INSIGHT
TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL
Plus - Get to know TASA’s member service representatives pg. 24
SPRING 2021
2021 community censorship legislation looks to silence school leaders’ voices
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SPRING 2021
INSIGHT
Volume 36 No. 1
FEATURE ARTICLES & COLUMNS
2021 community censorship legislation looks to 10 silence school leaders’ voices HIGHER EDUCATION
What principal preparation programs and school districts can do as partners to develop, mentor and retain school leaders
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Cynthia Martinez-Garcia TSPRA VOICE
Effectively integrating communications and marketing in school districts
21
Stephanie De Los Santos GET TO KNOW TASA’s MEMBER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES
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OFFICERS
Brian T. Woods, President, Northside ISD Doug Williams, President-Elect, Sunnyvale ISD
DEPARTMENTS
Charles Dupre, Vice President, Fort Bend ISD Greg Smith, Past President
TASA Professional Learning Calendar
5
President’s Message
7
Gonzalo Salazar, Region 1, Los Fresnos CISD
Executive Director’s View
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Max A. Thompson, Region 2, Banquete ISD
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Jo Ann Bludau, Region 3, Hallettsville ISD Martha Salazar-Zamora, Region 4, Tomball ISD Todd E. Lintzen, Region 5, Bridge City ISD Christie Whitbeck, Region 6, Bryan ISD Stan Surratt, Region 7, Lindale ISD Judd Marshall, Region 8, Mount Pleasant ISD Michael Kuhrt, Region 9, Wichita Falls ISD Kevin Worthy, Region 10, Royse City ISD
INSIGHT EDITORIAL STAFF
Executive Director
David Belding, Region 11, Aubrey ISD Kevin Brown
Assistant Executive Director, Services and Systems Administration
Ann M. Halstead
Amy Francisco
Director, Communications and Media Relations
Editorial Director
Jodi Duron, Region 13, Elgin ISD David Young, Region 14, Abilene ISD Joe Young, Region 15, Brownwood ISD Donna Hale, Region 16, Miami ISD
Design/Production Marco A. De La Cueva
George Kazanas, Region 12, Midway ISD
Dacia Rivers
INSIGHT is published quarterly by the Texas Association of School Administrators, 406 East 11th Street, Austin, Texas, 78701-2617. Subscription is included in TASA membership dues. © 2021 by TASA. All rights reserved.TASA members may reprint articles in limited quantities for in-house educational use. Articles in INSIGHT are expressions of the author or interviewee and do not necessarily represent the views or policies of TASA. Advertisements do not necessarily carry the endorsement of the Texas Association of School Administrators.
Keith Bryant, Region 17, Lubbock-Cooper ISD Ariel Elliott, Region 18, Greenwood ISD Jeannie Meza-Chavez, Region 19, San Elizario ISD Michelle Carroll Smith, Region 20, Lytle ISD
AT-LARGE MEMBERS
Gary Bates, Fort Sam Houston ISD Priscilla Canales, Weslaco ISD LaTonya Goffney, Aldine ISD Walter Jackson, La Porte ISD
LEGISLATIVE CHAIR
Jodi Duron, Elgin ISD
EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Charles Dupre, Fort Bend ISD, Chair Carl Dethloff, San Angelo ISD Jodi Duron, Elgin ISD Stacey Edmonson, Sam Houston State University Michael Kuhrt, Wichita Falls ISD Jeremy Thompson, Era ISD
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TASA Professional Learning Calendar For details on our professional development events, please refer to the TASA Daily e-newsletter, or call the TASA office at 512.477.6361 or 800.725.TASA (8272)
Date
Event
Presenter
Location
May 4
Texas Executive Leadership Group II Meeting
Virtual
3-4
N2 Learning Executive Leadership Institute, Session 4 of 4
Hilton Houston Post Oak
7
N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy, Session 6 of 6
Virtual
8-9
N2 Learning Principals’ Institute Session 6 of 6
Hilton Houston Post Oak
9-11
TAS/MUS Spring Conference
Hyatt Place Stockyards Ft. Worth
15
Texas Executive Leadership Group I Meeting
Virtual
21-23
TASA txedFest
Hyatt Austin Austin, TX Virtual
22
Texas Executive Leadership Group II Meeting
Virtual
First-Time Superintendents Academy Session 1
Austin Marriott North Round Rock, TX
8
2021-22 N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy (Houston Cohort) Session 1 of 6
Berry Center Cypress, TX
8-9
First-Time Superintendents Academy Session 2
Austin Marriott North Round Rock, TX
14
2021-22 N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy (Dallas Cohort) Session 1 of 6
McKinney ISD Community Event Center McKinney TX
14
2021-22 N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy (Austin/San Antonio Cohort) Session 1 of 6
Northside ISD San Antonio, TX
14
Texas Executive Leadership Group I Meeting
Virtual
15
2021-22 N2 Learning Assistant Principal Leadership Academy (Virtual Cohort)
Virtual
16
Corpus Christi ISD Corpus Christi, TX
21
Texas Executive Leadership Group II Meeting
Virtual
21
Weslaco ISD Weslaco, TX
22-23
2021-22 N2 Learning Principals’ Institute Session 1 of 6
Hilton Garden Inn Austin, TX
22-23
2021-22 N2 Learning Executive Leadership Institute, Session 1 of 4
Hilton Garden Inn Austin, TX
24-26
TASA/TASB Convention: txEDCON2021
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center Dallas, TX
June
August 4-5
September
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PREMIER K-12 SCHOOL BUILDER www.BTCbuilds.com
STAYING INVOLVED IS A MUST
A
s I write this we are nearly two-thirds through the 87th legislative session, and the pace is fast and furious. Thanks to all of you who have done your part to contact legislators and express your thoughts on how legislation under consideration would impact your district. It is vital, especially when some offices in the Capitol are not accepting in-person meetings, that we stay in touch with the members of our delegation and explain how various bills would impact our teachers and students.
