Getting Ready for TSPRA Annual Conference

Process for Choosing Conference Sessions

by Tracie Seed TSPRA Communications & Marketing Manager Each year, TSPRA’s president appoints a 15-member Conference Planning Committee to help with conference planning and execution.

TSPRA standing rules identify the TSPRA Conference Committee as a standing committee and give the president guidance to appointing committee members along with creating the conference theme. Conference planning begins 10 months before the February conference.

About half of this committee serves by virtue of the job. These include the president-elect, immediate past president and three at-large vice presidents. The co-chair is usually a member within proximity of the conference locale. The remaining appointments are intended to ensure that representation of TSPRA's diverse job responsibilities is included in the design and planning of the annual conference.

One of the duties of the committee is to slate all the educational sessions. TSPRA state office staff serves to support the committee’s process, while the selection of sessions rests solely upon the committee.

Here is an overview of the process:

• The state office issues a call for sessions, typically beginning in September. On the submission form, submitters choose if they are open to change the type of session. For example, a member may submit a breakout session but be offered a roundtable session instead, or vice versa. • The sessions are organized in the order they are received and by type (breakout, roundtable, vendor). • The conference committee meets, typically in November, to slate the programming as well as alternatives. It is typical for the committee to have more than 80 proposals to consider for about 40 slots. • Fun fact! During this meeting, they also sample food options and select the break and meal menus. • Selected presenters are contacted in December and asked to confirm their acceptance and make any edits for the program. Once this process is complete, all those who submitted are contacted.

This process is completed before winter break.

IMPORTANT DATES Submit proposals Sept. 8 – Oct. 25, 2021. The Conference Planning Committee meets Nov. 4, 2021. The process will be completed no later than Dec. 16, 2021. TSPRA Annual Conference held Feb. 21 – 24, 2022.

Each year, TSPRA members eagerly submit their projects to the prestigious Star Awards. This year is no different! TSPRA’s annual Star Awards provide recognition for the outstanding education communications and projects of our members.

Professional, independent, impartial judges evaluate each work and project based on set criteria. They provide commentary as they award Gold, Silver and Bronze Star Awards, as well as Best of Category, Crystal and Platinum Certificates of Merit, Crystal Commendations and the Platinum Award for an all-encompassing, year-long communications project.

None of the entries are judged, commented on or awarded by TSPRA staff or members.

This year, Star Award submissions open on September 20, 2021, at noon, and the due date is November 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m.

Each year, programs manager Janet Crock, receives a lot of questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked. If you have a question not answered here, contact Janet at janet@tspra.org.

Where should I enter my COVID-19 materials?

Star Award categories are not based on entries’ subject matter. Categories are based on the type of product that they are – flyers, ads, photos, videos, social media, campaigns, etc. Find the category that best fits the criteria for entry and enter your COVID-19 materials there. If you are looking to enter a whole body of COVID-19-related work, we do not have a single category for that. Your materials may fit Social Media Campaigns, Marketing Campaigns, Special Events like safe graduation ceremonies, food distributions, etc.

What if I’m not sure what category to enter my piece?

If you can’t decide on what category to enter your work, contact Janet Crock in the state office at janet@tspra.org. When she selects a category for your entry, she will notify the judge of this decision. Also, make a comment on your entry stating that you were told to enter your work in that category by Janet Crock. The judge will honor that decision and not move your entry to a different category. If you choose a category on your own and the judge thinks it fits a different category, the judge may move the entry to a different category.

May I enter more than once in the same category?

You may enter as many different pieces as you wish in the same category. Each entry will be assessed a separate entry fee. The only exceptions to this rule are newsletters and magazines where multiple issues may be entered together and judged as one entry.

May I enter the same piece in several categories?

If the entry meets the criteria for more than one category, then yes, you may enter it in different categories. The exception to this rule is in the writing categories. You may not submit the same written article in more than one writing category.

May I enter a piece that I entered last year?

Normally no, unless you have made significant changes to the work. The rules state that the work must be produced and used by an educational institution (district, association, foundation, university, education service center, etc.) between July 1, 2020, through June 30, 2021. If you produced, used and entered it in the 2020 Star Awards, it would not qualify under this rule. But if the work could not be evaluated because it was not completed during that time frame, for example, a bond election, event, etc., then it was not eligible last year. You may enter it now after you have evaluated its success. Calendars are another exception since they are often created before they are used. Also, any work that earned a Best of Category the previous year may not be entered the following year.

I have an entry that doesn’t fit any category. What should I do?

