18 minute read
In Memoriam
ATPE is saddened to share news of the passing of Past State President Bill Crockett on Oct. 23, 2022. Crockett was the founding board chairman of the Texas Professional Educators (TPE), which merged with the Association of Texas Educators (ATE) in 1980 to form ATPE. TPE and ATE were both formed by Texas educators seeking an independent, nonunion professional association following the 1976 unification of the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) with the National Education Association (NEA), a labor union.
Born June 22, 1939, in Gregg County, Texas, Crockett’s initial plans to pursue a law degree went by the wayside when he became, as he wrote in an unpublished memoir, “hooked on teaching!” after his history teacher asked him to plan and teach a lesson in his place while he attended a meeting. While pursuing his teaching degree, Crockett was elected president of the University of Houston Student Education Association, the largest such student association in both Texas and the United States. As president of UH-SEA, Crockett was disheartened by the National Education Association’s move toward unionism and began a lifetime of activism in the national right-towork movement, particularly among public educators. Following the controversial vote unifying TSTA with NEA, Crockett and his wife Ann joined with likeminded educators in the Houston area to form TPE. At the same time, educators in the Dallas area were forming ATE.
An educator in both Houston and Katy ISDs, Crockett was appointed by Gov. Dolph Briscoe to the Teachers’ Professional Practices Commission of Texas, which adopted the Educators’ Code of Ethics. Crockett advised numerous nonunion educator associations across the U.S.
Three years ago, the Crocketts relocated from Houston to Terlingua, where their daughter, Rachel, teaches and is an ATPE member. The association and its predecessor TPE have always been a part of her life. “It was something he and my mom started at our kitchen table,” she recalls.
In his writings, Crockett shared: “My motto has been, ‘You only live once, so do all of the good that you can.’”
ATPE extends its sympathies to the Crockett family and friends.
ATPE Member Discount for SXSW EDU
ATPE and SXSW EDU are once again partnering to provide ATPE members with a discounted rate of up to 50% off the walk-up rate for SXSW EDU 2023 and SXSW badges.
SXSW EDU 2023 will take place March 6–9 and features four days of compelling sessions, indepth workshops, engaging learning experiences, mentorship, film screenings, startup events, policy discussions, competitions, exhibition, networking, and so much more.
As an added benefit, many of these sessions qualify for CPE credit, redeemable through the ATPE Professional Learning Portal!
We’re excited to help as many ATPE members attend SXSW EDU as possible, and we encourage you to take advantage of this benefit. There is no minimum, maximum, or immediate purchase necessary, but you must be an active ATPE member.
To receive your discounted rate, complete the request form at atpe.org/SXSW (login required). Instructions for redeeming this exclusive ATPE member benefit will be listed in the description.
To take advantage of this offer, eligible ATPE members should complete the form no later than Feb. 24, 2023.
For questions about logging in to your member account on the ATPE website, contact members@ atpe.org or call (800) 777-2873.
2023-24 Leadership ATPE Applications Will Open in Early 2023
Leadership ATPE is a dynamic one-year program that offers valuable professional development, leadership training, and networking opportunities for professionals who are (relatively) new to the education field and our association.
This year-long educational program focuses on the skills that emerging leaders need to best serve their schools and communities, pursue leadership roles within ATPE, and advance their careers—including public speaking and presentation skills, strategic thinking practices, building connections, enhancing interpersonal communication, advocacy, and more.
Participants will attend two expense-paid weekend learning retreats in Austin, network with their colleagues throughout the year, and be recognized during the ATPE Summit.
Learn more about the program and how to apply! atpe.org/Leadership-ATPE
Age 30 or Younger? Don’t Miss Out on Gen ATPE
One of ATPE’s newest programs, Gen ATPE, offers special programming and networking opportunities specifically for educators ages 30 or younger. No additional application or fee is required, but to receive notification of Gen ATPE events, your member profile must include your birthdate indicating that you are currently age 30 or younger. To add your birthdate, log in to your Member Account at atpe.org, then navigate to “My Profile.” Add your birthday under “Profile Information,” and click Save!