Brian T. Woods
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE It takes all of us to make the best policy for public schools in our state.
I also want to thank the entire TASA Governmental Relations team. Our full-time folks, Amy Beneski and Casey McCreary, Legislative Chair Jodi Duron, as well as several talented, hardworking consultants, make a huge difference in what happens during session. Speaking of that GR team, there is a really well done article in this edition of INSIGHT that looks at the plans to end so-called “taxpayer funded lobbying.” These bills would attempt to silence cities, counties and our school districts from spending any public dollars to inform lawmakers and their staffs about the impact of legislation on our schools and the children we serve. Under the guise of fiscal conservatism, this is really an attempt to silence our communities, as some in leadership are tired of hearing us disagree with them. In fact, TASA spends 3.16% of member dues on lobbying. For a $250 membership, that is $7.90. For a $1,000 membership, that is $31.60. Compare that to several trips to Austin each session. Further, groups that work against the interest of public schools often have full-time representatives in the Capitol. In addition, the bills under consideration would not apply to charter schools that are funded 100% with state dollars. The motive is obvious: Silence those you don’t want to hear from. As the interview with two thoughtful superintendents points out, for most Texas districts, the loss of TASA in this advocacy space would actually increase their costs, as they would be the ones having to travel to Austin to testify and explain to staffers why a particular bill might have negative consequences for their districts. Imagine having to track all of the bills that might impact your district (TASA is tracking approximately 1,000 now) and travel from Miami ISD or San Elizario ISD or Brownsville ISD to testify. Ridiculous. Please look at the talking points that the TASA GR staff have created for this topic and talk to your legislators about this critically important issue. The talking points can be found at: tasanet.org/advocacy/ toolkits-and-resources. Obviously, there are many issues that we are working through this session. Please continue to look for Capitol Watch updates and Action Alerts over the next several weeks. It takes all of us to make the best policy for public schools in our state. Thank you for everything you do and be well!
Brian T. Woods TASA President Superintendent, Northside ISD
SPRING 2021
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MAY WISDOM AND LOGIC PREVAIL
T
he past 14 months have probably been the most challenging of all of our careers, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel. As more and more people get vaccinated, the economy opens up, and federal funds begin to help restore and recover our students and schools, I feel optimistic about the future. Many challenges still exist, but hopefully we are rounding a corner.
Kevin Brown
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S VIEW I feel optimistic about the future. Many challenges still exist, but hopefully we are rounding a corner.
In this issue of INSIGHT, we go into depth about two bills that are neither hopeful nor helpful. They have the potential to cause long-term damage to public schools. These bills would ban organizations such as TASA, TASB and many others from advocating on your behalf. We call them “community censorship bills,” because that’s exactly what they try to do. In this issue, many TASA leaders share quality insights about what these bills could do to schools if passed. In addition to their wisdom, here are a few more questions to ponder: 1. Why do these bills allow charter schools to lobby but not community-based public schools? In these two bills, charter schools would still be able to lobby, but not organizations that support our community-based public schools, even though charters are fully funded by state taxpayer dollars. 2. Is it a coincidence that the only organizations being banned from lobbying are those that can’t make campaign donations? Uh, no, that’s not likely a coincidence. Organizations like TASA can’t make campaign contributions. There are, however, a lot of dollars flowing into campaign coffers from individuals and companies, many from out of state. Those donors may want more unfunded state mandates, more charter schools, or more testing/accountability. They don’t want pesky educators getting in the way. 3. Why do these bills allow “for-profit” organizations to lobby against schools while prohibiting nonprofit organizations from advocating for their schools? Essentially, these bills are making the case that a tax dollar received by a for-profit company is OK to use for lobbying, while a tax dollar received by a nonprofit like TASA is not. In both cases, the tax dollar is paid for a service or product provided. Why would these tax dollars be treated differently? See #2. These bills are a cynical attempt to censor local communities and school districts. Currently, the Senate version carves out public schools, but we believe this is bad public policy that could ultimately include schools. It’s my hope that wisdom and logic prevail, and that our legislators prevent such bad public policy from passage. I encourage each of you to make sure your local leaders know where you stand on this important issue. As always, I am immensely proud of you and what you have accomplished in the most difficult of times. Keep your heads up and finish out the year strong. You’ll be rounding that corner soon.
