Fall 2014 ATPE News by Association of Texas Professional Educators

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fall 2014 | ATPE.org

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face of public education? page 15

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MOVE ON TO THE REST OF YOUR TO-DO LIST Easily manage your CPE requirements with the all-new ATPE Professional Learning Portal • Earn continuing professional education (CPE) credits through a variety of courses and webinars. • Manage all professional learning hours, from all sources, in one convenient location. • Take your training on-the-go with a specially optimized app for iPhones and iPads. The ATPE Professional Learning Portal • atpe.org/resources president’s message

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On the cover:

special sections

Political Pop Quiz

et to know the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor through our exclusive interviews with Greg Abbott, Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte regarding their stances on important education issues. Come Election Day, students will be depending on you to change the face of education. Page 15

Your Association Protect your family’s future with MetLife ∙ 2014-15 state and region leaders ∙ ATPE advocates for fair teacher evaluations ∙ ATPE News goes digital ∙ ATPE staff service awards ∙ Congratulations to Andrea Elizondo ∙ ATPE Foundation grants and news ∙ Kudos ∙ Family Album ∙ ATPE-PAC Honor Roll

departments

features 4 5 6 8 10 12 43

19 Reaching the Next Level ATPE members powered up for the 2014-15 school year with three days of professional learning, leader training and association governance (and a little bit of ‘80s dancing) July 9–11 in Austin.

26 Star Recruiters ATPE recognizes the final members of the Ben

President’s Message Calendar News Briefs In the Classroom Para-educator’s Place Tech Support Extra Credit

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Shilcutt Plus Club recruitment program.

ATPE is proud to be Your Ally. Your Voice. this school year.

columns 13

Legal Opinions The reasons behind our questions when you call ATPE Member Legal Services

Capitol Comment An inspirational message from consulting lobbyist Sen. Bill Haley

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atpe.org | 3

president’s message

The official publication of the Association of Texas Professional Educators

Richard Wiggins ATPE State President

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STATE OFFICERS

Richard Wiggins President, Boerne (20)

Cory Colby Vice President, Willis (6) Julleen Bottoms Secretary, Corsicana (12) Carl Garner Treasurer, Mesquite (10)

Ginger Franks Past President, Pineywoods (7)

Michael Sweet Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (1)

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Cesarea Germain Corpus Christi (2) Andy Erdelt Palacios (3) Ron Fitzwater Alvin (4) Bill Moye Warren (5) Judi Thomas Willis (6) Janie Leath Nacogdoches (7)

Jimmy Lee Paris (8)

Kristi Daws Jacksboro (9)

Jackie Davis Garland (10) David Williams Keller (11)

Jason Forbis Midway (12)

Jayne Serna Leander (13)

Tonja Gray Abilene (14) Darlene Kelly Ballinger (15)

Dawn Riley Bushland (16)

Lynette Ginn Hale Center (17)

Bridget Loffler Odessa (18)

Socorro Lopez San Elizario (19)

Tina Briones San Antonio (20)

ATPE STAFF

Gary G. Godsey Executive Director

Alan Bookman Deputy Executive Director

Glenda Beasley Senior Marketing Director

Gary G. Godsey Executive Editor

ATPE NEWS STAFF

Elaine Acker Communications Director/Editor

John Kilpper Art Director

Mandy Curtis Senior Copy Editor/Writer

Erica Fos Senior Graphic Designer Alexandria A. Johnson Copy Editor/Writer Jennifer Tuten Communications Specialist/ Advertising Coordinator ATPE News contains legislative advertising contracted for by Gary G. Godsey, Executive Director, Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300, Austin, TX 78752-3792, representing ATPE.

Photo by john kilpper

During last month’s ATPE Summit, I met people who are energized about paving the way to excellence in Texas education. By pulling together as a team, we can make the most of every opportunity and meet challenges head-on as we achieve our goals this school year. We’re part of an organization that’s committed to helping our members grow throughout their careers, and we’re excited to offer new free learning opportunities through the ATPE Professional Learning Portal, which launched just last month (visit atpe.org/resources to learn more). We’re also committed to helping members understand the power of our collective voices. To make a real difference, we have to choose candidates that make education a priority. Let’s do the math. According to the Texas Secretary of State, there are 13,601,324 registered voters in the State of Texas. Yet only 10 percent of voters turned out to vote in the primary. That means that just over 1.3 million people decided the election for the state’s 26.4 million residents. There are more than a million active and retired educators in Texas, but sadly, only 15 percent of educators voted in the last election. The bottom line? We must exercise our right to vote, because we are casting our votes on behalf of the children who sit in our public school classrooms across this state. Our No. 1 priority over the next year must be actively inviting educators to join ATPE, and mentoring them through those first five to 10 “struggle years” as they settle into their careers. New members are the life blood of our organization, and we have to help them grow into strong leaders—and then let them lead. Please join me in asking new members to join. If every member reaches out to just one new member, we’ll become an even more powerful voice that no one in our Legislature can ignore. One of my favorite coaches used to tell me that there are three kinds of people: People who make things happen, people who watch things happen, and people who wonder what happened. You have the choice. Who do you want to be? I want to make things happen. Please join me in continuing to learn and grow throughout our careers, voting and asking new members join us in making ATPE the strongest voice in the state for public education. I hope you have a wonderful school year.

ATPE News (ISSN 0279-6260) is published quarterly in fall, winter, spring and summer. Subscription rates: for members of the association, $3.32 per year (included in membership dues); non-members, $10 per year. Extra copies $1.25 each. Published by the Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin, TX, 78752-3792. Periodical Postage Paid at Austin, Texas and at additional mailing ofﬁces. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to ATPE News, 305 E. Huntland Dr., #300, Austin, TX, 78752-3792. Advertising rates may be obtained by sending a written request to the above address. Opinions expressed in this publication represent the attitude of the contributor whose name appears with the article and are not necessarily the ofﬁcial policy of ATPE. ATPE reserves the right to refuse advertising contrary to its purpose. Copyright 2014 in USA by the Association of Texas Professional Educators ISSN © ATPE 2014 0279-6260 USPS 578-050

305 E. Huntland Dr, Suite 300 Austin, TX 78752-3792 (800) 777-2873 • (512) 467-0071 atpe.org • info@atpe.org

atpe news

calendar

August

31 STAR Membership Challenge submissions due

September 17–19 State Board of Education (SBOE) meeting 18–19 Teacher Retirement System (TRS) meeting Renew by credit card. atpe.org/join

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

30 Last day to join ATPE or renew (other than online) to avoid a 30-day wait for employment rights defense insurance to be effective*

STAR Membership Challenge submissions due

Submit your entries and learn more about this monthly recruitment incentive program. atpe.org/ star-challenge

October

6 Last day to register to vote

17 ATPE Foundation Golf Classic

18 ATPE Membership, Minority & Diverse Population Recruitment, Nomination/ Election, Services and Leader Development committees meet

20 Early voting for uniform election begins

20–24 National School Bus Safety Week 24 State Board for Educator Certification meeting

31 STAR Membership Challenge submissions due

November

Find out what’s at stake for your profession. Page 14

3 ATPE Foundation Technology Grant application deadline

4 Election Day

11 Veterans Day

Get ideas for Thanksgiving celebrations at your school. pinterest.com/atpe/ holidays

14–15 ATPE Board of Directors meeting

27 Thanksgiving

30 STAR Membership Challenge submissions due

*THE EDUCATORS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE POLICY IS UNDERWRITTEN BY NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE CO. OF PITTSBURGH, PA. ALL COVERAGE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXPRESS TERMS OF THE MASTER INSURANCE POLICY ISSUED TO ATPE AND KEPT ON FILE AT THE ATPE STATE OFFICE. Coverage applies to an insured’s activities within his/her professional capacity and does not apply to activities that predate the coverage period. View a detailed summary at atpe.org. Eligibility for ATPE membership benefits is contingent upon ATPE’s receipt of the entire annual membership dues amount for your appropriate membership category. A disruption in payments to an authorized payment plan may result in discontinuation of such benefits, including cancellation of insurance coverage for the entire membership year retroactive to Aug. 1 or your membership date. ATPE reserves the right to determine eligibility for the appropriate membership category. The membership year runs from Aug. 1–July 31.

call (800) 777-2873 to be put in touch with your region officers red dates indicate atpe deadlines

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news briefs

by Alexandria A. Johnson, copy editor/writer

Student tickets plummet under new law

U.S. teachers suffer financially mid- and late-career

The 2012 Texas Legislature passed a law that decriminalizes student misbehavior by preventing school district police officers from issuing on-campus citations for student misbehavior. Since its passage, The Texas Tribune reports, the number of student tickets has dropped by 71 percent. Under the new law, school police officers can only issue complaints and a prosecutor must decide whether the student should be charged with a crime. The law was, and still is, controversial; opponents feel that it is too restrictive on a school. However, before the law was passed, students could receive Class C misdemeanors—which can appear on criminal records—for actions such as fighting, disrupting class, talking back and even chewing gum. When students received a ticket, they would have to appear before a judge and face fines of up to $500. Those who didn’t pay the fines could be arrested as soon as they turned 17.

Analysis conducted by the Center for American Progress has found that many mid- and late-career U.S. teachers face stagnated pay increases as they move from entry-level to mid-career. In some states, experienced educators are paid less than truckers, sheet metal workers or flight attendants. Among the 94 percent of Texas school districts that offer a salary schedule, the average salary for a teacher: • With no experience is $34,700. • With 10 years of experience and a bachelor’s degree is $41,600. • With 10 years of experience and a master’s degree is $42,500. • At the highest step on the salary schedule is $52,100. In Texas, if a teacher with 10 years of experience is the head of a family of four or more, her salary is low enough that she could potentially qualify for four federally funded benefit programs (e.g., free/reduced school lunch). Nearly 13 percent of Texas teachers have jobs outside of the school system to supplement their income.

Source: The Texas Tribune

Source: Center for American Progress

You’ve probably heard of the education buzzword “grit” as it relates to students. This term, describing continued passion and perseverance in the pursuit of long-term goals, was popularized by psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth. Her studies have shown that grit is essential to student success and achievement, and now Duckworth is finding that grit is also a key character trait among novice educators who remain in the profession beyond the first five years. In a 2014 study, Duckworth and researcher Claire Robertson-Kraft studied alternatively certified first- and second-year teachers in highpoverty urban and rural elementary, middle and high schools. The study found that grit is a significant predictor of educator retention and effectiveness. Grit was the only successful predictor—SAT scores and college GPAs, interview ratings of leadership potential, and demographics did not successfully predict effectiveness or retention. Separate studies have also found “grittiness” is key to West Point Military Academy retention and success in the National Spelling Bee. With around 50 percent of educators leaving the profession within the first five years of teaching, the study suggests that grit should be considered when hiring new teachers. This could be as simple as looking at the applicant’s list of achievements or length of time spent at a job. Source: www.sas.upenn.edu

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atpe news

Teachers need grit, too

“Happiness is essentially a state of going somewhere wholeheartedly, onedirectionally, without regret or reservation.” —W.H. Sheldon, American psychologist

Classrooms around the world study happiness in communities In spring 2014, New Tech Network, a nonprofit centered around projectbased learning that supports 135 schools across the country, opened up a semester-long Global Happiness Project to teachers and students around the world. More than 240 teachers in 43 states and 11 countries led their students in a semester-long project to answer the following questions. • What elements contribute to a happy and healthy society? • How well do our own local and global communities measure up? • How can we use data, creativity and community to make the world a happier place? Students and teachers shared their progress throughout the project on Twitter with the hashtag #NTNhappy. Project resources and facilitation outlines are available at www. newtechnetwork.org/services/resources/global-happiness-project. Source: www.blogs.kqed.org/mindshift

Inclusion helps students improve language skills In the 2014 study “Peer Effects in Early Childhood Education,” researchers found that the language skills of special needs preschoolers improve when they are placed in inclusion classrooms. By the end of the year, children with disabilities in classrooms with “highly skilled peers” had language skills equal to those of children without disabilities. For the study, Ohio State University and University of Toledo professors and researchers measured the language skills of 670 preschool-aged children enrolled in 83 early childhood special education classrooms at the beginning and end of the academic year. Over the course of the year, children with disabilities enhanced their own language skills through frequent one-on-