United States Postal Service Statement of Ownership, Management and Circulation
1. Publication Title: ATPE News 2. Publication Number: 578-050 3. Filing Date: Sept. 20, 2022 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly (Fall, Winter, Spring, Summer) 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 4 6. Annual Subscription Price: $10.00 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 Contact Person: Katherine Johanns Telephone: (512) 467-0071 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office or Publisher: 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor and Managing Editor: Publisher: Shannon Holmes, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 Editor: Katherine Johanns, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 Managing Editor: David George, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 10. Owner: Association of Texas Professional Educators, 305 E. Huntland Drive, Suite 300, Austin (Travis), Texas 78752-3792 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages or Other Securities: None 12. Tax Status: The purpose, function and nonprofit status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax purposes Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: ATPE News 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: Fall 2022 (Aug. 19, 2022) 15. Extent and Nature of Circulation Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months a. Total Number of Copies: 67,621 b.Paid Circulation (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 64,181 (2) Mailed In-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the
Mails Including Sales Through
Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors, Counter Sales and Other
Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 0 (4) Paid Distribution by Other
Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 0 c. Total Paid Distribution: 64,181 d.Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-
County Copies included on PS Form 3541: 1,439 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County
Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies
Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 1,668 (4) Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution Outside the Mail: 23 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution: 3,130
f. Total Distribution: 67,311 g. Copies not Distributed: 310 h. Total: 67,621 i. Percent Paid: 76.76% No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date a. Total Number of Copies: 4,110 b. Paid Circulation (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 670 (2) Mailed In-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on PS Form 3541: 0 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the
Mails Including Sales Through
Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors, Counter Sales and Other
Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 0 (4) Paid Distribution by Other
Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 0 c. Total Paid Distribution: 670 d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-
County Copies included on PS Form 3541: 1,440 (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County
Copies Included on PS Form 3541: 0 (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies
Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: 1,674 (4) Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution Outside the Mail: 5 e. Total Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution: 3,119 f. Total Distribution: 3,789 g. Copies not Distributed: 321 h. Total: 4,110 i. Percent Paid: 17.68% 16. Electronic Copy Circulation Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months a. Paid Electronic Copies: 15,798 b. Total Paid Print Copies + Paid
Electronic Copies: 79,979 c. Total Print Distribution + Paid
Electronic Copies: 83,109 d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic
Copies): 96.18%
No. Copies of Single Issue Published
Nearest to Filing Date a. Paid Electronic Copies: 63,192 b. Total Paid Print Copies + Paid
Electronic Copies: 63,862 c. Total Print Distribution + Paid
Electronic Copies: 66,981 d. Percent Paid (Both Print & Electronic
Copies): 95.34%
I certify that 50% of all my distributed copies (electronic and print) are paid above a nominal price. 17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Required. Will be printed in the Winter 2022 (Nov. 25, 2022) issue of this publication. 18. Signature and Date: Katherine Johanns, Marketing and Communications Director, Sept. 20, 2022 I certify that all information furnished in this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits materials or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties).
continued from page 10—Your Ally Another issue often reported this year involves class size. Oversized classes of any grade level put additional strain on the learning environment and on teachers. Texas law sets specific class-size limits—a maximum of 22 students to one teacher—for pre-K through fourth grade classrooms only, yet even in these grades, there are legal exceptions that ATPE attorneys can assist in identifying or ruling out.
Lastly, we hear some educators ask: “What are the options for leaving?” When medical reasons prompt the question, we can provide information about available types of leave and assist members in the process of getting approved for it. For educators with contracts—teachers, counselors, librarians, administrators, and other certified professionals—who are considering a resignation, Texas law sets a deadline for resigning unilaterally at 45 days before the start of the school year. After that deadline passes, educators must seek district approval to resign or be faced with a report to the State Board for Educator Certification that can result in sanctions—typically, a suspended certification. ATPE attorneys are here to help members understand the considerations involved in resigning midyear when circumstances necessitate it.
For educators fighting to stay in their profession through the unique challenges of the present year, the ATPE Member Legal Services team is passionate about providing the support of the law whenever we can.
The legal information provided here is accurate as of the date of publication. It is provided here for informative purposes only. Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers needing individual legal advice should consult directly with an attorney. Please note: Rights based on the Texas Education Code may not apply to all. Many Texas Education Code provisions do not apply to public charter schools, and public school districts may have opted out of individual provisions through a District of Innovation plan. Eligible ATPE members may contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department.
continued from page 19—Fentanyl “Without this lifesaving treatment, we would have had four more deaths because they would not have made it to the hospital,” Savoy says.