Kevin Brown TASA Executive Director
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2021 community censorship legislation looks to silence school leaders’ voices Texas’ 268,000 square miles of land is home to more than 1,000 school districts. Most districts are in the Central Time Zone, but some aren’t. Some districts are tiny, serving only a few dozen students. Some are huge, welcoming hundreds of thousands of students to their campuses each day. Some are rural, some are urban. Many are somewhere in between. 10
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Despite their differences, all of these districts are part of the Texas public education system, and all are affected by laws passed by the state Legislature. In 2019, the Texas Senate passed a bill that would have banned all of these districts’ ability to be represented at the Capitol – to have their voices shared, to be able to provide their input on legislation that would affect them the most. Two years later, community censorship legislation is back, and school districts, along with others, are once again faced with the possibility of being silenced. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of community censorship, you’re not alone. Described as an end to “taxpayer-funded lobbying” by those in favor, the stated intent of the legislation is cost savings, but many school administrators see it in a different light — an attempted gag order on public school districts and other “political subdivisions.” [Community censorship legislation singles out political subdivisions, which along with school districts includes county governments, junior colleges and other municipalities, but does not apply to charter schools, despite the fact that they also receive taxpayer funds.] If one of these bills becomes law, it would put an end to TASA’s Governmental Relations efforts. TASA would not be able to send Governmental Relations staff members to the Capitol to share school district input with legislators. School administrators would have to keep up with the hundreds of school-related bills on their own, and then make the trek to Austin whenever they need to testify for or against a bill. For most administrators, committing the time and financial requirements necessary to stay active in advocacy without help from their professional association staff is unthinkable. INSIGHT spoke with school district superintendents and TASA Governmental Relations staff to better understand the legislation, and what its passage might look like for the future of Texas’ public schools.
INSIGHT: What are your thoughts on community censorship legislation that would take away school districts’ access to lobbyists? Donna Hale, Miami ISD superintendent: It takes away our voice. We all wear a lot of hats, and the amount of time that it would take me to research all the bills that are introduced that would affect education … I couldn’t do my job, my day-to-day responsibilities. At the end of the day, it’s going to cost my district more money, just like every other district. And that’s especially true of a small school district. It only costs 100th of a penny per $100 for what we’re paying in lobbying fees. We’ve spent $442 on lobbying for this school year. For me to take one trip to Austin is right at $1,000. It just doesn’t make financial sense. It’s not fiscally responsible. Kyle Lynch, Seminole ISD superintendent: Thinking about our country and what it was built on, I think the idea that we’re going to limit anyone’s voice in a democratic system — I just don’t think that’s consistent with what our country was built on. And when I think about it from a school district standpoint, a school district that’s exactly 380 miles from the Texas Capitol, the idea is probably even more impactful on small rural schools that don’t have a legislative staff within their budget. In some ways it disproportionately impacts us.
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Amy Beneski, deputy executive director, TASA Governmental Relations: It’s not cost effective, especially for some of the districts that are small, rural or distant from Austin. If you’re a superintendent in the El Paso region, it’s a two-day trip. If you’re not geographically close to Austin or maybe you’re with a smaller district and you’d like to be in Austin, but you’ve got to drive a bus that afternoon, you are going to be excluded from the legislative process.
might have to hire someone to help me do my job. We wouldn’t have a voice as much because if there’s going to be a bill that’s going to possibly get passed I might miss it. In the end it could harm the district because I wasn’t able to thoroughly do my homework. I only see it being a negative impact for all school districts. Whether you’re a small, rural district or metropolitan, we all feel very passionate that this is bad legislation.
That’s why people hire groups or have a TASA membership, to cover these things so that they can do their job, which they were paid to do. There’s a lot of intricacies in how the legislative process works. There’s a reason that people pay professionals to lobby. We know the system, we know the people, and we’re professionals. It’s all we do.
Beneski: It would essentially get rid of TASA Governmental Relations. It would impede TASA’s ability to advocate on behalf of its membership at the Legislature. It would basically close the Capitol doors to us.
Casey McCreary, associate executive director, TASA Education Policy: There is a regulatory aspect of our work for TASA membership in addition to the legislative aspect. We monitor in-person State Board of Education (SBOE) meetings, State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) meetings and Texas Education Agency (TEA) hearings, some of which have daylong or weeklong agendas. If a community censorship bill were to pass, TASA members would have to be physically present in Austin to monitor the rulemaking discussions and to provide any needed public testimony about the consequences of proposed rules made by any of these entities. INSIGHT: If a community censorship bill were to pass, what would it mean for you and the work you do? Lynch: It would limit our voice in Austin. I think that’s what is frustrating, that there’s this motivation to censor schools and community governments and give them less voice, while the only ones that would potentially be left are big business and potentially anti-public education groups. With those being the ones that have the voice exclusively, that is just unacceptable. We’re a small district with a small administrative staff, and so I wouldn’t have the opportunity to go to Austin every time that I needed to. Consequently, my school district won’t be represented. We won’t have the voice that we should. Hale: For Miami, it would mean more money [spent]. The taxpayers would have to pay, because of me having to go to Austin, if possible, more often. I