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one interactions with classmates who had strong language skills. According to the study, special needs children’s language skills in the spring could be predicted by the average language skills of their classmates at the beginning of the school year. Of the 670 preschoolers, 55 percent were considered special needs, and the number of students with disabilities in each class ranged between 25 and 100 percent. Every preschooler—special needs or not—saw language skill improvements over the course of the year, but the language skills of special needs children placed among highly skilled peers were 40 percent better than the skills of special needs students who were placed among low-ranked classmates. Source: www.news.osu.edu

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in the classroom

by special contributor Andrea Keller, Irving ATPE

Gaming in the classroom—it’s not what you think This school year, reinvigorate your lessons with gameplay

n a world that is filled with the pings and noises of various devices, reaching students beyond a game on a device can be challenging. How do we reach students and engage them in learning in a more interactive way when there are so many apps readily available? I will be the first to admit that I might spend too much time on Subway Surfer or Candy Crush. When teachers hear “gaming in the classroom,” many automatically think of games that involve students sitting in

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front of a console (or using a tablet), and interacting only with the device. In her book, Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, game designer Jane McGonigal writes: “A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at (or getting better at) and enjoy. In other words, gameplay is the direct emotional opposite of depression.” Many students will play games, oftentimes over and over again to

complete a level. Playing a level over and over allows for a student the freedom to fail. With this freedom to fail, students also gain valuable tools for success. How many hours have you spent trying to complete that next level of Candy Crush and realizing that you only needed one more move to advance? Activities involving gameplay give students the chance to accomplish various tasks in a non-threatening environment and allow for a greater understanding of a concept.

atpe news

Top three tips for gaming in the classroom Don’t reinvent the wheel! Do you already offer centers in your classroom? Add more rigorous expectations so that students are excited to continue to attempt a concept. Gaming offers a great way to easily differentiate a student’s learning. If a game is too easy to accomplish, students become bored and give up. If the game is too hard, students will also give up because they feel as though they cannot accomplish the task.

Use your current lessons. Gaming is completing an activity. As educators, we want our students to be independent learners and thinkers. We also want our students to love learning. When I visit classrooms, I create challenges for the students to complete. I have an end goal in mind and materials ready, but how students complete the challenge is up to them.

Use online game resources. One of my favorite resources is BrainPOP GameUP (brainpop. com/games). Although these games are great for a center, I prefer to play them as whole group in order to simultaneously incorporate the use of academic conversation skills and higher-order thinking skills.

Photos by Elaine Acker

There are so many resources that are readily available. If you are not sure where to look, check out my LiveBinder at http:// bit.ly/QMZapF and follow #gblchat on Twitter. The world a student lives in is continually changing. By adding gameplay in the classroom, educators have the opportunity to reach students on a more engaging level. A

Sample game:

Roll the Dice • Give students a hundred chart and two dice. • Have students roll the dice, count how many were rolled and add to the hundred chart. • Once students reach 100, they have completed the task. • Extensions: Have students work in pairs, multiply the dice and/or use subtraction as well.

Sample game:

Antagonist Challenge • Discuss with students the definitions of antagonist and protagonist. • Ask students to choose their favorite book character and write five character traits about that character. • Then have students write five traits about this character’s antagonist. • Have students create a poster or magazine cover of their antagonist.

Andrea Keller is an instructional technology specialist in Irving ISD. She also spent 11 years as a self-contained LIFE (Living in a Functional Environment) teacher where she pushed her low-verbal and non-verbal students to new heights using various forms of technology. She has received numerous awards and recognitions, including TCEA 2011-12 Classroom Teacher of the Year, National School Board Association “20 to Watch” and ATPE 2013-14 Special Services Educator of the Year.

Pictured: Andrea Keller hosted Beyond the Gameboard, a gaming in the classroom session at the summit, engaging and energizing educators as they prepared to head back to school.

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para-educators’ place

by Mandy Curtis, senior copywriter/editor

Catching hearts and educating minds Meet the finalists for ATPE’s Associate of the Year award Cheryl Drews “I believe that the trend of building relationships has been the most effective of all trends in education,” writes Cheryl Drews. “Greeting a student at the door of a classroom or when they are in the hall/cafeteria or walk into the office can modify behavior. If you can catch their heart, you can educate their mind.” “I often share with students the information I learned one summer at an ATPE session about Generation Y,” she says. “ Differences can change a person’s perspective. Each generation has a different belief on respect and how to manage behaviors. [This can help them] become more successful in the classroom when they develop relationships.” Cesarea Germain Cesarea Germain has a philosophy: “I may not be able to change the world, but I can change the world around me.” “Applying my philosophy where I reside, work and engage in recreation is extremely important,” she writes. “Serving as an example of positive transformation demonstrates to parents and students that participation and service is valued and essential in establishing a strong environment for the children and community as a whole.” “We have an urgent responsibility to enrich our children’s surroundings. The priorities in today’s society are to educate, nurture and deliver a safer environment for all. We can make a difference.” Hilda Martinez “Our school motto is ‘Be respectful, be responsible and be safe.’ writes Hilda Martinez. Not a day goes by that I don’t remind the students of the importance of our motto in their daily lives.” “Motivating students is easy because all I have to do is be enthusiastic, and it rubs off on them. I tell them that I believe in them and that they will do good, and normally it does set in. I encourage them to participate in class and reward them for doing well. Most children will believe in themselves when someone shows interest in them, and I always try to make them feel valued.”

▸ Learn more about the ATPE Educator of the Year Awards at atpe.org/eoy. Entries

for 2014-15 Educator of the Year Awards must be postmarked no later than Feb. 1, 2015, if mailed, or received by midnight on the same date if faxed or emailed. Nominees must submit completed applications by March 2.

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atpe news

<© image description/Collection/Thinkstock> © book/istock/Thinkstock

TPE’s Educator of the Year Awards recognize a wide variety of exemplary public school educators—from administrators and elementary and secondary teachers to special services educators and para-educators. Para-educators are honored through ATPE’s Associate of the Year Award, and for the 2013-14 award, we had three finalists: Cheryl Drews, a parent liaison and assistant to the vice principal at MacArthur High School in Irving ISD; Cesarea Germain, the senior executive assistant for the assistant superintendent for school leadership in Corpus Christi ISD; and Hilda Martinez, a substitute teacher in La Joya ISD. During the 2014 ATPE Summit, Martinez was named Associate of the Year. In their award applications, these outstanding para-educators described their educational philosophies.

Access the new ATPE Blog; read updated protection, advocacy and resources information; check out the new ATPE Professional Learning Portal; and more!

The ATPE Blog â&#x20AC;˘ atpe.org/news

tech support

by Mandy Curtis, senior copy editor/writer

Back to school app-ing Download these calendar and to-do list apps to help you prepare for the year ahead

Dates and times All smartphones come with native (see Tech Term, below) calendar apps preinstalled. But often, these apps offer little more than the basics. Where do you turn when you want something with a little more personality and better integration with calendars you use elsewhere? Try one of these:

CAL any.do/cal Available for: Android | iOS | Google Chrome Integrates with: Any calendar on your device (including Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar, Microsoft Exchange Calendar). Bonus feature: Cal’s background art, which changes daily, is pulled from Tumblr. Users decide what photos they want by choosing one (or a combination) of nine different photo themes: animals,

animations, art, cars, design, fashion, food, illustration and landscape. Price: Free.

SUNRISE CALENDAR calendar.sunrise.am Available for: Android | iOS | Google Chrome | Web | Amazon e-readers/tablets Integrates with: Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar and Microsoft Exchange Calendar. Bonus feature: Connects with a variety of other apps including Facebook, Twitter, Evernote and LinkedIn. Price: Free.

TEMPO tempo.ai Available for: iOS Integrates with: Google Calendar, iCloud Calendar and Microsoft Exchange Calendar. Bonus feature: Users can send prepopulated “running late” emails or texts to all attendees of a meeting. Price: Free.

BUSINESS CALENDAR businesscalendar.de Available for: Android Integrates with: Google Calendar and Microsoft Exchange Calendar. Bonus feature: Users can compare days with the swipe of a finger and then zoom in to see details. Price: Free. (The $4.99 Pro version enables users to import and export calendars, customize templates and more.)

To-dos Reminder apps also come native with most smartphones, but they, too, can be a bit boring. Spice things up with:

ANY.DO any.do Available for: Android | iOS | Google Chrome | Web Bonus feature: Users can sync Any.DO with the Cal app so that all tasks are also featured in the daily calendar view. Price: Free.

TODOIST todoist.com Available for: Android | iOS | Google Chrome | Firefox | Windows | OS X | Web Bonus features: Plugins are also available to connect the app with email apps such as Gmail, Postbox, Thunderbird, Outlook and more. Price: Free. (For $30 per year, users can upgrade to a premium account that will enable notifications and labels/filters for

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TECH TERM

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Native:

An app coded in a specific programming language that comes pre-installed on a device. These apps often provide faster performance and better reliability than others.

atpe news

ILLUSTRATION BY ERICA FOS

The start of a new school year is here. Your classroom is ready—everything is clean and organized. Your office is ready—you’ve put all the paperwork from last year into files marked 2013-14. Your schedule is ready—the school district has disseminated the 2014-15 calendar and you know what your hours will be. But are you ready? Although we can’t help you be ready in every sense of the word—much of your mental preparation will come from within—we can offer up ideas for smartphone apps that might make your first day back at school the best one yet.

by Paul Tapp, ATPE Member Legal Services managing attorney

legal opinions

Why do you want to know that? The reasons behind ATPE Member Legal Services’ questions A member calls ATPE Member Legal Services Department (MLS) to get answers, advice, assistance and representation—not to answer questions. So why do MLS staff ask so many questions? There are some very good reasons for these questions, but they might not be obvious when you call for help.

The state bar has rules designed to protect clients— and that means you. We ask who is involved in a situation to make sure that there is never a conflict of interest. Every eligible member gets an independent attorney who can act in the best interest of that member.

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Why do I have to confirm my address and phone number? We love that so many of our members have been ATPE members for years. But, as you know, life happens. Members change jobs, cities, and home and cell phone numbers, so that’s why step one is always to ensure that we have your correct information on file so that we can easily follow up with you.

Why do you ask who else is involved? If I’m a member, why does it matter who my conflict is with? This is a common question. We understand that a member might be taken aback when we ask for the names of other people involved in their situation. Why do we need to know? If the other person is an ATPE member, do we choose sides? Will ATPE contact the other people? The answer is related to one of the big benefits that ATPE members enjoy— assistance from a licensed attorney. Getting help from a licensed attorney means you will be talking to someone who knows the law, provides appropriate strategies and lends their legal expertise based on their experiences. In addition, the state bar has rules designed to protect clients—and that means you. We ask who is involved in a situation to make sure that there is never a conflict of interest. Every eligible member gets an independent attorney who can act in the best interest of that member. Your attorney represents you. And only you. One of the bedrock requirements in the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct (TDRPC)—rules that lawyers can be disbarred for violating—is that attorneys must do their best to act in their client’s best interest. Attorneys cannot put themselves in a position in which there could be a

conflict of interest between two or more clients. If such a conflict of interest was allowed, there would be no way for the attorney to act in both clients’ best interest; doing something that was good for client No. 1 may hurt client No. 2, and vice versa. In order to make sure that he is always able to look out for his client’s best interests, an attorney must not represent two or more people in conflict with one another. This rule applies to the ATPE attorneys as well. We ask for names of others involved to protect you. Rest assured, all eligible members will receive assistance for issues we can assist with.

Will you call my coworker or supervisor once I share who my conflict is with? “So,” you might say, “I understand why you ask for names, but I am afraid that if I tell you who’s involved you will call them without telling me, and I am not sure I want you to do that.” Four words: That will never happen. Again, the TDRPC has something important to say about what an attorney can and can’t do: An attorney must keep information they receive from a client confidential unless the client allows the attorney to share the information as a part of their representation. Confidentiality is key. What this means is that we don’t decide when it is best to call a supervisor or coworker—you do. You are the client and in the driver’s seat. We would never contact your school district, supervisor or other party involved without your consent or authorization to do so. Your call and the information that you share with us is confidential except in two very narrow situations. First, like certified teachers, we are required to report instances of child abuse. Second, we are authorized to report a legitimate threat of serious bodily harm.