GETTING OUT THE MESSAGE
Anti-drug campaigns that have helped inform families and protect children for decades now face an increasingly difficult set of challenges. Today, kids are bombarded with ads and clickbait videos all fighting for their attention in an already-crowded information space. In addition, this new wave of synthetic opioid products is potentially more deadly and accessible than ever for your average youth.
“I’m going to be speaking at our high school with the DEA agent who worked on Blain’s case for Red Ribbon Week,” Padgett says. “I also plan on talking to the elementary kids. I don’t think they’re too young. I don’t have to talk about death necessarily, but they need to hear: ‘Don’t ever take a pill. If somebody says here, try this candy, don’t take it.’”
Drug poisoning and death can be difficult subjects to broach with young children, but when their lives are at risk, information is the key to their safety.
“I want parents and kids to realize that you don’t have to be addicted to drugs or be a regular drug user to die from a poisoning,” Padgett says. “You can be a normal, healthy kid and make a mistake. Blain made that mistake, and it killed him. It’s not the sort of mistake that you can learn from. It’s two milligrams, and you don’t get a second chance to make the right choice.”
Inman and Hernandez are busy working on an overdose awareness event for Travis County in August 2023, and they are urging their local representatives to officially make Aug. 31 Overdose Awareness Day. After her daughter’s death, Inman feels as though she has a social responsibility to tell everyone with kids to talk to them about the dangers of pills and never assume they will make the right decision on their own.
“There’s a huge stigma that we need to overcome,” Inman says. “And it is a big problem because when you tell somebody that they need to warn their kids about drugs, they say, ‘I will never have to worry about that because I’m a good parent.’ Well, you know what? I wasn’t a great parent, but I wasn’t a horrible parent either. And my daughter overdosed.”
Getting the message through to children has always been a tall order for parents and educators, and they can use all the help that they can get.
DO YOU ENJOY PODCASTS DURING YOUR COMMUTE?
Check out the latest episodes of both The President’s Podcast and The ATPE Podcast on your favorite podcast apps to stay up to date on public education news and issues that are important to you.
For the latest on association happenings from ATPE State President Stacey Ward, log in to our member-only podcast at atpe.org/the-presidents-podcast.
If you prefer watching a video, The ATPE Podcast is publicly available to all educators and can also be found on our YouTube channel at youtube.com/officialatpe.
Meet ATPE’s
REGIONAL MEMBERSHIP SPECIALISTS
ATPE’s eight dedicated regional membership specialists support ATPE’s members and volunteers in their local communities across the state. Not sure what region you’re in? Visit atpe.org/find-atpe to find out.
ROGER GUTIERREZ
Regions 1 & 2 rgutierrez@atpe.org
DIANE POKLUDA
Regions 9 & 11 dpokluda@atpe.org
CYNTHIA VILLALOVOS
Regions 3 & 4 cvillalovos@atpe.org
MARY JANE WAITS
Regions 12, 14, & 15 mjwaits@atpe.org
GINGER FRANKS
Regions 5–7 gfranks@atpe.org
JEFF VEGA
Regions 16–19 jvega@atpe.org
JOSEPH CRUZ
Regions 8 & 10 jcruz@atpe.org
YVETTE MILNER
Regions 13 & 20 ymilner@atpe.org
A Shiny Quarter for Your Peace of Mind
Have You Considered the Value of Your ATPE Membership?
We’re all feeling the squeeze on our paychecks, but the benefits of ATPE membership are too important to go without. And when you break down the cost of your 2022-23 membership, these benefits are available to you for between 25 cents to 62 cents a day, depending on your membership category.*
Calculate the per-day cost of your ATPE membership at atpe.org/calculator … and remember, your peace of mind is invaluable.
*Per-day costs cited here do not include optional local unit dues, where available, or optional contributions to the ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC). Eligibility, terms, conditions, and limitations apply. Visit atpe.org/protection to view important disclosures and current program details. Staff attorney services are provided separate from the Educators Professional Liability Insurance Program.
2022–23
ATPE Membership Application
Installment payments & auto-renew available for credit card/bank draft at atpe.org
STEP 1 Personal Information
Name (first, middle, last)
ATPE member ID (optional) ISD
Cell phone (required) Personal email (required) Campus email (optional) Mailing address State ZIP
Birthdate (MM/DD/YY)
Last 4 digits of SSN Male Female Other
Campus Home phone (optional)
Employee ID number City
Recruited by
Print: First Name Last Name
STEP 2 Membership Category (select one) & Invest in Education
Student Teacher, College Student, and Public members may join online at atpe.org.