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McCreary: In addition to not being able to advocate on behalf of TASA membership at the Texas Legislature, we would not be able to represent our members at meetings or discussions with members of the SBEC, SBOE and TEA on the rulemaking process that is used to implement statute. INSIGHT: How important is it for you to be able to depend on lobbyists to testify and advocate at the Capitol or at meetings of other elected bodies or governmental entities on your behalf? Hale: It’s crucial to have lobbyists helping school districts because I don’t have the experience and the background or the knowledge, and they’re able to lay it out and tell us what this bill means to the district or call us and say, “Hey, are you aware that this is going on?” And maybe the issue wasn’t on my radar or maybe I didn’t fully understand the impact that it could have. Thankfully the lobbyists are able to fill those gaps for us. Lynch: It’s critical because it allows me to get a quick synopsis of the bills that impact us. There are so many bills passed, to keep up is a full-time position. I think allowing school districts with common needs to work together for common good is the thing that these organizations [like TASA] provide us the most. To allow us to organize together helps us work for the common good of students in rural school districts. To have those opportunities taken away, it’s going to hurt our students. Our state is so diverse. Our school district is over 1,100 square miles, so we have very different needs than other school districts, and there could be a disproportionate representation that big schools might get. They might be able to hire a full-time legislative person, but Seminole and Seagraves and Denver City, we’re not going to be able to. continued on page 14
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continued from page 12
Beneski: A lot of legislators will call us and say, “My constituents brought me this and I have no idea what this would do when I got home, if this bill passed. Can you walk me through and show me what’s good about this bill, what’s bad about this bill?” And we do that. I have heard from legislators who don’t want to hear from us. We’re not welcome in their offices, but they don’t bar other people from talking to us. If you don’t want to hear from a lobbyist, you don’t have to, but why are you telling others who they can or can’t get information from? McCreary: At TASA we have pride in the relationships we build, not only with legislators and their staff, but also with members of the SBOE, SBEC and TEA leadership. Those relationships are often years in the making and create a win-win situation. Law and rule makers rely on TASA through our lobbying efforts, to make sure they are abreast of what is happening in the field and how a particular law or rule could affect school communities. We can provide valuable input that will improve their bills and rules and that in turn helps their relationships with their own constituents. INSIGHT: If you could come to the Capitol to testify on one of these community censorship bills, what would you say? Hale: Let us keep having our representation, like any other business or industry. They’re able to advocate for their industry, their business. Let school districts
have that same option. It’s financially more responsible for districts to pay lobbyists to do that than taking away time from school leaders. Beneski: I’ve never met a lawmaker in my 25 years running around the Capitol that hasn’t been able to hear multiple sides of the story and make up their own mind. At the end of the day, lawmakers, the folks who are elected, they vote on whether or not bills pass or fail, not lobbyists. McCreary: I would say that community censorship creates a huge loss with zero benefits for any stakeholder, including elected and appointed officials. TASA represents school administrators from a very large and geographically diverse state. It does nothing but benefit law and rule makers to know how any proposed changes would affect such differing school communities. Lynch: Why would we ever try to limit anyone’s voice in Austin? That’s just not consistent with who we are and what we do. For us to allow local control to be further diminished is certainly not going in the right direction. What can we do about it? The best way to oppose community censorship legislation is to contact your legislators and let them know your thoughts (see page 15 for TASA Legislative Chair Jodi Duron's legislative testimony). TASA has compiled a talking points document you can use to guide you (see page 16). On#tasatasb the TASA website, you can also find contact information for your legislators and other advocacy resources. tasa.tasb.org
SAVE THE DATE!
The largest convening of Texas public education policymakers
September 24–26, 2021 • Dallas
Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center
#tasatasb tasa.tasb.org
Testimony from Elgin ISD’s Jodi Duron Jodi Duron, superintendent of Elgin ISD, testified before the House State Affairs Committee earlier this year on behalf of all TASA members in opposition to HB 749, a community censorship bill. Her testimony is printed below. Good morning, Chairman Paddie and members of the committee. My name is Jodi Duron. I am the proud Superintendent of Elgin ISD. Today I am representing the membership of the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA), the Texas Association of Community Schools (TACS), and my district, Elgin ISD. I am respectfully testifying in opposition to HB 749. I am grateful for the partnership that we share with the associations that represent our interests during this legislative process. These associations – representing school boards and school superintendents – serve as our advocacy arm, and more importantly, our voice in matters of public policy that could potentially help or harm our schools and our local communities. They provide important perspectives and dedicated professionals who are policy experts on issues of accountability, curriculum, education law, and school finance. I oppose HB 749 because it selectively censors certain publicly funded entities and ends the ability of school district leaders and other local government representatives to effectively and efficiently communicate with legislators through their nonprofit associations. As a school district superintendent, I do not have time to read, analyze, track, and comment on 2,882 bills affecting school districts. That’s how many bills last session mentioned school districts.
That’s why we have associations and registered professionals whose job it is to communicate on our behalf. They are our seat at the table. And any attempt to remove that seat can only be viewed as a means to censor the voice of our local communities. While this bill claims to be a cost saving measure for taxpayers, I would contend that it does the exact opposite. My ability to be here today – ONE DAY – is essentially equivalent to the annual membership fees that specifically cover advocacy for the two organizations I previously mentioned that represent our interests for an entire legislative session. Otherwise, imagine the cost to taxpayers if I were here every Tuesday and Thursday when education bills are heard in the House and Senate. Or the cost to taxpayers in other parts of the state, like El Paso, the Panhandle, the Rio Grande Valley. They would likely incur flight and hotel costs to be here, exponentially increasing the cost to taxpayers. I would also point out that this bill especially harms smaller districts, which makes up the largest majority of schools in Texas. Larger school districts can often hire someone in-house with the expertise to handle legislative matters. Smaller districts cannot. We rely on nonprofit associations for efficient communication. It saves us money and time. Of further concern, this bill leaves out the publicly subsidized charter schools that will receive $8.5 billion during the next biennium. There is no prohibition in this bill on charter school and charter school association lobbyists, many of which are run by outof-state management companies. Thomas Jefferson once said, “The government closest to the people serves the people best.” This bill essentially censors the voice of our local leaders and elected officials – those who are truly closest to the people they serve. If you truly want to save taxpayer dollars, I respectfully ask that you vote no on this bill. Thank you chairman Paddie and members of the committee for allowing me to testify today. I am happy to respond to any questions you may have.