But a legal assistant—not an attorney—is asking the question. How do I know it is confidential? Guess what? The TDRPC addresses this as well. It says that the rules apply to the legal assistants because they are acting on behalf of an attorney. So, continued on page 40 atpe.org | 13

capitol comment

by Sen. Bill Haley, ATPE consulting lobbyist

Educators, you’re up to bat Students are counting on us to hit an Election Day homerun

If teachers don’t carry the banner to the ballot box, who’s batting for public education?

I teach a government class at Austin Community College in the evening twice a week. Covering Texas state and local government is my preference, although I draw a United States class now and then. The first day of class is typical—you know, the get acquainted with one another and a “here’s what the course is all about” discussion. As the period progresses, I ask the question, “Who is in charge of our political culture? Where does sovereignty lie in our democracy?” Proudly and without reservation, several students reply in unison, “with the people?” I respond, “Anyone else want to give it a try?” Quizzical faces frozen like ice sculptures sit in solemn contemplation until finally someone speaking in a whisper barely loud enough for me to hear proffers to the person in front of her, “must be a trick question.” “It isn’t a trick question. It is only a partially correct answer,” I reply. Another owl-like face seems to wonder, “How could that old man hear so well?” A pall of quiet descends over the class. Then a student on the fourth row blurts, “Oh, it’s the voters!” “Wrong again, but y’all are getting hot,” I intone. “OK, OK,” several voices shout with disdain. “What’s the answer?” “It’s the voters,” I begin, and before I can finish the statement, mouths open to announce that that response has already been offered, as I conclude, “who vote!” Startled acceptance settles over the class as the revelation is digested in the minds of the young and older voters alike.

What is it to be a voter who does not vote?

There are potentially one million active and retired public school educators in the game on Election Day—enough to carry most elections across the plate for a ninth-inning win. If teachers don’t carry the banner to the ballot box, who’s batting for public education? Those who vote put the team on the field, establish the agenda and determine the character of public education. According to political science practitioners, there are two integral parts of the electoral system: political parties and interest groups. The purpose of political parties is to win elections to the legislative and executive branches of government, and, in Texas, the judiciary as well. Interest groups are adjuncts to political parties. They differ in that only political parties nominate candidates for public office. The two are similar, however, in that they both work to get candidates elected to public office. This similarity exists because both entities wish to see their agenda become public policy. Enter ATPE. ATPE is in the game as a significant interest group whose interest is public education via the teaching profession agenda. To support the very best public policy and establish the finest public education system in Texas, ATPE does what most interest groups do for their members. It supplies members with bona fide information to help them become more involved citizens, regardless of their political party affiliation. In other words, play on whatever other teams you wish, but when it comes time to bat, vote for public education. Our fans, that is, the students, deserve a victory. Now remember all this information; it’s on the final exam Nov. 4!A

Perhaps it’s like being a batter on a team whose batters never swing the bat, and all the other teams know it, so the best your team will ever do is get a walk to first base. No homer, no double, no triple. In the park, but not in the game.

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atpe news

? pop quiz ? ?? ? ? ?

illustration by john kilpper

? T

Who Who the will change

will change the

face of public education? face of public education?

YOU.

he candidates for governor and lieutenant governor have been hot on the campaign trail touting their vision for the future of Texas. Education is a key focus in their campaigns. But (here comes the pop quiz) what’s bigger than any platform, or silver-bullet solution? The vote of Texas educators. If Texas’ one million active and retired public school educators would vote, we could change the face of education.

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While we certainly won’t tell you how to vote, we will equip you with the information you need to vote informed. On the following pages, you will find our exclusive interviews with the Republican and Democratic nominees for governor and lieutenant governor regarding their stances on important education issues. Take a look so that, come Election Day, you can be ready to change the face of Texas public education.

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Meet the candidates For governor:

For lieutenant governor: Dan Patrick declined to respond to the ATPE candidate survey.

Greg Abbott

Wendy Davis

Leticia Van de Putte

Dan Patrick

gregabbott.com

wendydavistexas.com

leticiavandeputte.com

danpatrick.org

These responses represent actual answers supplied by candidates and may not reflect the views of ATPE or its members. ATPE does not endorse candidates.

Abbott: Greg Abbott’s wife, her mother and her father were all educators, and he cares deeply about promoting and supporting professional educators in Texas. As governor, Greg Abbott wants next year’s pre-K class to graduate from high school in the top-ranked school system in the country. Greg Abbott wants to cultivate a culture of aspiration and achievement in all of our public schools. That means setting high expectations, and expecting and trusting students, parents, educators and principals to achieve them. Greg Abbott’s education policy includes an intense focus on practices that strengthen the emphasis placed on the pivotal prekindergarten-through-third-grade stage of a child’s development, in order to optimize academic learning. All three of Greg Abbott’s “Educating Texans” plans for pre-K through grade 12 include high-quality professional development, including reading and numeracy academies, and providing grants to fund technology improvements. For a complete report on Greg Abbott’s “Educating Texans” plans, please go to www.townhall254.gregabbott.com/ forum/educating-texans. Davis: I would adequately fund our public schools through the formula system. I would assure access to full-day pre-K for every Texas child. I would focus on building a reading foundation in the kindergarten through third grades. High-quality education depends on having qualified and trained teachers in all classrooms. To this end, I would encourage more professional development options and better institutional support for our existing teachers, and raise teachers’ salaries to bring them in line with national standards. I also would work to increase the pipeline of adequately trained teachers graduating from our state university system. Finally, I would reduce our state’s overreliance on standardized testing and assure that local communities have meaningful control over student and teacher assessment. These achievements are

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possible by building on the work we have accomplished together and by expanding the partnerships between students, educators, parents and community leaders, giving them a greater voice in running their schools. Van de Putte: Quality pre-K, providing teachers with the freedom to teach and local control of public school accountability. Is there a need to increase state funding to meet the needs of our student population? What is your opinion of the state’s current school finance system? Abbott: Due to Greg Abbott’s role as Attorney General in the ongoing school finance case, his ability to answer this question is limited. However, Greg Abbott is committed to fully funding our schools and education system. He understands that additional funding must be smart and effective. As one example, his “Educating Texans” plans provide additional targeted funding of $370 million for “gold standard” pre-K, professional development for educators, and technology grants that need additional assistance, among other initiatives. Davis: Adequately funding public education is an obligation so important that it is enshrined in our state’s constitution. Unfortunately, our current school finance system is not getting the job done for our students. Ensuring that our neighborhood schools have the resources they need to excel is a keystone of my campaign for governor of Texas. This commitment is why I was one of only two votes early on last session against a budget proposal that would have restored less than $2 billion of the $5.4 billion in cuts to public education from 2011—and why I continued to fight until budget writers increased the restoration of public education funding to $3.4 billion. Van de Putte: Yes. The state’s current school finance system is broken. It does not afford schools, teachers and students with the

atpe news

Photos by Erica fos

If elected, what will your top priorities for public education be?

resources they need to be successful. The costs associated with teaching today should drive the funding; but instead the current funding system is disconnected from the true costs of educating our students.

Van de Putte: Yes, there is a need to increase state funding for health care benefits provided to active and retired educators through TRS. It has been too long since the state has made this important investment in our teachers.

Do you believe the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) should be maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current and retired educators, or do you support converting TRS to a defined contribution plan that is more like a 401(k), in which future benefits are not guaranteed?

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has proposed a new teacher evaluation system in which 20 percent or more of a teacher’s appraisal will be based on student growth. For approximately 25 percent of the state’s teachers, the growth measure will be based on students’ state standardized test scores. School districts will have to adopt other measures of student growth, which might include additional district-adopted tests, for their remaining teachers. Do you support the state’s proposal?

Abbott: Greg Abbott believes that the current structure of TRS should be maintained. Davis: The TRS should be maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current and retired educators. I am committed to working for teacher retirement benefits. Last session, when Senate budget leaders said there was no money to do more for TRS benefits, I was able to find funding and forge a compromise that provided the first cost-of-living increase in a decade for two-thirds of retired teachers. That legislation also increased the state contribution and slowed the rate of increase on worker contributions, and guaranteed that the worker contribution will remain less than the state-local government contribution. These solutions can be found when lawmakers work aggressively toward a shared goal and demand accurate and transparent financial forecasting and reporting. Van de Putte: I have fully supported and will continue to support TRS being maintained as a traditional defined benefit pension plan for all future, current and retired educators. Is there a need to increase state funding for health care benefits provided to active and retired educators through TRS? Abbott: The cost of health care benefits is a shared responsibility among the state, active and retired teachers, and school districts. When dealing with health care costs, the solutions are multifaceted and generally involve more funding from multiple sources. Educators should not have to shoulder these costs alone. The state must do its part to review a funding policy that is almost two decades old, and is based on costs and structures from the 1990s. If elected governor, Greg Abbott will work with all parties so that, together, they may find better ways to fund these long-term healthcare costs. That includes working through the budget process to allocate more money toward education employees’ health care. Davis: Teachers and other school employees should not have to face cuts in take-home pay that are caused by the rising employee share of health insurance costs. In light of health insurance cost increases over the past twelve years, as governor, I will work with the legislature to complete a comprehensive examination of educator salaries and benefits. During the 83rd legislative session, I worked to find additional resources to offset the increased healthcare burdens to teachers, and I fought to keep as many current teachers grandfathered in the existing TRS-Care program as possible.

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Abbott: While Greg Abbott appreciates the work of the TEA, he believes that the federal government should not have any say in whether the state creates or implements a teacher evaluation system. If Texas must have a federally mandated teacher evaluation system, Greg Abbott knows that standardized test scores do not fully capture student progress and achievement. Davis: I do not think a single standardized test is a valid measure for teacher evaluation, nor do I believe that teacher evaluation should be mandated by the state to the exclusion of local input. Local school districts should be able to establish their own teacher evaluation priorities, with meaningful involvement from teachers, parents and voters. A statewide mandate would undermine that community conversation. During the 83rd legislative session, I removed a provision in a bill authored by Sen. Dan Patrick, Senate bill (SB) 1403, which would have encouraged the TEA to tie teacher evaluation scores to standardized test results. In addition, during the 83rd legislative session, I authored SB 1310, which would offset some of the emphasis currently placed on test scores by looking at quality of education variables that include qualified teachers, an evaluation of school administrators and class-size ratios. Van de Putte: I do not support the state’s proposal to have 20 percent or more of a teacher’s appraisal be based on student growth. I have opposed such proposals in the past and will continue to do so. One test on one day does not capture the learning done in an entire year. Would you support legislation that requires all school districts to use the state’s new teacher evaluation model (or one that is substantially similar to it), or should school districts have the right to determine their own local criteria for teacher evaluation? Abbott: Local districts, with advice and input from professional educators, should adopt their own meaningful teacher evaluation systems that take into account many factors. For example, Dallas ISD has developed its own system. More districts should do the same. Ultimately, however, the best evaluators of teaching performance are parents and campus administrators. Davis: School districts should have the right to determine their own local criteria for teacher evaluation.

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Van de Putte: School districts should have the right to determine their own local criteria for evaluation. Do you support spending public tax dollars on a voucher, tax credit or scholarship that allows students to attend non-public schools in grades K–12? Abbott: Greg Abbott’s education platform does not include vouchers or any other financing for a private school education. Davis: I do not support spending public tax dollars to allow students to attend non-public schools in grades K–12. I have long fought against any attempt to drain scarce financial resources from our public school system. Van de Putte: No. I have a record of opposing vouchers or voucher schemes and will continue to oppose them. Do you support placing public schools that fail to meet state accountability standards for two or more consecutive years into an “achievement” or “recovery” school district that operates in a similar manner as charter schools? If so, who should manage such a district? Abbott: Greg Abbott has called for creating a Texas Achievement School District (ASD), an innovative reform aimed at addressing the problem of poorly performing schools in Texas. Under Greg Abbott’s proposed Texas ASD model, each year, the bottom fifteen elementary public or public charter school campuses with an F rating—or the equivalent thereof—for two consecutive years in TEA’s accountability ratings would be transferred into the ASD for a period of three years. Similar approaches have been very successful in Tennessee and Louisiana. Davis: In the last session, I voted for a Senate bill that would give TEA an alternative to school closure after a school has failed to meet satisfactory performance standards for several consecutive years. However, I do not believe that this should occur before local school boards, parents, administrators and teachers have an adequate time period to attempt to achieve a turnaround of a poor-performing school. Van de Putte: I support the opportunity for local schools that are failing to “recover” themselves, but only with locally elected and accountable management.