Professional, Associate, and Administrator memberships will not be accepted after Jan. 31, 2023.
See atpe.org/member-categories for category descriptions.
Associate (para-educator, aide, support staff, etc.) .......... $90 Administrator (principal, superintendent, etc.) ........... $225 Retired ........................................$10
OPTIONAL: Invest in Education
ATPE Local Unit Dues .....................
Support ATPE in your local school district. ATPE-PAC Suggested Donation ............
Make a voluntary donation to our political action committee. $ 12
Yes, contact me about becoming a volunteer!
TOTAL
$
STEP 3 Payroll Deduction Authorization
DESIGNATED ATPE REPS
Received Date
Print Name
Signature
ATPE membership year begins 8/1/22 & ends 7/31/23. Some benefits’ effective dates may not match effective membership dates. Visit atpe.org for disclosure details/limitations. I understand that ATPE may contact me via information provided on this application, including email and text, to communicate about my benefits/account. ATPE dues are not deductible as charitable contributions for income tax purposes but may be deductible as misc. itemized deductions, subject to IRS restrictions. Approx. 95% of your dues dollar is considered deductible; 4.8% is used for lobbying activities and is therefore not deductible.
I authorize ISD to deduct membership dues and donations. I further authorize ATPE to notify the ISD of changes in the amount of my annual dues and the ISD to deduct the new amounts. If my employment with the ISD ends, I authorize any unpaid balance to be deducted from my final check. This authorization for deductions is effective until I give notice to the ISD that I want to revoke it.
Total Amount Total # of Deductions $
I get paid Monthly Bi-weekly
I wish to cancel deduction of membership dues for:
TX AFT TCTA TSTA UEA Other Date
Printed Name
Signature
Last 4 digits of SSN Employee ID
*ISD payroll offices may stop accepting payroll authorizations before Jan. 31, 2023.
The thousands of ATPE volunteers across Texas are the backbone of this association. Their hard work and dedication allow ATPE to serve the state’s largest community of educators. In this ongoing ATPE News series, we spotlight volunteers who set a great example of service to their fellow educators. NEXT UP: CLARICE CROSS, a science teacher at Schimelpfenig Middle School in Plano ISD, Region 10 ATPE vice president, and ATPE’s 2021-22 Campus Rep of the Year for local units with 1,001-plus members.
BENEFITS OF VOLUNTEERING
Like many ATPE members, Cross first joined ATPE as a new educator at the urging of a mentor. But it was not until after she had to contact ATPE for legal assistance that she began to investigate the other benefits of membership.
“ATPE helped me through the issue I was having with the administration, and then I begin to wonder, what other benefits come with my dues?” Cross recalls. “So I began to get more involved with my local unit, going to the meetings and social events.”
Cross credits her involvement with ATPE for bolstering her leadership skills. She was selected for the Leadership ATPE program and has since become a campus rep and vice president of Region 10 ATPE. Her volunteerism has also helped her develop relationships with her colleagues, even the ones who are not members of ATPE.
“When I came to Schimelpfenig, it was the COVID year,” Cross says. “So everyone was in their classrooms. No one was talking to each other. I felt so isolated. But I was a campus rep, so I was like, ‘I want people to know about ATPE.’ That really motivated me to begin talking to my co-workers and get to know them.”
KEYS TO RECRUITING SUCCESS
When Cross is recruiting, she tries to emphasize the many benefits beyond professional liability insurance coverage* that make being an ATPE member so rewarding for her.
“This year I asked our principal for a little bit of time at one of the beginning-of-theyear meetings and put together a Google slide,” Cross says. “It had information about the insurance but also answers to the question, ‘Why should I join ATPE?’ I got a lot of positive feedback from that slide because people said they didn’t know about those discounts or the service projects. I also showed pictures from the ATPE Summit and different social events that we’ve had here. I showed how ATPE has expanded my network, and we actually had new members join. There were even some who joined who were part of another association.”
Cross doesn’t limit her recruiting to official presentations. From posting about ATPE discounts and events on display boards in faculty lounge areas, to sharing candy and ATPE information in her colleagues’ mailboxes, Cross is always looking for an opportunity to share the benefits of ATPE membership. She believes in trying different avenues to recruit new members.
“I just try to find different creative ways to bring people in, whether it’s through prizes or just verbally talking to them,” Cross says. “Just like students have different learning styles, everyone has different things that pull them in.”