Nor do I have time to weigh in individually on each of the 881 bills in the House and Senate education committees or the 394 bills that moved out of those two committees last session.
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TASA TALKING POINTS | 2021
Community Censorship Legislation (aka “Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying”) During the 2019 legislative session, SB 29 passed the Texas Senate and was debated on the House floor, where it failed passage. SB 29 would have prohibited school districts and other political subdivisions from having lobbyists or from being members of associations that have lobbyists. Similar legislation has been filed in the 2021 session by Rep. Mayes Middleton (HB 749) and Sen. Bob Hall (SB 234). Passage of these bills would result in the elimination of Governmental Relations for the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) members and for members of similar organizations, which represent school leaders during legislative sessions, the interims between sessions, and year-round with various regulatory entities such as the Texas Education Agency, Teacher Retirement System, State Board of Education, and State Board for Educator Certification throughout the year. Thousands of bills are filed every session, and during those months, TASA Governmental Relations staff generally tracks 800 to 1,000 bills that would impact Texas public school employees, districts, and students. It is critical that legislators hear from all interested parties on issues, as it is an essential part of creating good public policy. TASA members are Texans and should have a voice at the Capitol in discussing legislation and state policies when they cannot be there in person to closely monitor hundreds of bills in various stages of the process, or to sit through hundreds of hours of public testimony.
Why Censoring Public School District Administrators is Bad Public Policy •
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Superintendents and administrators can’t be expected to follow and weigh in on all legislation, participate in hearings in Austin, and follow the complex legislative process while running their school districts.
Lobbyists provide information on issues and legislation, but ultimately it is legislators who cast votes and are responsible for legislation that passes or fails – not lobbyists.
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Why would any legislator want to prohibit information that could inform their decisions?
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If a legislator doesn’t want to hear from a particular group or their lobbyists, they can simply refuse to take a meeting with them. Legislators do it all the time. There is no need to censor anyone from having a voice at the Texas Capitol.
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This bill would disproportionately impact mid-size and small or rural districts that can’t afford staff of their own to monitor all of the bills that would impact their districts.
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Texas is a large and geographically diverse state. The farther away from Austin a school district is located, the greater their need to have professional organization representatives in Austin to help them due to the challenges and expense of travel.
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Many anti-public education groups have full-time representatives at the Capitol; this bill would not prevent them from continuing to represent those groups.
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Local governments and communities shouldn’t be excluded from having professional representation at the Capitol. Locally elected officials and superintendents are closest to their constituents, taxpayers, and community members and are directly accountable to them.
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Relations staff advocates for local control of local tax dollars and opposes unfunded mandates.
Legislators and staff regularly rely on education organizations to assist them in determining the impact of legislation on their school districts, taxpayers, and communities.
The Legislature often drives costs from the state through unfunded mandates. TASA Governmental
INSIGHT
School Board Awards Nominate Your Outstanding Board for the 2021 TASA School Board Awards TASA members serving in their current positions since at least July 1, 2019, may nominate their boards for TASA’s School Board Awards. There is no application form to submit; rather, submit data and information that is supportive of the 2021 TASA School Board Awards criteria to your regional ESC by June 15.
Find criteria, guidelines, and more at tasanet.org/awards/school-board-awards/
2022 Is your school district home to the next Regional, Texas, National Teacher of the Year? All Texas public school districts and charters are invited to nominate two educators - one elementary and one secondary! District-nominated teachers of the year must complete the online application by June 3, 2021, to be considered for regional/state honors.
Get the details at tasanet.org/awards/texas-teacher-of-the-year 17 SPRING 2021
HIGHER EDUCATION What principal preparation programs and school districts can do as partners to develop, mentor and retain school leaders by Cynthia Martinez-Garcia
O
ne of the high-ranking priorities for school reform is to improve school leadership (The Wallace Foundation, 2013). Effective teaching and leadership are essential school practices for ensuring the highest levels of student achievement and instruction. With students struggling academically, new challenges due to the pandemic and schooling, and changing demographics, school districts can benefit from the support that principal preparation programs can offer them in their quest for more action research to improve student learning and teaching and for collaborative opportunities to provide their principal candidates with instructional leadership skills for coaching teachers to improve their instructional practices. Collaboration opportunities between school districts and principal preparation programs will ensure that we are working together on the most important school practices needed by the 21st century school leaders.