Do you believe charter schools in Texas have been largely successful? What, if any, state policy changes would you recommend pertaining to charter schools? Abbott: High-performing charter schools like KIPP and IDEA have done an exceptional job. Greg Abbott believes that highperforming charter schools can help Texas’ public education system reach the status of best in the nation. Greg Abbott supports expanding the number of high-performing charter schools in Texas, while fully supporting state law that allows low-performing charter schools to be closed expeditiously. Davis: Every student does not thrive in the same environment. Some students need more one-on-one time with a teacher and others are perfectly capable of working through material at their own speed. I support learning environment diversity, and believe that charter schools be held at the same high standard of accountability as public schools. To that end, I authored legislation to make it easier to close poor-performing charter schools. That language was signed into law as part of SB 2, the omnibus charter school bill of the 83rd legislative session. Van de Putte: I believe some charter models have been successful; for example, dropout recovery charter schools. Do you support increasing state funding for expansion of prekindergarten programs? How should pre-K programs that receive state funding be held accountable for educating children and managing their resources? Abbott: Prekindergarten and elementary grades K through third play a critical role in a child’s educational development. Education policy and practices must strengthen the emphasis placed on this pivotal stage of a child’s development in a way that recognizes needs in order to optimize academic learning. Greg Abbott supports providing an additional $1,500 per student to districts that opt to implement a gold standard, high-quality program with the goal of demonstrating long-term prekindergarten success. Qualified schools that opt in to the gold standard program are free to spend the money they receive in a variety of ways, so long as spending is designed to improve the overall quality of the district’s prekindergarten program and the district continues to meet the program’s eligibility requirements. For example, a district or school continued on page 40

TeachtheVote.org Find out what’s at stake for your profession

H H

Extended profiles of the governor and lieutenant governor candidates.

The unbiased education news you need now.

V oting records and profiles of the Texas Legislature and State Board of Education candidates.

We are not D or R. We are Education.

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atpe news

reaching

the 2014 atpe summit

the next

level Nearly 1,000 educators traveled to Austin for the 2014 ATPE Summit, which was held July 8–11 at the Austin Convention Center. During the event, members attended leader training sessions to learn how to recruit and retain members in their communities; conducted the business of the House of Delegates in keeping with the association’s member-owned, member-governed philosophy; took part in Professional Learning and Networking (PLAN) sessions led by experts in education; learned more about the new ATPE logo and brand marketing plan; danced the night away at the ‘80s Flashback Dance; and spent time connecting and having fun with friends both old and new.

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the atpe game plan

press start

Members learn more about ATPE’s past, present and future

Leaders receive training for the 2014-15 school year

The Opening General Session of the summit was led by ATPE State President Ginger Franks and featured presentations from:

After the rousing Opening General Session, ATPE volunteer leaders attended a variety of leader training sessions that provided information about ways to beat the competition, how to recruit with ATPE’s services and discounts, how to set up a booth at a new- or general-teacher orientation and more.

•A TPE Member Legal Services Director Donna Derryberry, who presented the many components of our outstanding protection benefits programs. •A TPE Senior Marketing Director Glenda Beasley, who presented 13 ways ATPE supports members and leaders, including promo items featuring the new ATPE logo and tagline, staff members who are dedicated to providing the best customer service, and ATPE’s new mascot, ALVI, the Supportive Star. ATPE Executive Director Gary G. Godsey closed the session with a message on how important it is for ATPE to recruit new members and become the leading advocate for Texas public education.

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The leader training sessions serve as a way to introduce new leaders to their officer roles, remind veteran leaders of the many benefits that come with ATPE membership, and prepare all ATPE volunteers for both the next school year and upcoming membership recruitment drive. Even university students got in on the action with a special session just for them that focused on how they can make the most of their ATPE membership and future careers as educators.

the next level of texas leadership Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor speak to attendees On the second day of the event, Sens. Wendy Davis and Leticia Van De Putte and Attorney General Greg Abbott spoke to attendees about their plans for Texas and Texas public education. All major party candidates were invited to attend, but Sen. Dan Patrick declined our invitation.

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PHOTOS BY ATPE COMMUNICATIONS STAFF

•A TPE Governmental Relations Director Brock Gregg— dressed to the nines in an Uncle Sam costume—who shared how ATPE has been a strong voice for education advocacy and how the association can continue to move toward becoming the voice of public education in Texas.

reaching the bonus levels

acknowledgements

ATPE Foundation and Political Action Committee raise funds

Thank you to our generous sponsors and volunteers

During the summit, the ATPE Foundation raised $3,885 that will go toward the support of literacy initiatives, technology programs, and educator recruitment and retention efforts. Part of the donations came from the sale of sterling silver lapel pins in the shape of the new ATPE logo. If you missed out on purchasing one during the event, email admin@atpefoundation. org to find out how you can get one.

The ATPE Summit was a great success thanks in part to the generosity of the following:

The ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) raised more than $10,000 for future advocacy efforts during live and silent auctions and region caucuses. Special thanks go to auction item donors: • I ndividuals: Kirk Brown Estate, Cheryl Buchanan, Kristi Daws, Donna Dillard, Cheryl Drews, Cathy Duval, Andy Erdelt, Twyla Figueroa, Alecia Gray, Holly Hajari, Ma Elena Ingram, Glen Rabalais, Patrice Rabalais, Elizabeth Reynolds, Doug Rogers, Stacey Ward and Shane Whitten •L ocal units: Boerne, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Corpus Christi, Fort Bend, Garland, Irving, Killeen, Odessa and Plano • Regions: 1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19 and 20 • Corporate partner: Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union

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Corporate partners Frost Insurance, Nationwide Insurance, Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union (RBFCU) and SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Guest participants and entertainment Beverly Albers, Whitney Connor, Carl Franks, Inocencio Lugo, Tonya Miller and John Thomas Educator of the Year Committee members Chairwoman Amy Langley, Christy Fox, Tiffany Gygi, Katy Matthews, Toni Underwood and Jan Womack Leader of the Year Committee members Chairwoman Linda Dairy, Cheryl Drews, Jay Guerrero, Sarah McMahan, Kristi Petty, Katherine Whitbeck and Dianne Williamson Nomination/Election Committee members Chairman Christopher Adams, Michael Balderas, Kimberly Dolese, Christina Flores, Melissa Frerichs, Rachel Leveridge, Haily May and Debbie Robinson

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co-op mode ATPE’s member-owned, member-governed philosophy comes to life every year during the annual gathering of the House of Delegates (HOD). This year, the delegates met July 9 and 10 to hear candidates for 2014-15 ATPE state office speak and to discuss two bylaws amendments; honorary, standing and current resolutions; and the ATPE Legislative Program.

Standing resolutions The HOD allowed existing standing resolutions 1, 2 and 5–13 to continue without amendments. The HOD readopted existing standing resolutions 3 and 4 as amended by the ATPE Resolutions Committee.

Current resolutions The HOD allowed one 2013-14 current resolution to expire and adopted one new 2014-15 resolution:

bylaws amendments

RESOLVED, that ATPE will work to ensure that all ATPE members who are eligible to vote are also registered to vote in every election and understand the effects of voting to public education and our profession;

The HOD considered two bylaws amendments, both of which were adopted. (Members can visit www.atpe.org/en/about-atpe/ governance/house-of-delegates to read the updated ATPE State Bylaws.) The amendments have the following effects:

RESOLVED, that ATPE will work to ensure that our members are informed voters who have the tools and information needed to choose candidates for public office who will support the ATPE legislative program and public education;

• The ATPE Board of Directors (BOD), acting as fiduciaries and in collaboration with local units and regions, now has the authority to establish and enforce standards by which ATPE’s local units and regions should operate.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that ATPE will strive to educate and motivate all Texas educators and the general public to vote for candidates who support the ATPE legislative program and public education.

• The BOD also now has the authority to establish standards and expectations of local units that are consistent with the purposes and mission of ATPE.

resolutions Honorary resolutions The HOD adopted four honorary resolutions, in honor of: (from left) Immediate Past State President Deann Lee, the late Jackie Arthur a longtime Region 5 ATPE leader, the late Kirk Brown, a longtime Region 5 ATPE leader and the late Larry Condra, a longtime Region 14 ATPE leader.

ATPE Legislative Program The ATPE Legislative Program, presented to legislators at the beginning of each legislative session, outlines the association’s legislative priorities and guides ATPE Governmental Relations in its advocacy efforts. The HOD adopted the 2014-15 ATPE Legislative Program as recommended by the Legislative Committee; visit atpe.org/leg-program to review the program.

Your new 2014-15 state officers. From left: Past President Ginger Franks, Treasurer Carl Garner, Secretary Julleen Bottoms, Vice President Cory Colby and President Richard Wiggins.

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high scorers ATPE honored educators, students, ATPE leaders and friends of Texas public education at the summit during the Awards Banquet.

Elementary Teacher Elizabeth Shier, kindergarten through fifth-grade music specialist at C.F. Thomas Elementary School, Birdville ISD

Named for ATPE’s first state president, this award recognizes Texas reporters for their outstanding support and coverage of public education. The 2013 recipients are:

“Teaching is the foundation of every other profession. No matter what job one does in life, he is doing that job because someone taught him the skill set he needed to do it. I believe that it takes a special gift to be a great teacher, though—not everyone can do it. To really teach the students, one has to have an ability to connect with each of them on a deep level.”

•N ewspapers with a circulation of fewer than 25,000: Gary Long, The Brownsville Herald

Finalists: Karsten Mitchell, Denton ISD, and Rebecca Dougharty, Jasper ISD

•N ewspapers with a circulation of 25,000 to 50,000: Hollie O’Connor, The Waco Tribune-Herald

Secondary Teacher

alafair hammett media awards

•N ewspapers with a circulation of more than 50,000: Jennifer Radcliffe, the Houston Chronicle

educator of the year awards

Stephanie Stoebe, sixth- through eighthgrade reading specialist at PFC Hernandez Middle School, Round Rock ISD

These awards recognize ATPE members who demonstrate exceptional or innovative capabilities in their respective educational fields.

“I feel that an outstanding educator teaches with honor, demonstrating that she is a proud member of the teaching profession. While I make sure that my students know that I love to teach, I do not hide from their middle school minds the reality that teaching is comprised of overwhelming feelings of both joy and despair.”

Administrator

Finalists: Dalia Aleman, La Joya ISD, and Kenneth Poppe, Fort Worth ISD

Karen McCoskey, assistant principal, Lamar Middle School, Irving ISD “I believe that an outstanding administrator is one who is a leader and who inspires others. This type of leader sees things differently. They see the past, and honor the history of the community. They see the future and the possibilities. While there may be obstacles and barriers, a leader can see beyond them to what might be."

Special Services Educator Andrea Keller, instructional technology specialist at Elliott Elementary School in Irving ISD

Finalist: Cindy Woody, Corsicana ISD

“My concept of an outstanding educator will always be summed up in one word: believe. Every student, teacher or person that one comes in contact with deserves to be believed in. An outstanding educator must be a believer and be able to see potential in an everyday situation.”

Associate

Finalists: Jessica Bobo, Fort Worth ISD, and Darlene Kent, Denton ISD Hilda Martinez, substitute teacher, La Joya ISD “An outstanding associate in any capacity will strive to stand out through her actions, words and character." (Read more about Martinez in Para-educators’ Place on page 10.)

Finalists: Cheryl Drews, Irving ISD, and Cesarea Germain, Corpus Christi ISD

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Keep an eye on ATPE social media for a slideshow of 2014 ATPE Summit photos.

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Local unit of the year The ATPE Local Unit of the Year Award acknowledges local unit efforts and accomplishments during the year. Each winning local unit receives $1,000.

