMBER

2 Deadline to submit 2020 Star Awards entries

NEW MEMBERS

Ashley Berrones Harlingen CISD

Kristen Breaux Huffman ISD

Nicole Butler Fort Bend ISD

Kyle Boberg Fort Bend ISD

Claire Garcia Irving ISD

Skyler Hefley Tyler ISD Kyle Heimbinger Greenville ISD

Dayna Hernandez Klein ISD

Veronica Johannsen Brenham ISD

'Tyquita “Ty” Jones Forney ISD

Corey Krick Farmersville ISD

Jeannie Meza-Chavez San Elizario ISD Jason Moody Brownsville ISD

Jennifer Orchard Beeville ISD & EF

Amy Rames TASB Texas Association of School Boards

Ruth Reyes San Benito CISD

Debra Sanchez-Treese Harris County Department of Education AndreAnna Tate Irving ISD

Rebecca Taylor Ingleside ISD

James Teafatiller Shepherd ISD

*as of 8/10/20

Since 1981, TSPRA has recognized a Key Communicator for outstanding contributions to public education through effective communications. The recipient may be a legislator, educator or a professional in another field who has improved school communications, or a member of TSPRA who has contributed outstanding service to the profession of school communications across the state of Texas. Recipients have included leaders from business, media, PTA, politics and education. This year’s award goes to Georgetown, TX resident, Andy Welch.

Andy Welch was born and grew up in San Benito in the Rio Grande Valley, where he received an outstanding public-school education. It was as a teenager that he first witnessed the headaches of school administration, when his dad, a Main Street merchant who served as a San Benito School Trustee, would return home from Monday night board meetings, and would almost literally bang his head in frustration on the kitchen table.

Soon after graduating from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Mr. Welch began a decade-long career as a State Capitol reporter, providing daily news coverage to newspapers and radio stations across Texas. In 1983, he joined the staff of newly-elected Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower where he headed-up the agency’s communication team. In 1990, Mr. Welch switched from promoting Texas foods, wines, and organic produce to explaining state tax policy and revenue estimates, as he became Communication Director for newly-elected State Comptroller John Sharp.

It was in 1998 that Mr. Welch accepted what he calls “the hardest job I ever had,” as Communication Director for the Austin School District, where two of his first assignments were to coordinate a districtwide realignment of all campus attendance boundaries, and the recruitment and hiring of Superintendent Pat Forgione—who remained at the helm of the 80,000-student district for an unfathomable 10 years. Soon after Dr. Forgione’s retirement—and following the brutal legislative session that resulted in $5.4 billion being cut from Texas school districts—Mr. Welch also retired in 2011.

However, with the 2013 legislative session approaching, TSPRA Executive Director Linsae Snider recruited Mr. Welch to write a loosely defined newsletter named EduLege for the organization’s 1,000 members, to help keep them informed of the issues that they must confront on a daily basis. Many TSPRA members also provide EduLege to their administrative team and campus educators, to help keep them updated on issues of importance. Now in its eighth year, Mr. Welch estimates that he has written over 850 editions of EduLege.

Andy Welch and his wife Lisa Price Welch live in Georgetown with their adorable dog Boudreaux and their snooty cat Ziggy. When he’s not writing EduLege, Andy enjoys gardening and playing the piano. Andy has two married sons, and a precocious five-year old grandson who, despite his young age, is “much smarter than me.”

TSPRA Professional Awards Committee:

Chair: Traci Marlin, Midway ISD Committee: Craig Eichhorn, APR, Alief ISD; Melissa Tortorici, Texas City ISD; Keyhla Calderon-Lugo, Edgewood ISD; Matthew Jones, Castleberry ISD

AND

PUBLIC SCHOOLS REMAIN BEST CHOICE AMID PANDEMIC

Why choose your neighborhood public school district for oncampus or online schooling?

In spite of political rhetoric to the contrary, public schools have never been more successful than they are today. Teeming with highly skilled, professionally trained educators who love kids, the public schools are more prepared than any other modern options to properly educate your children, whether it occur live oncampus or online from home. Either way, every public school student is taught by certified, professionally degreed educators and supported by a host of other specialized educators, including counselors, diagnosticians, librarians, speech therapists, music and theater teachers, art teachers, coaches, and more.

We hear a lot from politicians and the media about why parents should consider alternatives to their neighborhood public schools, with little if any regard for the benefits of choosing public schools. We’ve compiled some of those here for your consideration.

--SCOTT & LESLIE MILDER Founders Friends of Texas Public Schools PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS are highly skilled, compassionate, professionally trained educators who are adept at connecting with children and nurturing their love of learning. Like automobiles, children are complex systems. Parents can drive them, but it takes a skilled mechanic to make them learn on all cylinders!

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS have objectivity, trained to spot and address learning challenges. Parents struggle to be objective while teaching their own children.

PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS are trained to identify children who may have learning challenges and can involve parents, counselors, and other learning specialists as needed.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS have many support resources available to your children, including diagnosticians, speech therapists, counselors, and content specialists.

CHILDREN need adults in their lives who they trust in addition to their parents.

CHILDREN need structured time away from home, and when that’s not possible, professionally structured time at home while learning on a virtual platform.

CHILDREN thrive on routine, which is often difficult to achieve at home for a sustained period of time.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS offer extracurricular and co-curricular enrichment programs, such as arts, music, athletics, clubs, and activities.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS teach children a certain degree of independence. Children keep track of their class schedules, move from one class to another, buy their lunch, and engage in club activities.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS are tuition free for all of your children.

PUBLIC SCHOOL students have ample opportunities for social interaction with a microcosm of their world.

Download this &

Spanish version: https://www.fotps. org/still-best-choice

AND

Public schools remain best choice amid pandemic

MORE reasons to choose your neighborhood public school district for oncampus or online schooling!

PUBLIC SCHOOLS offer students leadership skills development opportunities through clubs and activities, such as student council, debate, language, chess, dance, robotics, art, and too many more to list here!

PUBLIC SCHOOLS offer students many opportunities to engage in community service projects.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS generously and lovingly serve all special needs children.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS are held accountable to state performance requirements.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS are governed by locally elected boards of trustees who serve as stewards of taxpayer resources and the public trust.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS deliver a challenging and robust, carefully crafted curriculum and are held accountable to state performance requirements.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS prepare students for many of life’s realities, such as co-existing with people they may or may not like, teamwork, collaboration, and navigating a wide variety of personalities and challenges.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS teach children about winning gracefully and losing graciously. PUBLIC SCHOOLS teach children to persevere.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS teach children about delayed gratification.

PARENTING and teaching can be overwhelming, especially with multiple children.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS give you and your child much-needed time apart.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS foster your child’s independence.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS have rigorous and regimented schedules that teach children the art of self-discipline.

CHILDREN are more resistant to learning and receiving formal instruction from those who parent them.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS provide free transportation to and from school.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS provide free and reduced-lunch options for low income families.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS are a safe place for children during the day while parents go to work.