Build stronger partnerships The Wallace Foundation (2016) reported that strong university district partnerships are essential to high-quality principal preparation. However, they noted that this practice was far from common. Principal preparation programs need to build stronger partnerships with school districts. With the recent changes in the principal preparation coursework and Principal as Instructional Leader certification process, principal preparation programs and school districts should invest in partnering with each other to develop and mentor future school leaders (e.g., assistant principals and principals) and retain them in the field. Working collaboratively together, we can achieve these goals. Communication and collaboration between principal preparation programs and school districts will assist university faculty and school leaders in discussing and defining the experiences and opportunities that the candidates will need to be successful in the program, with the certification process (TExES 268 and TExES 368 – Performance Assessment for School Leaders), and in the field. School districts that are collaborating and working closely with the universities and their principal candidates are having great outcomes because their principal candidates are successful in the program, are assisting their school leaders with the campus improvement goals, are getting certified as an EC-12 Principal as Instructional Leader, and are getting hired as assistant principals. Working together as partners, they are able to provide principal candidates with meaningful instructional leadership opportunities that focus on improving student learning and teaching. Principal preparation programs should provide their principal candidates with the needed support for continuous instructional leadership development and growth throughout the program and beyond.
Provide meaningful instructional leadership opportunities and experiences In a recent research report commissioned by The Wallace Foundation, the authors (Grissom, Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021) reported that principals need “skills and expertise related to supporting and leading the school’s instructional program” (p. 54). It was the first set of skills that they identified in their synthesis of relevant research. Instructional leaders require “skills that enable them to provide effective, structured feedback to teachers, with the goal of motivating them to refine their practices” (Grissom, 18
INSIGHT
Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021, p. 54). Therefore, candidates should be provided with more instructional leadership experiences such as observing and evaluating teachers and classrooms in a supportive, constructive, coaching manner to provide teachers with reflective questioning and actionable feedback to improve teaching and learning while they are in the principal program and in their first years on job. Other important instructional leader experiences principal candidates need while they are in the program and in their initial years on the job include leading teams through the data analysis cycle and facilitating professional learning communities.
Provide opportunities and experiences needed for developing and interacting with people and managing a school Principal candidates also need opportunities and experiences to practice with other important school leadership skills, competencies, and dispositions such as communication, collaboration, ethics, equity, social justice, human resource management, executive leadership, and strategic operations that are needed by principals in the field. Relationship skills are important skills for principals in how they develop and interact with people in their schools and how they manage a complex organization (Grissom, Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021). Based on the literature, they highlighted three components – caring, communication, and building trust for developing and interacting with people. “The ability to communicate effectively is another skill principals need to develop interpersonal relationships and positively influence school outcomes,” (Grissom, Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021, p. 56). Principals really matter. Indeed, given not just the magnitude but the scope of principal effects, which are felt across a potentially large student body and faculty in a school, it is difficult to envision an investment with a higher ceiling on its potential return than a successful effort to improve principal leadership (Grissom, Egalite, & Lindsay, 2021, p. 43).
Provide effective mentors and site supervisors Principal candidates who have effective principal mentors and site supervisors have better on-the-job learning experiences and growth opportunities. Recently, the state agency revised the requirements for practicum site supervisors. According to the Texas Administrative Code §228.2.31, the site supervisor must be: For a practicum candidate, an educator who has at least three years of experience in the aspect(s) of the certification class being pursued by the candidate; who is collaboratively assigned by the campus or district administrator and the educator preparation program (EPP); who is currently certified
in the certification class in which the practicum candidate is seeking certification; who has completed training by the EPP, including training in how to coach and mentor candidates, within three weeks of being assigned to a practicum candidate; who is an accomplished educator as shown by student learning; who guides, assists, and supports the candidate during the practicum; and who reports the candidate’s progress to the candidate’s field supervisor. Successful principal mentors can provide principal candidates and new school leaders with encouragement, guidance, or advice when they need it or seek it. Principal candidates who have more opportunities to practice effective instructional leadership skills are more likely to feel better prepared to assist their school with improving student achievement and instruction than the principal candidates who have less opportunities to practice these skills. Therefore, strong partnerships between the school districts and principal preparation programs matter. Strong partnerships can provide collaborative support systems, can develop meaningful learning opportunities and experiences for potential principals, can improve the effective practices and skills needed by 21st century school leaders, and may assist with retaining principals in the field. n
Cynthia Martinez-Garcia is a professor at Sam Houston State University. She has served as the principal practicum coordinator and as the principal program coordinator for many years. She is past-president of the Texas Council of Professors of Educational Administration (TCPEA). She has served TCPEA as president in 2018; 2020.
References Grissom, J. A., Egalite, A. J., & Lindsay, C. A. (2021). How principals affect students and schools: A systematic synthesis of two decades of research. The Wallace Foundation. http:// www.wallacefoundation.org/principalsynthesis. Texas Administrative Code §228.2.31. Requirements for educator preparation programs. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/ sbecrules/tac/chapter228/ch228.html#228.2 The Wallace Foundation. (2016). Improving the university principal preparation programs: Five these from the field. https://www.wallacefoundation.org/knowledge-center/ pages/improving-university-principal-preparation-programs.aspx
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TSPRA VOICE Effectively integrating communications and marketing in school districts by Stephanie De Los Santos
G
one are the days for school district communications departments to focus solely on communications. Today, more and more communications personnel are being asked to integrate marketing into standard communication plans/operations. The challenge with this is that many leaders are unaware of a significant difference between the functions of marketing versus the role of communications. Research and years of experience in the industry indicate that there is a clear distinction between the two areas of expertise. Although both areas have many similarities in how they operate, it’s important to understand that they each contribute in a different yet profitable way, resulting in success for school districts. A brief explanation of both marketing and communications, as they relate to the education field, will provide clarity in understanding the individual roles of each.