University local units McMurry University • Region 14 • Chartered in 1996 • 52 members • 2013-14 officers: President Leah Morgan (pictured), Vice President Leah Doughty and Secretary Jennifer Smith Finalists: Dallas Baptist University, Region 10, and Texas Woman’s University ATPE, Region 11

Local units with 1–200 members Palmer ATPE • Region 10 • Chartered in 1990 • 110 members • 2013-14 officers: President Gina Godding (pictured) and Vice President Lillian Barr Finalists: Ballinger ATPE, Region 15, and Paint Rock ATPE, Region 15

Local units with 201–500 members Vidor ATPE • Region 5 • Chartered in 1981 • 236 members • 2013-14 officers: President Shannon DeVillier, Vice President Stacy Rector, Secretary Leslie Wilson, Treasurer Jennifer Richards and member David Ochoa (pictured) Finalists: Nacogdoches ATPE, Region 7, and Pharr-San JuanAlamo ATPE, Region 1

Local units with 501-plus members Plano ATPE • Region 10 • Chartered in 1985 • 2,766 members • 2013-14 officers: President Andra Harris (pictured), Vice President Rebecca Bottin, Secretary Caryn Bartle, Treasurer Julie Riggs, Membership Chair Jill Gipson and Past President Tina Christian Finalists: Boerne ATPE, Region 20, and Denton ATPE, Region 11

campus representative of the year The ATPE Campus Representative of the Year Award is designed to acknowledge those special ATPE volunteers who are fundamental to the continued growth and development of our grassroots organization. Winners receive $1,000 each, and their local units each receive $250 for future local unit activities.

Local units with 1–200 members Makeda Scherri Stroman, Nacogdoches ATPE “I carry my ATPE bag with me everywhere that I go, and people are interested in knowing what this organization is. I use my bag as a conversation starter!” Finalists: Rosa Linda Santoyo, Lackland ATPE, and Roseann Webb, Paint Rock ATPE

Local units with 201–500 members Michael Sweet, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ATPE “Whenever a member has any questions or concerns, I try to answer it to the best of my ability, and in case I can’t, I immediately contact them with someone who can. But the most frequent thing I do is refer them to the ATPE website and show them where they can go get the information that they need.” Finalists: Debra Folk, Willis ATPE, and Janet McDaniel, Harlandale ATPE

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Local units with 501 -plus members

$500

Caryn Bartle, Plano ATPE

Alief: Deborah Mott

“I love to talk to people and find it easy to speak about things I believe in. I believe in ATPE. I use every opportunity that I have to speak to the staff and parents in the buildings about ATPE, what we stand for and what we are doing for our community.”

Austin: Marcia McNeil

Finalists: Candy Dubose, Tyler ATPE, and Hilda Martinez, La Joya ATPE

Austin: Julia Fletcher, Michael Stubbs Boerne: Jeri Willis Brownsville: Jose Garza Carrollton-Farmers Branch: Princess Ball Clint: Michael Slaight Connally: Larry Davis Corpus Christ: Jackie Hannebaum Del Valle: Debra Luciew-Nelson

atpe newsletter award

Garland: Nichole Waggoner

This award recognizes outstanding local unit newsletters.

Lubbock: Ranelle Baldwin

Newsletter | Local units with 201–500 members

Lytle: Leslie Pedrotti

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ATPE—Mike Sweet, editor

Northside (20): Bobbye Patton, Sylvia Lopez

Newsletter | Local units with 501-plus members

Odessa: Ashley Fox

Boerne ATPE—Teri Nail, editor

Plano: Lindsay Beattie, Jill Gipson, Dennise Schuler

Killeen: Archie Woody, Sharon Woody

Region 20: Elizabeth Robbins Tuloso-Midway: Dora Cerda

2o13-14 atpe political Davy Crockett Fundraising Challenge action committee honorees This challenge was established to recognize the regions and Stephen F. Austin ATPE-PAC Honorees

local units that raise the most money per member for ATPE-PAC. This year’s winners are:

Stephen F. Austin honorees are the greatest supporters of the ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC). This honor is bestowed based on cumulative contributions to ATPE-PAC since July 1997. This year, ATPE-PAC is proud to have two members reach the $5,000 contribution level—Bickey Coffey of Region 16 and Carol Davies of Mesquite!

Regions with fewer than 10,000 members—Region 20 Raised $12,509.57/$1.44 per member. 2013-14 President Mary Reyes

$5,000

Local units with 1–200 members—Warren Raised $1,166/$15.97 per member. 2013-14 President Kay Daniels

Mesquite: Carol Davies Region 16: Bickie Coffey

$2,500 Killeen: Melissa Walcik

Regions with 10,000+ members—Region 10 Raised $22,977.89/$1.22 per member. 2013-14 President Shane Huff

Local units with 201–500 members—McAllen Raised $1,052 /$4.02 per member. 2013-14 President Ma Elena Ingram Local units with 501-plus members—Willis Raised $7,197/$14.34 per member. 2013-14 President Donna Ward

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Star Recruiters

ATPE recognizes the final members of the Ben Shilcutt Plus Club

Top recruiter

Hilda Martinez La Joya Recruited 318 new members “My success comes from the support I receive … Teamwork is what moves a team to success and that is what moved me to become a better recruiter this year.”

30-Plus

Recruited 30 or more new members

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Houston | Jason Orlando “I persuaded a co-worker who was a staunch HFT member to join ATPE. They still thank me today.”

Houston | Sierra Villalovos “I hand teachers a bag and ask, ‘Have you thought about joining ATPE?’ Even if they don’t want to know about ATPE, they still have a bag.” Irving | Cheryl Drews On her most creative recruiting technique: “You insure your health, you insure your car, you insure your life—why not your career?”

Corpus Christi | Autumn Caro

Killeen | Ronald Sursa “An open line of communication with our local university ATPE has helped me to recruit those students once they become teachers.”

Edinburg | Michael Balderas On his best recruitment experience: “Convincing my wife to join. Once I won her over, I knew the rest would be easy!”

Midway (12) | Jason Forbis “A lady said she wanted to join because of my professionalism. I told her it is one of our tenets. She said it would be nice to be associated with an organization that had such high standards.”

Edinburg | Amancio Garza

Nacogdoches | Katherine Whitbeck

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Plano | Jill Gipson “[I recruited] two people who had been members of another organization. They were amazed at the benefits they received at a much lower cost.”

recruiters

Palmer | Gina Godding “Each year at the summit, I learn how to maximize my efforts through training sessions and networking. Renewed energy and enthusiasm are contagious.”

top 14 3ongratulations C 201

the The Ben Shilcutt Plus Club is an elite group of recruiters named after one of ATPE’s founding members. 2013-14 was the final year for the club; the program is being replaced by two new recruitment programs. Learn more about these programs below.

ATPE’s new recruitment programs

Each One Reach One

Stephenville | Brenda Burks

Waco | Jane Sykes “I was so fed up with the other organizations’ tactics, I spoke at Waco ISD’s NTO. I spoke honestly, gave the facts and wanted teachers to hear the pride I have to be an ATPE member.”

STAR Membership Challenge

Weslaco | Rebecca Monsevalles “A top-notch organization with excellent benefits [will] sell itself. Know your product so you can have an answer when members of another organization compare their benefits with ours.” Westwood | Kathy Hightower “I am well-informed about the services and discounts available. I respond to any questions or emails on a daily basis.”

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20-Plus

Recruited 20–29 new members Austin Jackie Seaborn Corpus Christi Michelle Barabino Edinburg Stef Gutierrez Mari Reyes Irving Helen Bradley La Joya Vangie Garza Norma Vega Montgomery Chris Douglas Plano Lana Adams Caryn Bartle Tyler Bobby Barnes

Cleburne Tena Alexander

Plano Paul Bartle

Coleman County Sarah Beal

Round Rock Stephanie Stoebe

Columbia-Brazoria Bess Simple

San Antonio Sheryl Bibles Tina Briones Angel Curry Randall Iglehart

Connally Jarra Exum Corpus Christi Anita Garcia Monica Gonzalez-Rios Jackie Hannebaum Corsicana Gena Lopez Cypress-Fairbanks Stephanie Bailey Denton Cassie Jordan Marcia Lewis Holli Rice Vicki Storrie

Ysleta Angie Armendariz

Edinburg Angela Avitia Cynthia Balderas Benjamin Lozano

10-Plus

Harlandale Marta Delgado

Recruited 10–19 new members Aldine Wanda Giles Alief Heriberto Ibarra-Abrego Andrews Jordan Griffin Tina Hardarson Joni Reese Bandera Yvette Milner Birdville Bill Monty Teri Naya Boerne Mike Finch Carrollton-Farmers Branch Diane Filibeck

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Irving Karen McCoskey Brenda Tejeda

Terrell Felicia Robinson Tyler Kris Ann Bennett Betty Berndt Candy DuBose Waco Patty Reneau Weatherford Leah Richardson Weslaco Hector Cruz Willis Cory Colby Ysleta Jennifer Adams

5-Plus

Recruited 5–9 new members

Katy Lisa Rothe

Alvin Ron Fitzwater

Killeen Eileen Walcik La Joya Roxanna Chapa

Andrews Steven Foster Teresa Gross Carmen Lujan Laura Miller

Lackland Rosa Linda Santoyo

Ballinger Darlene Kelly

Lewisville Brenda Barth Samantha Montaño

Birdville Janet Erlinger Tiffany Gygi

Mansfield Jennifer Bowland

Boerne Bob Beckett Kim Grosenbacher Teri Nail Richard Wiggins Jeri Willis

Medina Valley Bertha Benedetti Paint Rock Roseann Webb

Connally Barbara Cantrell Laura Reed Corsicana Tammy Casaday Krystal Perez Donna Sublett Denton Amy Miller Joan Phillips Darla Purcell Erika Simon Irving Monica Ashworth Killeen Melissa Walcik Ron Walcik La Joya Dalia Aleman Jorge Balderas Cindy Barrera Nidia Lozano Angel Montenegro Eli Ramirez Lizeth Ramirez Mansfield Donna Sibila Northside (20) Cassandra Carter Angelita Garcia Paris Deann Lee Robstown Adrian Guerrero San Antonio Debra Holzman Tyler Eddie Hill Weslaco Gloria Silva Wichita Falls Belinda Wolf Ysleta Cecy De La O Edana Slaight

atpe news

atpe.org/services-discounts

Protect your familyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s future ATPE members are eligible to enroll year-round for supplemental life insurance through MetLife Plus: ATPE is now offering accidental death insurance, guaranteed issue whole life insurance, simplified issue term life insurance, prescription discounts and identity theft protection through MetLife.

GUARANTEED ACCEPTANCE TERM LIFE INSURANCE Life insurance amount

Days since joining ATPE

Statement of Health

Up to $50,000

Less than 90 days

Not required

More than $50,000

Less than 90 days

Required

Up to $200,000

More than 90 days

Required

For members who are employed full-time (30 hours per week) in the field of education. Limited coverage is also available for spouses and children.

1 Will Preparation and MetLife Estate Resolution Services are offered by Hyatt Legal Plans, Inc., a MetLife company, Cleveland, Ohio. In certain states, legal services benefits are provided through insurance coverage underwritten by Metropolitan Property and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Warwick, Rhode Island. For New York sitused cases, the Will Preparation service is an expanded offering that includes office consultations and telephone advice for certain other legal matters beyond Will Preparation. Tax Planning and preparation of Living Trusts are not covered by the Will Preparation Service. Certain services are not covered by Estate Resolution Services, including matters in which there is a conflict of interest between the executor and any beneficiary or heir and the estate; any disputes with the group policyholder, MetLife and/or any of its affiliates; any disputes involving statutory benefits; will contests or litigation outside probate court; appeals; court costs, filing fees, recording fees, transcripts, witness fees, expenses to a third party, judgments or fines; and frivolous or unethical matters. L0214360941[exp0216][All States][DC] ÂŠ 2013 METLIFE, INC. #L1213355077(exp1214)(All States)(DC)

your association

state & region leaders

Richard Wiggins

Cory Colby

Julleen Bottoms

Carl Garner

Ginger Franks

President Boerne, Region 20

Vice president Willis, Region 6

Secretary Corsicana, Region 12

Treasurer Mesquite, Region 10

Past president Pineywoods, Region 7

Wiggins is a special education department chair and has 12 years of education experience.

Colby, a seven-year educator, is an AP and dual credit government and U.S. history instructor.