If your work truly does not fit any category, then it cannot be entered this year. But please put in a request for TSPRA to consider a new category for next year’s Star Awards. Each year, Star Award Review Committees are formed and they will consider your request.

Who are the judges?

Star Award judges’ names are always kept secret. They are communication professionals with credentials and experience in many fields. Judges are told that if they have worked with a person or organization whose work they are asked to judge, they must recuse themselves and the entry will be reassigned to a different judge.

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What proof of copyright do I need?

For now, you only need to check a box that says you followed the copyright laws. However, if a judge looks at your work and questions that statement, the state office will ask for more documentation. If you cannot provide it, the entry will be disqualified. Remember that most of these laws that allow use by schools stipulate that it is for classroom use. Once you enter it in Star Awards where it will be seen by others to earn awards, you are no longer covered by those protections.

What are my chances of winning an award?

Since most people enter their best work, many entries win an award – Gold, Silver and Bronze Stars. But only one Best of Category is awarded in each category division. Since the number of entries per category and/or division varies each year, there is no way to predict your odds of winning a Best of Category award. As for the Crystal and Platinum Awards, only one is awarded per category. But the judges may award as many Certificates of Merit for other entries as they wish.

IMPORTANT CONFERENCE DATES

I just started working for my district. May I enter work my predecessor did before I started?

Technically the work that someone does for an organization while employed by them is owned by that organization. So, you should ask your supervisor/superintendent if they are comfortable with you entering work that you did not create. You should also consider if your predecessor is still a TSPRA member. They may not think it is ethical for you to take credit for their work.

People who are not TSPRA members worked on my entry. Why can’t they be listed on the entry and awards?

Star Awards is a way to recognize the work of TSPRA members and only member names may go on the award. However, if you work in a district/organization with three or more members, you may have the award listed as a department such as AISD Communications, DISD TV, GISD Print Shop, etc. Names of nonmembers will be removed if listed on an entry. After the awards are announced, you may purchase duplicate/custom award certificates that may have any names you want on them. These can be ordered for your printers and other nonmembers.

• Hotel reservations open: July 21, 2021 • Conference scholarship applications available: Oct. 1, 2021 • Conference registration opens: Oct. 4, 2021 • Proposals to present: Sept. 8-Oct. 25, 2021 • Star Awards entries open: Sept. 20, 2021, noon • Deadline to submit entries for Star Awards: Nov. 1, 2021, 11:59 p.m. • Nominations for TSPRA professional awards available: Nov. 1, 2021 • Conference Planning Committee meeting: Nov. 4, 2021 • Deadline to apply for conference scholarship: Nov. 19, 2021 • Deadline to submit nominations for professional awards: Dec. 15, 2021 • Late fees registration begins: Jan. 24, 2022 • No registration refunds begins; substitutions allowed: Jan. 24, 2022 • Last day to make hotel reservations at conference rate: Feb. 7, 2022

2020 Annual Conference Scholarship Winner

by Rebecca King Director of Communications & Digital Learning Rockdale ISD

The month before our district shut down in-person learning for the COVID-19 pandemic, I was appointed the additional role as the first communications director for Rockdale ISD. Besides managing the district's social media, website and notification system, I had no formal training in communications. Hitting the ground running, I was looking everywhere for resources when I came across TSPRA. I joined as soon as I could and put a reminder on my calendar to register for the 2021Conference, hearing I wouldn’t want to miss it. I never expected to be awarded the scholarship when I applied and was very surprised when I received the call. One of the perks the scholarship offers is a pre-conference workshop, which, for me, was the Rookie Boot Camp. Meeting other newbies and being assigned a mentor was a great way to start the conference. Each session I attended included very useful information for my new position and even though the conference was much smaller than normal this year, I was able to make valuable connections that have already proved beneficial. It was a relief finding other one-person offices to connect with at the conference and a dedicated session. From the quality of the sessions, the well-organized schedule, the food and the entertainment, this was one of the best educational conferences I have attended. This organization is everything I heard it would be because of the people. The amazing generosity of this community is never-ending.

In addition to this incredible conference, being a recipient of this scholarship also allowed me to reallocate my original conference budget from my district to purchase supplies and camera equipment I learned about while at the conference and that otherwise could not have been purchased until future budget years. Thank you to TSPRA for taking great care of their scholarship recipients and hosting a great conference even during a pandemic; everything was top-notch.

Submit scholarship applications for 2022 Annual Conference Oct. 1 - Nov. 19, 2021