Communications vs. marketing Communications revolve around relationships with emphasis on public relations and crisis communications. Communications team members not only handle all media crisis situations within the district, but they also engage the community by sharing important information and telling positive stories about what is happening districtwide. Marketing, on the other hand, primarily focuses on a call to action with an emphasis on establishing strategies to promote the school district through branding and identity.
The diagram in Figure 1 demonstrates an overview of how internal and external communications can integrate with marketing in order to effectively meet the designated target audience(s) of a school district. Also listed in the diagram are tactics that can be used to foster the call to action (CTA), which produces an outcome, as well as promote relationships, which establishes engagement within the community and with the media. 21 SPRING 2021
Although some tactics, such as storytelling and press releases, are geared more toward communications, others such as e-blasts and advertising are integral to marketing. However, one important thing to remember is that tactics are interchangeable between both communications and marketing as they are essential in achieving specific goals. Specific goals are established through a seven-step process that either results in relationships (communications) or outcomes (marketing).
As noted in Figure 2, the process in establishing specific goals for communications and marketing are almost identical. Both areas begin with a focus on gathering information and research. However, marketing goes one step further by analyzing the information gathered in order to determine whether or not it will be useful information for the desired outcome. Steps 2 and 3 differ in that the role of communications is to tell a story with a purpose in mind while the marketing focus is to develop a CTA to establish a desired outcome. Telling a story captivates the audience by tugging at the heartstrings. Every school district has a story to tell, and people love to hear those stories. The purpose behind sharing stories is to establish relationships with the community (parents, students, business partners, school staff, local legislators, etc.) According to an online article by Templar Advisors, “Why Storytelling is Essential to Effective Communication,” the best communicators are the ones who can relate to their target audience(s) on a personal level through storytelling. 22
INSIGHT
“Master this skill, and you will be well on your way to becoming an effective communicator,” the article states. Rather than focusing on telling a story, a greater emphasis is placed on the CTA when it comes to marketing. This is done in an effort to persuade target audiences to act on the information being conveyed to them. For example, the desired action may be to get people to register for an event, sign up for or buy something. The goal is to always increase the number of people who are reached as well as the number of people who respond.
The following are other examples of CTAs used in advertisements and/or e-blasts that are devised to produce a desired outcome: • become a vendor; • join our reading club; • apply for credentials online; and • make a difference and donate. Even with the differences between Steps 2 and 3, the integration of marketing and communications is essential in identifying targeted audiences and establishing key messages (Steps 4 and 5). It is important for a school district to know its target audiences, which typically consists of the various members of the community as mentioned above. The key messages are crucial in the success of communications and marketing as they either use a narrative or action words to boost community engagement.
The final two steps focus on the implementation of tactics and evaluation. Tactics, which include various ways (like social media, website, newsletters, etc.) to convey key messages, are designed to either engage and converse or to cause action and create an outcome. In both communications and marketing, tactics are the strategic tools that are used to help in achieving the goals and objectives for the district. Evaluation is the final step in effectively integrating communications and marketing to cultivate success. Evaluation through communications is evident through behavioral change. When the community is adequately engaged through effective and positive communication, the morale is uplifted. This behavioral change conveys success and indicates that the district fulfilled its purpose in reaching the community through effective communication. On the other hand, evaluation in marketing is dependent on analytics to demonstrate the successfulness of a school district engaging with its target audiences. Analytics is simply the aggregated data indicating progress in specific key areas of marketing such as:
The data collected not only shows the validity of marketing efforts, but it is also valuable information that supports the efficacy of communication efforts producing behavioral change within the community. The most important thing to remember in effectively integrating communications and marketing in school districts is to first have a complete understanding of the difference between the two. Once that clarity is achieved, the integration of communications and marketing organically materializes. The only thing left to do is to combine and implement the seven-step process to ensure a successful outcome and establish a strong relationship within the school district’s community. n
Stephanie De Los Santos has 23 years of experience in education with 16 of those years being in communications and marketing. Prior to her current role as a marketing director for Harris County Department of Education, she worked as director of communications in the third largest school district in Texas. She has been a TSPRA member for 16 years and currently serves as TSPRA vice president atlarge, position 2.
• traffic on the website; • the number of followers, likes/dislikes and shares on social media; and • the open and click-through rates of all digital marketing.
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Get to know TASA’s member service representatives One of the many TASA member benefits is access to member service representatives. These former school leaders serve as an extension of the TASA staff, dedicating their time to support individual TASA members in their respective regions.
with obstacles as she worked her way through the ranks. “I was always seen as, ‘Oh, she’s just a coach,’ so I had to work on some things,” Moulton says.
The roles of a TASA member service representative are many, from welcoming new administrators to supporting those who’ve been in their positions for an extended period of time and find themselves in need of a mentor. In recent issues of INSIGHT, you’ve learned all about TASA’s member service representatives, the work they do and how they came to serve. Find contact information for all member service representatives at tasanet.org/ about/tasa-staff. We continue our series with Kelli Moulton, TASA member services representative for 12, 13, 14 and 15.