Bottoms, a 22-year education veteran, is a Kâ&#x20AC;&#x201C;5 technology applications teacher and campus technical specialist.

Garner is an ARD chair and resource/ inclusion teacher with 14 years of education experience.

Franks, a 32-year education veteran, teaches special education in Martinsville ISD.

Region 2

Region 3

Region 4

Region 5

Region 6

Michael Sweet

Director

Region 1

Cesarea Germain

Andy Erdelt

Ron Fitzwater

Bill Moye

Judi Thomas

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo

Corpus Christi

Palacios

Alvin

Warren

Willis

Hector Cruz

President

2014-15 Region Officers

2014-15 State Officers

Meet your 2014-15 ATPE leaders

Elizabeth Payne

Yvonne Meharg

Eli Rodriguez

Glen Rabalais

Donna Ward

Weslaco

Corpus Christi

Goliad

Cypress-Fairbanks

Beaumont

Willis

Vice president: Norma

Vice president: Robert

Vice president:

Vice president: Chris

Vega, La Joya

Caro, Calallen ATPE

Darlene Schick,

Martha Anne Pierson,

Sallie Mooneyham,

Douglas, Montgomery

Secretary: Rene Zuniga,

Secretary: Jennifer

Tidehaven

Clear Creek

Lumberton

Secretary: Joyce

South Texas College

Lindsey, Corpus Christi

Secretary: Joy

Secretary: Dorothy

Secretary: Janice

Green, College Station

Treasurer: Rebecca

Treasurer: Amelia

Roppolo, El Campo

Hulett, Cypress-

Brent, Vidor

Treasurer: Amy

Monsevalles, Weslaco

Flores, Corpus Christi

Treasurer: Terry

Fairbanks

Treasurer: Sue Allen,

Langley, Huntsville

Divers, Palacios

Treasurer: Jason

Warren

Past president:

Past president: Susie Andrews, Rio Hondo

Orlando, Houston

Charles Lindsey,

Past President: Stacey

Magnolia

Ward, Humble

30 | atpe.org

atpe news

state & region leaders

your association

Region 8

Region 9

Region 10

Region 11

Region 12

Region 13

Janie Leath

Jimmy Lee

Kristi Daws

Jackie Davis

David Williams

Jason Forbis

Jayne Serna

Nacogdoches

Paris

Jacksboro

Garland

Keller

Midway (12)

Leander

Kimberly Dolese

Alison Hayter

Annetti Grinnell

Shane Huff

Karen Hames

Ronald Walcik

Christie Smith

Nacogdoches

North Lamar

Iowa Park

Kaufman

Lewisville

Killeen

Pflugerville

Vice president:

Vice president: Jodie

Vice president: Julie

Vice president:

Vice president: Sheri

Vice president: Patty

Vice president:

Shannon Whitehead,

Andoe, Paris

Lewis, Burkburnett

Meredith Malloy,

Merritt, Lake Worth

Reneau, Waco

Michael Perez, Comal

Pineywoods

Secretary: Frankie

Secretary: Belinda

Ferris

Secretary: Teri Naya,

Secretary: Janice

Secretary: Beth

Secretary: Betty

Jarrell, North Lamar

Wolf, Wichita Falls

Secretary: Wanda

Birdville

Hornsby, West

Wolpman, San Marcos

Berndt, Tyler

Treasurer: Carie

Treasurer: Elizabeth

Bailey, Mesquite

Treasurer: Vicki

Treasurer: Jane Sykes,

Treasurer: Consuelo

Treasurer: Shelly

Archer, Chisum

Reynolds, Jacksboro

Treasurer: Wendy

Storrie, Denton

Waco

Hernandez, Leander

Past president: Stacy

Smith, Forney

Past president: Melba

Past president:

Poppe

Sandra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor,

President

Director

Region 7

Watson, Woden

Brown, Burkburnett

Waco

Region 15

Region 16

Region 17

Region 18

Region 19

Region 20

Tonja Gray

Darlene Kelly

Dawn Riley

Lynette Ginn

Bridget Loffler

Socorro Lopez

Tina Briones

Abilene

Ballinger

Bushland

Hale Center

Odessa

San Elizario

San Antonio

Gae Lynn McInroe

Jose Delgado

Shane Whitten

Ranelle Baldwin

Tina Hardarson

Jennifer Adams

Mary Reyes

San Felipe-Del Rio

Amarillo

Lubbock

Andrews

Ysleta

Lackland

McMurry University

Vice president:

Vice presidents:

Vice president:

Vice president: Teresa

Vice president:

Vice president: Marcie

Vice president:

Candace Beal,

Deborah Sutterfield,

Caroljean Byrnes,

Griffin, Stanton

Michael Slaight, Clint

Helmke, Judson

John Tyson, Abilene

Coleman County

Amarillo; Sherry Boyd,

Frenship

Secretary: Isela

Secretary: Patti

Secretary: Rosa Linda

Secretary: Desirie

Secretary: Mary

Spearman

Secretary: Brenda

Agundis, Odessa

Garcia, Ysleta

Santoyo, Lackland

Ries, Hawley

Lloyd, Ballinger

Secretary: Cindy

Bryan, Hale Center

Treasurer: Laura

Treasurer: Rudy

Treasurer: Margaret

Treasurer: Stephanie

Treasurer: Luz

Smith, Boys Ranch

Treasurer: Gail

Miller, Andrews

Romero, Clint

Hastings, Boerne

Scott, McMurry

Mendez, Junction

Treasurer: Stephanie

Carter, Lubbock

Parker, Hereford

Past president:

President

Director

Region 14

University

Susan Cooper, Lubbock

fall 2014

atpe.org | 31

your association

atpe news

ATPE leads the push for fair, effective teacher evaluations In June, 2013-14 ATPE State President Ginger Franks and Vice President Richard Wiggins visited Washington, D.C., to advocate for crucial education issues on behalf of ATPE. The leaders, along with ATPE Executive Director Gary G. Godsey and Governmental Relations Director Brock Gregg, met with key Texas congressmen to raise awareness about the federal requirement that Texas implement a new evaluation system that includes accountability based on student test scores. ATPE has been advocating for an extension of time on the state’s No Child Left Behind (NCLB) waiver, which was conditioned on the roll-out of a new teacher evaluation system. An extension would enable TEA to spend an adequate amount of time analyzing the results of the evaluation pilot (beginning in 2014-15) and making any necessary adjustments to ensure the system is as effective as possible before implementing it statewide. On July 24, 22 Texas members of the U.S. House of Representatives joined ATPE’s advocacy efforts by sending a letter at ATPE’s request to U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, requesting additional time for the implementation of Texas teacher evaluation changes and urging him to grant our state an extension of the NCLB waiver.

ATPE News goes digital Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Beginning in 2014-15, ATPE News is making a move to digital for two of its four issues per year. You’ll still receive the same great education news, ATPE information and advocacy coverage, but the winter and summer editions will be online-only. Stay tuned to your email for more information.

Read the full letter at atpe.org/news/doe-letter.

32 | atpe.org

atpe news

congratulations to our meeting planner of the year

ATPE Meetings and Conferences Director Andrea Elizondo was recently recognized as the 201314 Meeting Planner of the Year by the Texas Hill Country Chapter of Meeting Professionals International. Among the comments submitted by the judges for the award was, “Andrea always has a smile, a positive demeanor, and she always delivers on whatever task she undertakes!” Elizondo also served as co-chair of a MPI study group that was recognized as the study group of the year.

your association

Degrees with a discount ATPE members can take advantage of Grand Canyon University (GCU) scholarships which reduce tuition by 20 percent to just $390 per credit hour. GCU was originally established as a teacher’s college more than 60 years ago. Today, GCU still offers quality bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral education degree programs that help shape the teachers and administrators of tomorrow to be lifelong learners. Visit atpe.org/en/degree for more information.

Members can join RBFCU free One of the ‘perks’ to ATPE membership is the opportunity to join Randolph-Brooks Federal Credit Union! As a not-for-profit, financial cooperative, RBFCU benefits go beyond great rates, superior service and convenient locations. RBFCU offers a full-range of financial products and services—from savings and checking accounts to personal loans, investments and more. Plus, simply for being an ATPE member, you can join for free.

ATPE staff service awards Congratulations to the six state office staff members honored during the 2014 ATPE summit for their 80 years of combined experience: ▸ Five years of service: Lobbyist Monty Exter, Staff Attorney Jennifer Gordon and Payroll Deduction Specialist Holly Hajari. ▸ 15 years of service: Accounting Assistant–AR Judy Humes. ▸ 20 years of service: Governmental Relations Director Brock Gregg. ▸ 30 years of service: Deputy Executive Director Alan Bookman.

The ATPE Vision

fall 2014

ATPE is the preeminent public educator association in Texas and makes a difference in the lives of educators and schoolchildren. In partnership with all stakeholders, we are committed to providing every child an equal opportunity to receive an exemplary public education.

atpe.org | 33

your association

atpe news

How can the ATPE Foundation support you? $1,500 Literacy Grants

$2,500 Technology Grants

Through the Beth Ann Rogers Literacy Initiative, the ATPE Foundation will provide five $1,500 grants during the 2014-15 school year Texas public school libraries to purchase literacy materials and modernize literacy resources. Applications must be postmarked by Feb. 2, 2015.

For 2014-15, the ATPE Foundation Technology Grant program will provide two $2,500 grants to eligible Texas public school educators for projectbased classroom technology programs. Applications must be postmarked by Nov. 3.

Visit atpefoundation.org to find grant criteria, guidelines and applications.

Thank you Thank you forfor ryour uoyour y rof support! uoy knahT support! !troppus The foundation reached an all-time high during May donation month Thanks to the generosity of individuals, local units and regions, the ATPE Foundation raised $11,027 during May Madness, its annual donation month. All donations will help support the foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s literacy and technology grants and educator scholarships.

Since 2008, the ATPE Foundation has:

Provided

$63,000

in literacy and technology grants to Texas public schools.

Awarded

$106,000

in scholarships to current and future Texas educators.

Distributed more than

$43,000

to Texas schools affected by disasters.

Impacted nearly

30,000

Texas schoolchildren.

None of this would be possible without the generous support of our donors.

Supporting the ATPE Foundation is easy: Visit atpefoundation.org to to make a taxdeductible donation using your Visa or MasterCard. You may also print a donation form to mail in with your check. Donations can be given in honor or in memory of family members, friends or colleagues. The ATPE Foundation is registered in Texas as a nonprofit corporation and is a public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

34 | atpe.org

atpe news

Foundation awards scholarships to future educators

he Barbara Jordan Memorial Scholarship, named for the late Texas congresswoman and educator, is awarded annually to outstanding junior, senior and graduate students enrolled in educator preparation programs at predominantly ethnic-minority institutions. Congratulations to the 2013-14 recipients, who each received a $1,500 scholarship: Tashanda Hall, Lamar University Aubrey Brieger, Tarleton State University Jessica Ramirez, University of North Texas at Dallas Contrenia Jefferson, Texas A&M University–Commerce Esseiny Alanis, Texas Woman’s University Sharon Vergason, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi The Fred Wiesner Educational Excellence Scholarship is named for one of ATPE’s founding members. Five $1,500 scholarships are awarded to outstanding college students currently enrolled in educator preparation programs. Congratulations to the 2013-14 recipients:

Holly Griffin, University of Texas at Austin (graduate student) Chelsey Evans, Texas A&M University Kaitlyn Holcomb, University of Texas at Austin Nicole Kratzer, Baylor University Brittany Bennett, Texas A&M University

Join us for the Fifth annual ATPE Foundation Golf Classic What: A four-person scramble tournament benefiting the ATPE Foundation’s literacy, technology, and educator recruitment and retention programs in Texas public schools

When: Friday, Oct. 17 (1:30 p.m. shotgun start followed by 6 p.m. awards dinner)

Where: Teravista Golf Club, Round Rock More info: atpefoundation.org

ATPE

FOUNDATION

GOLF 2014

fall 2014

atpe.org | 35

your association

atpe-pac honor roll

The following ATPE members donated $50 or more to ATPEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) between March 1 and June 30, 2014.