K
elli Moulton, TASA’s newest member services representative, stepped into the role earlier this year, not long after her retirement as Galveston ISD superintendent. After nearly five years of leadership in Galveston, including piloting the district through Hurricane Harvey, Moulton didn’t take more than a weekend off before stepping into her new position at TASA, along with another school-supporting role at Raise Your Hand Texas. It’s clear from her work and her continued advocacy that education is near and dear to Moulton’s heart, though it wasn’t a career choice she saw herself making at first.
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Kelli Moulton “My parents were both educators, and the last thing I wanted to do was be an educator,” Moulton says. “It chose me more than I chose it.” While studying at the University of Texas, Moulton worked for the parks and recreation department in Austin, and found herself teaching dance, theater and cooking classes. The work got a hold on her, and she came to realize her love for teaching and coaching. Moulton earned her bachelor’s degree in physical/health education, and spent 13 years teaching preschool and coaching in Spring ISD. She also ran math tutorials and lead the National Junior Honor Society, and started to feel the urge to move into administration. “I loved teaching and I loved coaching, but I felt like I had a calling to expand what it means to be a great mentor for kids.” For a long time, the coach-to-administrator pipeline was a common one in Texas schools, but Moulton found herself faced
She focused on her knowledge of curriculum and Texas politics, working hard to make herself an invaluable asset to any school district, and after years of interviews was offered an assistant principal position in Magnolia ISD, which she held while getting her master’s degree. From there, Moulton moved into the central office in Hereford ISD, up in the Panhandle. Hereford was also where she accepted her first position as a principal, and once she had received her superintendent certificate from West Texas A&M, Moulton was hired to serve as the district’s superintendent. Moulton was superintendent of Hereford ISD for eight years, earning her doctorate at Texas Tech during that time, before making the move to Galveston. In her career, Moulton says she saw her journey through administration as a sort of relay race. “I had the baton for the time I had it, and my job was to put us in a better position than when I got it,” she says. “I’ve always wanted to be able to look back and say, ‘We did really good things for the community, for the district, but especially for the kids. We made an impact while I was at the helm.’” Now in her retirement, Moulton has moved into the member service role at TASA with ease. A TASA member for the last 21 years or so, she’s always been happy to step up when the organization needed volunteers. Moulton was in the first group of FutureReady Superintendents, and has made presentations at various TASA conferences over the years.
“I’ve never been one to sit back and not have control or take the opportunity to lead,” she says. Transitioning from superintendent to member services representative has allowed Moulton to stay in the loop. She has more time to attend TASA events, and can pass on what she’s learned there to superintendents working in her four designated regions — a boon for those administrators, who are often unable to travel to and attend many meetings. “Running a school and a school district is the most incredibly hard work right now,” she says. “Administrators across the state are tasked with so much. Bless them for getting up every morning and just persevering.” If there is one upside to the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual meetings have become the norm, which has allowed Moulton to attend regular meetings for her designated regions, answering questions and offering help to administrators. Through her work with TASA and Raise Your Hand Texas, she has also traveled to the Capitol to advocate on behalf of Texas’ public schools during the legislative session. “School district personnel don’t have that luxury. There’s so much going on in your districts and on the ground, that you can have a vision going forward, but it can’t include staying in Austin for days and weeks at a time during the session.” Of the benefits TASA membership offers, Moulton says that for her, one of the most important has been the opportunity for networking and collaboration. “You have to be in touch with people across the state,” she says. “You can’t be your own prophet in your own land. You need to have support for what you’re doing, and you need to have a colleague group so you can talk honestly. Just taking one step toward a colleague group and creating a friend group is healthy.” n
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TASA Corporate Partners TASA is grateful to our 2020–21 corporate partners for their support. Each level of the Corporate Partner Program is designed to offer our partners quality exposure to association members. Partners at the President’s Circle, Platinum, and Gold levels may customize special events and opportunities. PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Apple, Inc. Edgenuity Forecast5 Analytics Google for Education Huckabee LPA, Inc. NWEA PBK Raise Your Hand Texas Scholastic Stantec ThoughtExchange VLK Architects PLATINUM ClassLink College Board DLR Group Dr. Ruby K. Payne dba aha! Process, Inc. Edmentum Education Advanced, Inc. Education Elements GermBlast Gravely Attorneys & Counselors K12 Insight Milliken Navigate360 QuaverEd.com Renaissance Savvas Learning Company TCG Advisors
GOLD Achieve3000 Amplify Discovery Education ETS engage2learn Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Houston ISD - MFCS N2 Learning Naturally Slim Schneider Electric SILVER Carnegie Learning Corgan EveryDay Labs Harris Co. Dept. of Education H-E-B Pearson Legal, P.C. Walsh Gallegos Trevino Russo & Kyle P.C. BRONZE BTC Caissa K-12 Curriculum Associates Hilltop Securities INDECO Sales, Inc. Istation iteachTEXAS Kognito Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson, LLP MeTEOR Education MSB School Services Naviance by PowerSchool Panorama Education R-Zero Vanir Construction Management WB Manufacturing LLC WRA Architects
Learn more about TASA’s Corporate Partner Program https://tasanet.org/partnerships/corporate-partners/
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