Alvin Ron Fitzwater

Cypress-Fairbanks Stephanie Bailey

Humble Gayle Sampley

Amarillo Nelson Bishop Shane Whitten

Dallas Julie Fore Beverly Stone

Andrews Charlie Griffin

Del Valle Mary Hopkins

Irving Deb Bellew Gary Schepf Dora Venne

Austin Marcy McNeil

Denton Vicki Storrie Philana Williams Lori Wolf

Ballinger Cheryl Buchanan Darlene Kelly Beaumont Linda Pate Rhonda Schell Birdville Shari Emmons Bill Monty Boerne Margie Hastings Teri Nail Richard Wiggins Jeri Willis Conroe Danna Eichenold Corpus Christi Jackie Hannebaum Jennifer Lindsey Rose Perez Corsicana Julleen Bottoms Crowley Jeannie Evans Steve Pokluda

36 | atpe.org

Ferris Betty McCoy Fort Bend Kathy Aaron Fort Worth Mike McLamore Frenship Caroljean Byrnes Terri Howard Galena Park Sharon Dixon Lissa Shepard Garland Jackie Davis Gatesville Skip Omenson Harlandale Lee Amende Nancy Tom Hereford Stephanie Parker

Jacksboro Kristi Daws Elizabeth Reynolds Keller David Williams Killeen Alice Page Ronald Sursa Heide Vanegas Eileen Walcik Melissa Walcik Ron Walcik Archie Woody Krum Betty Ann Plunkett La Joya Vangie Garza Leander Jayne Serna Lewisville Karen Hames McAllen Twila Figueroa Ma Elena Ingram Medina Valley Bertha Benedetti

Mesquite Donnetta Allen Jerry Bonham Carol Davies Debbie Massey Diane Nix Natalia Johnny BlakeyColburn Northside (20) David de la Garza Sylvia Lopez Odessa Olga Garza Olney Dale Lovett Becky Spurlock Sam Spurlock Palmer Gina Godding Pasadena Charlotte Anthony Pflugerville Greg Vidal Pharr-San JuanAlamo Michael Sweet Pineywoods Ginger Franks Plano Caryn Bartle Abigail Cramer Dennise Schuler

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATION! Region 10 Graig Williams Region 16 Bickie Coffey Royal Henry Bostick Spearman Sherry Boyd Spring Branch Cindy Woods State office Glenda Beasley Roger Gutierrez Cynthia Villalovos Tyler Betty Berndt Candy DuBose Eddie Hill Karen Schmutz Waco Sandra Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor Patty Reneau Jane Sykes West Janice Hornsby Kay Whitley Willis Cory Colby Woden Carl Franks Randi McQueen Cortney Stroud Wylie (10) Carol Davis

atpe news

kudos

your association

Bravo, ATPE members

Congratulations to all ATPE members who go the extra mile to achieve great heights in their field. fort sam houston Dr. Melanie Morgan, a first-grade teacher at Fort Sam Houston Elementary, was one of two recipients of the 2013-14 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching in April after being nominated by her administration, colleagues and students’ parents. Later that month, she was also selected as the Krispy Kreme Teacher of the Year second runner-up after being nominated by her school’s office staff.

KILLEEN

In Memoriam ATPE is saddened to announce the passing of former Region 14 ATPE Director and President Larry Condra June 24, 2014. Condra served as a dedicated ATPE volunteer in many capacities and was also a former Abilene ATPE president.

John Maxwell, an algebra teacher at Manor Middle School, was selected as the district’s Secondary Teacher of the Year. Tamera Thornhill, a fourth-grade teacher at Clifton Park Elementary School, was named the district’s Elementary Teacher of the Year.

A former social studies teacher at Abilene High School, Condra also founded the Peer Assistance and Leadership (PAL) program at the school. He remained dedicated to education after retirement, serving as a fishing instructor for Fishing’s Future, in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and teaching outdoor skills to scout groups, church groups and Big Brothers Big Sisters.

LA PORTE

ATPE extends its sympathies to Larry’s family and to all who knew and loved him.

Luisa Nieto, a third-grade teacher at Heritage Elementary School, was recognized as the 2014–15 Campus Teacher of the Year.

Be recognized for your efforts! If you know an ATPE member who deserves recognition (it could even be you!), let us know. Kudos covers awards, scholarships and other education-related achievements only; promotions, retirements and non-education-related personal achievements will not be included. Email Kudos to ATPE Communications at comm@atpe.org or send them to: ATPE News | 305 E. Huntland Dr., Ste. 300 | Austin, TX 78752-3792

fall 2014

atpe.org | 37

family album

Photo by Diane Pokluda

Photo courtesy of melanie morgan

your association

Fort Sam Houston Aubrey The officers of the newly reactivated Aubrey ATPE meet at Momâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s on Main in Aubrey. From left to right: Aubrey ATPE Secretary Vicki Saxon, Treasurer Kim Earwood and President Diane Forester lead the local unit, which has 67 members.

Fort Sam Houston Elementary School first-grade teacher Dr. Melanie Morgan receives the 2013-14 Trinity Prize for Excellence in Teaching from Michael Fischer, Trinity University vice president for academic affairs and dean of the faculty.

Photo courtesy of San Antonio ATPE

San Antonio

38 | atpe.org

Region 20 ATPE Director Tina Briones and San Antonio ATPE member Byron Hildebrand represent ATPE at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention in San Antonio.

atpe news

welcome back Palestine ATPE reactivated in May. President Olivia Henry and Secretary/Treasurer Ashley Palmer lead the local unit, which has 25 members.

Photo courtesy of Region 18

highlights

Region 18

photo courtesy of Region 20

Region 18 ATPE President Tina Hardarson, Director Bridget Loffler, Vice President Teresa Griffin and Stanton ATPE campus rep Bill Griffin talk to newly certified teachers at a Region 18 Education Service Center event July 25.

Region 20 At a Region 20 ATPE meeting, members from Northside (20) ATPE create floral arrangements for residents of Silvercreek Manor Nursing Home in honor of Mother’s Day.

fall 2014

Thank you to the following ATPE Ambassadors who serve as the voice of ATPE in their district. Julie Anderson, Rockwall ∙ Diana Barth, Zavalla ∙ Janie Blackwell, Rockwall ∙ Lisa Blair, Gateway College Prep School ∙ John Blakey-Colburn, Natalia ∙ Rodney Bunsen, South San Antonio ∙ Lauren Busceme, Sheldon ∙ Shannon Bush, Gary ∙ Eddie Castillo, Dallas County Schools ∙ Sherrie Chesser, Kennard ∙ Melissa Clanton, Levelland ∙ Erin Cox, Rockdale ∙ Inma Frontoba, International Leadership of Texas Charter School ∙ Jana Griffin, Scurry-Rosser ∙ Linda Hardin, Covington ∙ Tom Hartley, Hamlin ∙ Annie Horton, Jonesboro ∙ Erin Kelly, Lake Travis ∙ Tina Lacey, Clarendon ∙ Rachael Leveridge, North Zulch ∙ Elizabeth Lynn, Victoria ∙ Haily May, Lake Travis ∙ Rita Mitchell, HustonTillotson College ∙ Janet Montgomery, Bellville ∙ Chris Rayson, Royce City ∙ Rita Rosales-Alvarez, Edgewood (20) ∙ Aubrey Silvertooth, Texas City ∙ Sonja Stewart, Lancaster ∙ Christine Teaff, Cotton Center ∙ Sherry Thornton, Malakoff ∙ Erik Thormaehlen, Crockett County ∙ Sherri Vogler, Greenwood ∙ Rebeca Torres, Southside ∙ Joe West, Uvalde ∙ Barbara Winston, Pampa ∙ Jewelene Young, Dallas County Schools ∙ Floridalia Zuniga-Gray, Manor

atpe.org | 39

continued from page 12—Tech Support added organization.)

GOOGLE KEEP keep.google.com Available for: Android | Google Chrome | Web Bonus features: Users can create color-coded virtual sticky note checklists, reminders, notes, etc., that sync across all platforms. Price: Free.

TASK 1button.co/task Available for: iOS Bonus features: Task is great for users who want to create simple, clean to-do lists without too many bells and whistles. Price: $0.99 A

continued from page 13—Legal Opinions assistants because they are acting on behalf of an attorney in asking the questions. So, there is no difference between sharing the information with the legal assistant and sharing it with an attorney. Your information is equally confidential whether you’re speaking to a legal assistant in MLS or an attorney. A The legal information provided in ATPE News is for general purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for individual legal advice or the provision of legal services. Accessing this information does not create an attorneyclient relationship. Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers should consult directly with an attorney. ATPE members should call (800) 777-2873 or access the Member Legal Services Intake System at atpe.org/ protection.

continued from page 18—Political Pop Quiz might use the money to fund the expansion of pre-K to a full day, to purchase better instructional materials, to hire more teachers, or to invest in professional development. DAVIS: Yes, every Texas child deserves a great academic start. Early childhood is the best time to establish learning foundations. An early education helps to ensure that students from all backgrounds begin to cultivate the skills that will last the rest of their lives. Pre-K programs that receive state funding should be held accountable by established quality standards for all pre-K programs so that students are receiving the highest quality instruction. VAN DE PUTTE: Yes. I believe that pre-K programs that receive state funding should be held accountable by the quality of the instruction they provide (inputs: certified teacher, curriculum) and strict financial accountability for managing their resources. A

@OfficialATPE

EDUCATORS WHO DO THEIR HOMEWORK CHOOSE ATPE. Renew for 2014-15! •R enew by Sept. 30 to enjoy continuous access to ATPE’s benefits.* • I f you pay dues via payroll deduction and your membership rolls over from year to year, please confirm that dues are being deducted. The 2013-14 membership year ended July 31. •R enew online or through the application on page 41. * Terms and conditions apply. For more information, refer to the membership application on page 41, or visit atpe.org.

atpe.org/join

40 | atpe.org

atpe news

2014-15 ATPE Membership Application Questions You Might Have About ATPE Membership 3 Ways You Can Join The Association

What does the Liability and Employment Rights of Texas Professional Educators: Defense Insurance cover?

1 Mail this completed application to the ATPE state office.

When is my ATPE membership effective?

2 Give this completed application to a designated ATPE representative.

For paper applications, your membership date is established when your applica3 Join atpe.orgin(and pay office, by credit card). tion at is received the state or when your application is received, signed Insurance coverage applies to your activities as a Professional or Associate and dated by a designated ATPE representative. For online applications, your member in the course of your duties of employment with an educational instimembership date is established at 12:01 a.m. CST on the date following successtution, or to your activities as a Teacher Trainee member in the course of your (MM) Provide your contact information. ful transmission of your online application and payment at atpe.org. duties as a student in a teacher education program in an accredited college or Select your membership category. This information helps us maintain your unique member record, a tool that university. Coverage is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company allows us to provide member services more efficiently. Refer to the chart on the back of this application to of Pittsburgh, Pa. ALL COVERAGE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXPRESS TERMS OF Are ATPEfind membership tax-deductible? your appropriate dues category. Last 4 digits of your Soc. Sec. #: XXX-XX-__ __ __ __ Female Male THE MASTER INSURANCE POLICY ISSUED TO ATPE AND KEPT ON FILE AT THE * * Insured categories See back for details. ATPE membership dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for STATE OFFICE. View a detailed summary at atpe.org. The policy applies only to Yes, I have been an ATPE member in the past. income tax purposes but may be deductible as miscellaneous itemized deducProfessional $145.00 $ ______ activities that begin during the period when coverage is effective and does tions, subject to IRS restrictions. Approximately 95 percent of your dues dollar not apply to activities that predate(Optional—If the coverageyou period. Member ID# _______________ don’t know it, no problem.) First-time is considered deductible; 4.6 percent is used for lobbying activities and is Professional $80.00 $ ______ therefore not deductible.

Name_________________________ _______________________ _________ Lastis insurance coverage First When effective?

I have never been a Professional member.

Middle initial

What does ATPE-PAC do? $70.00 $ ______ Associate Insurance begins on the later of 8/1/14 or your Membership Date and Job title coverage _________________________________________________________ Paraprofessional and classified expires on 8/1/15 except for the following: COVERAGE IS EFFECTIVE ON 8/1/14 The ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) accepts voluntary donations positions ___________________________ Campus __________________________ IFISD YOU RENEW MEMBERSHIP ANYTIME DURING AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER 2014, from members to advocate for ATPE’s legislative priorities. ATPE-PAC does not FREE Teacher Trainee AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS DEFENSE INSURANCE IS NOT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 30 endorse political candidates. Donations to ATPE-PAC are not a condition of Student teacher in Texas Home address DAYS AFTER YOUR____________________________________________________ MEMBERSHIP DATE IF YOU JOIN AFTER 9/30/14 AND WERE employment or membership. A member may donate more or less than the ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP FROM AUGUST 2014 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2014. suggestedUninsured amount or may choose not to make a donation without it affecting categories City/State ____________________________________ ZIP _______________ Eligibility for membership benefits is contingent upon receipt of the entire his or her membership status, rights or benefits with ATPE. Donations are not Retired $10.00 $ ______ membership dues amount for your appropriate membership category. A deductible for federal income tax purposes. Home ( ____ ) _____________________ Cell ( ____ ) _____________________ Retired former disruption in payments to an authorized payment plan may result in disconschool employee tinuation of such ____________________________________________________ benefits, including cancellation of insurance coverage for the School email What does theStudent ATPE Foundation do? FREE College entire membership year, retroactive to Aug. 1 or your membership date. For Non-teaching college student The ATPE Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of public education Homeinformation, email _____________________________________________________ further call (800) 777-2873. $10.00 $ ______ Public Submit your email addresses to receive the latest news on member benefits. and the success of Texas schoolchildren and relies on donations to support Friend of public its literacy, technology, andeducation educator recruitment and retention programs. Yes, send information volunteering for dues? ATPE! How doesme ATPE spendabout my membership The foundation accepts donations from all friends of Texas public education; donations are not a condition of employment or membership. A member may Invest in public education. • $3.32 pays for a subscription to ATPE News (published four times per year) and choose to donate without it affecting his or her membership status, rights or includes all state and local sales taxes. $ Local unit dues benefits with ATPE. Donations deductible for federal income tax purposes. Support ATPE in yourare school district. • Up to $26 of Professional and Associate member dues and up to $6 of Teacher The ATPE Foundation is registered in Texas as a nonprofit corporation and is a public charity exempt from ATPE Political Action Committee Trainee member dues pays for the Educators Professional Liability Insurance federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. $ ______ Support Texas candidates and officeholders who Policy.* prioritize our profession and public education.

Suggested donation: $12.

ATPE Foundation

Support literacy, technology, and educator recruitment and retention programs that benefit Texas educators and students.

$ ______

ATPE Membership Categories

You must join in the appropriate in order to qualify for coverage. ATPE reserves the right to determine eligibility for 305 E. Huntlandinsured Dr. • Ste.category 300 Select a payment method. Austin, TX 78752-3792 the appropriate membership category. Commissioned peace officers are eligible for public membership only. (512) 467-0071 • (800) 777-2873 Check enclosed Professional and Associate membership is open to persons employed in Texas by a public school district, institution of higher education, atpe.org • atpe@atpe.org Payroll deduction Regional Education Service Center, State Board for Educator Certification or the Texas Education Agency. Complete the authorization below. Arrangements for

deduction are the responsibility of the applicant. If you have a question about the eligibility of job descriptions not listed below, call (800)payroll 777-2873.

Insured Categories

Uninsured$ Categories ______ TOTAL

PROFESSIONAL MEMBER ($145)/FIRST-TIME PROFESSIONAL MEMBER ($80) • Administrator/ Supervisor

• Department Head/ Chair

• Regional Service Center Staff

Payroll Deduction Authorization

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($70) • Aide to position in Professional category

COLLEGE STUDENT MEMBER (FREE) • Educational Aide/ Technician

• Non-teaching college student

Psychologist/ • Diagnostician • Maintenance Worker • Payroll Athletic Director/ Center Aide authorizations for 2014-15• School will not be accepted• Alternative after Jan. 31, 2015. Associate Coordinator • Instructional Officer • Nurse (LVN) • Bus Driver

RETIRED MEMBER ($10) • Retired former school employee

I, ______________________________________________ , authorize the _____________________ ISD to deduct the total amount of $ _______________ over • Social Worker • Intern Teacher • Regional Service • Cafeteria Worker PUBLIC MEMBER ($10) ______ payments in order to pay for ATPE state dues, local dues, and political action committee and foundation donations. I further authorize the Association to • Superintendent/Asst. Center Aide • IT Director/ • Clerk–General • Friend of public education notify the ISD of changes in the annual dues amounts and the ISD to deduct the new amounts. If my employment with the district ends, I authorize any unpaid Supt. Coordinator • Secretary • Audiologist • Computer balance to be deducted from my final check. This authorization for the deductions referenced above will be effective until I give notice to the ISD that I want to • Teacher • Librarian • Security Guard • Band/Choral Director Programmer/Entry revoke it. • Therapist/ (Unarmed) • Athletic Trainer

• At-Risk Coordinator

• Nurse (RN) Pathologist • Parent/Community • ____________________________________________________ Counselor • University Professor Coordinator Applicant’s signature • Curriculum Director • Visiting Teacher • Principal/Asst. Prin. • Dean of Instruction • Coach

• Custodial Worker

• Substitute Teacher • Deaf Interpreter __________________________________________________ _______________

Applicant’s Social Security number or employee ID number

Student teacher ________ I wish to cancel deduction of membership• dues for: in TexasTexas AFT

Initial Here

Date of signature

TEACHER TRAINEE MEMBER (FREE)

TCTA

TSTA

UEA

Other 2014-15 AP8

Questions You Might Have About ATPE Membership What does the Liability and Employment Rights Defense Insurance cover?

When is my ATPE membership effective?

Insurance coverage applies to your activities as a Professional or Associate member in the course of your duties of employment with an educational institution, or to your activities as a Teacher Trainee member in the course of your duties as a student in a teacher education program in an accredited college or university. Coverage is underwritten by National Union Fire Insurance Company of Pittsburgh, Pa. ALL COVERAGE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXPRESS TERMS OF THE MASTER INSURANCE POLICY ISSUED TO ATPE AND KEPT ON FILE AT THE STATE OFFICE. View a detailed summary at atpe.org. The policy applies only to activities that begin during the period when coverage is effective and does not apply to activities that predate the coverage period.

For paper applications, your membership date is established when your application is received in the state office, or when your application is received, signed and dated by a designated ATPE representative. For online applications, your membership date is established at 12:01 a.m. CST on the date following successful transmission of your online application and payment at atpe.org.

Are ATPE membership dues tax-deductible? ATPE membership dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes but may be deductible as miscellaneous itemized deductions, subject to IRS restrictions. Approximately 95 percent of your dues dollar is considered deductible; 4.6 percent is used for lobbying activities and is therefore not deductible.

When is insurance coverage effective? Insurance coverage begins on the later of 8/1/14 or your Membership Date and expires on 8/1/15 except for the following: COVERAGE IS EFFECTIVE ON 8/1/14 IF YOU RENEW MEMBERSHIP ANYTIME DURING AUGUST OR SEPTEMBER 2014, AND EMPLOYMENT RIGHTS DEFENSE INSURANCE IS NOT EFFECTIVE UNTIL 30 DAYS AFTER YOUR MEMBERSHIP DATE IF YOU JOIN AFTER 9/30/14 AND WERE ELIGIBLE FOR MEMBERSHIP FROM AUGUST 2014 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2014. Eligibility for membership benefits is contingent upon receipt of the entire membership dues amount for your appropriate membership category. A disruption in payments to an authorized payment plan may result in discontinuation of such benefits, including cancellation of insurance coverage for the entire membership year, retroactive to Aug. 1 or your membership date. For further information, call (800) 777-2873.

How does ATPE spend my membership dues? • $3.32 pays for a subscription to ATPE News (published four times per year) and includes all state and local sales taxes. • Up to $26 of Professional and Associate member dues and up to $6 of Teacher Trainee member dues pays for the Educators Professional Liability Insurance Policy.*

What does ATPE-PAC do? The ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) accepts voluntary donations from members to advocate for ATPE’s legislative priorities. ATPE-PAC does not endorse political candidates. Donations to ATPE-PAC are not a condition of employment or membership. A member may donate more or less than the suggested amount or may choose not to make a donation without it affecting his or her membership status, rights or benefits with ATPE. Donations are not deductible for federal income tax purposes.

What does the ATPE Foundation do? The ATPE Foundation is dedicated to the advancement of public education and the success of Texas schoolchildren and relies on donations to support its literacy, technology, and educator recruitment and retention programs. The foundation accepts donations from all friends of Texas public education; donations are not a condition of employment or membership. A member may choose to donate without it affecting his or her membership status, rights or benefits with ATPE. Donations are deductible for federal income tax purposes. The ATPE Foundation is registered in Texas as a nonprofit corporation and is a public charity exempt from federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

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

Insured Categories

Uninsured Categories

PROFESSIONAL MEMBER ($145)/FIRST-TIME PROFESSIONAL MEMBER ($80)

ASSOCIATE MEMBER ($70)

COLLEGE STUDENT MEMBER (FREE)

• Administrator/ Supervisor

• Department Head/ Chair

• Regional Service Center Staff

• Aide to position in Professional category

• Educational Aide/ Technician

• Athletic Director/ Coordinator

• Diagnostician

• School Psychologist/ Associate

• Alternative Center Aide

• Maintenance Worker

RETIRED MEMBER ($10)

• Instructional Officer

• Bus Driver

• Nurse (LVN)

• Retired former school employee

• Athletic Trainer

• Intern Teacher

• Social Worker

• Cafeteria Worker

• At-Risk Coordinator

• Superintendent/Asst. Supt.

• Clerk–General

• Regional Service Center Aide

• Audiologist

• IT Director/ Coordinator

• Band/Choral Director

• Librarian

• Teacher

• Computer Programmer/Entry

• Coach

• Nurse (RN)

• Custodial Worker

• Security Guard (Unarmed)

• Counselor

• Deaf Interpreter

• Substitute Teacher

• Curriculum Director

• Parent/Community Coordinator

• Therapist/ Pathologist

• Dean of Instruction

• Principal/Asst. Prin.

• University Professor • Visiting Teacher

• Secretary

TEACHER TRAINEE MEMBER (FREE) • Student teacher in Texas

• Non-teaching college student

PUBLIC MEMBER ($10) • Friend of public education

extra credit

Your ally and your voice around Texas MEET ATPE’S NEW REGIONAL REPS

We are proud to introduce ATPE’s seven new regional representatives, who will serve as a pivotal link between your local communities and the ATPE state office.

DIANE POKLUDA

CHANA APPLETON Regions: 14–19 Home base: Snyder Years in education: 9.5 Formerly: Elementary teacher and Region 14 ATPE president

Regions: 9 and 11 Home base: Crowley Years in education: 34 Formerly: Region 11 satellite field rep, elementary teacher, Region 11 director

14 19

BECKI GIROUARD Region: 10 Home base: Dallas Years in nonprofit sector: 17 Formerly: American Heart Association youth market director

12 18

13 20

5 4

3 2

HEATHER TULEY Regions: 13 and 20 Home base: Austin Years in education: 12 Formerly: Lake Travis ISD gifted and talented program coordinator, ATPE ambassador

MARY JO BURGESS Regions: 5–8 and 12 Home base: Tyler Years in nonprofit sector: 30 Formerly: Texas PTA director of member services

ROGER GUTIERREZ

CYNTHIA VILLALOVOS Regions: 3 and 4 Home base: Spring Years in education: 18 Formerly: Academy principal, Houston ATPE president, Region 4 ATPE secretary

Regions: 1 and 2 Home base: Weslaco Years in education: 18 Formerly: Elementary teacher, Region 1 ATPE director

fall 2014

atpe.org | 43

Association of Texas Professional Educators

305 E. Huntland Dr, Suite 300 Austin, TX 78752-3792

In Any Subject,

ATPE is the Right Answer History: Make Legal Worries a Thing of the Past No other Texas educatorsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; association can match the protection offered by ATPE.*

We Have Advocacy Down to a Science Your voice in Austin and Washington, D.C.

Do the Math Best Support + Best Value = ATPE

Earn Extra Credit Save $1,300+ a year with services and discounts.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to renew for 2014-15!

atpe.org/join

*Terms and conditions apply. For more information, refer to the membership application on page 41, or visit atpe.org.