INSIGHT — Winter 2017

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS PROFESSIONAL JOURNAL

WINTER 2017

INSIGHT

Tribute to a true Texas education

giant

TASA Executive Director Johnny L. Veselka to retire in 2018

Plus: Making TASA future-ready...looking ahead to 2025

What do Coppell, Lubbock and Grand Prairie Independent School Districts have in common? They are transforming learning experiences through personalization with IBM® Watson™ technology.

Register to view the on-demand webinar at ibm.biz/BdjxFG.

You teach, Watson learns. ibm.com/watson/education

Lubbock ISD

Coppell ISD Grand Prairie ISD

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2017. IBM, the IBM logo, ibm.com and IBM Watson are trademarks of International Business Machines Corp., registered in many jurisdictions worldwide. Other product and service names might be trademarks of IBM or other companies. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the web at ibm.com/legal/ copytrade.shtml

WINTER 2017 Volume 32 No. 4

INSIGHT FEATURE ARTICLES & COLUMNS

TRIBUTE TO A TRUE TEXAS EDUCATION GIANT

14

TASA Executive Director Johnny L. Veselka to retire in 2018

MAKING TASA FUTURE-READY

28

Task force develops a TASA 2025 strategic framework

LEGAL INSIGHT

10

The Community Safety Education Act

Ramiro Canales TEACHER PERSPECTIVE

12

Living and teaching by example

Tara Bordeaux

HIGHER EDUCATION

23

Top 10 issues for higher education in Texas

Pauline M. Sampson

TSPRA VOICE

26

Non-traditional voters empowered to change the odds

Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez TCEA TECH TAKE

34

Five maker movement principles to transform and empower learning

Randy Rodgers SMALL SCHOOLS PERSPECTIVE

36

Small schools community relations

Trig Overbo, Ed.D

WINTER 2017

3

INSIGHT

OFFICERS Buck Gilcrease, President, Alvin ISD Gayle Stinson, President-Elect, Lake Dallas ISD

DEPARTMENTS

Greg Smith, Vice-President, Clear Creek ISD Kevin Brown, Past President, Alamo Heights ISD

TASA Professional Learning Calendar

5

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

President’s Message

7

Daniel Treviño, Jr., Region 1, Mercedes ISD

Executive Director’s View

8

Troy Mircovich, Region 2, Ingleside ISD Jeanette Winn, Region 3, Karnes City ISD Charles E. Dupre, Region 4, Fort Bend ISD Richard Bain, Region 5, Silsbee ISD Clark C. Ealy, Region 6, College Station ISD Stan Surratt, Region 7, Lindale ISD Rex Burks, Region 8, Simms ISD Kevin Dyes, Region 9, Holliday ISD Kevin Worthy, Region 10, Royse City ISD

INSIGHT EDITORIAL STAFF Executive Director Assistant Executive Director, Services and Systems Administration Director, Communications and Media Relations Design/Production Editorial Director

David Belding, Region 11, Aubrey ISD Johnny L. Veselka Ann M. Halstead Amy Francisco

George Kazanas, Region 12, Midway ISD Jodi Duron, Region 13, Elgin ISD Shaun Barnett, Region 14, Stamford ISD Aaron Hood, Region 15, Robert Lee ISD Steve Post, Region 16, Tulia ISD

Marco A. De La Cueva

Keith Bryant, Region 17, Lubbock-Cooper ISD

Dacia Rivers

Ariel Elliott, Region 18, Greenwood ISD

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. © 2017 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.

INSIGHT is printed by 360 Press Solutions, Cedar Park, Texas.

Jeannie Meza-Chavez, Region 19, San Elizario ISD Brian T. Woods, Region 20, Northside ISD

ATLARGE MEMBERS Pauline Dow, San Antonio ISD Gonzalo Salazar, Los Fresnos CISD Roland Toscano, East Cental ISD Doug Williams, Sunnyvale ISD

EDITORIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE Greg Smith, Clear Creek ISD, Chair Kelli A. Moulton, Galveston ISD Dawson R. Orr, Southern Methodist University Jill M. Siler, Gunter ISD Doug Williams, Sunnyvale ISD Kevin Worthy, Royse City ISD

4

INSIGHT

TASA Professional Learning Calendar: January–April 2018 For details on our professional development events, please visit us at www.tasanet.org or call the TASA office at 512.477.6361 or 800.725.TASA (8272)

Date

Event

Presenter Location

January Jan. 11 Chevron TASA Leadership Forum Various

Nabisco Innovation Cener Houston, Texas

Jan. 28 TASA Budget Boot Camp

Doug Karr Omar Garcia

Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas

Jan. 28-30 Aspiring Superintendents Academy

John Horn Jenny Preston

Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas

Jan. 28-31 Midwinter Conference Various

Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas

Jan. 31 Accountability Forum Seminar Various

Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas

February Feb. 6-7

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 3

San Angelo ISD Admin. Bldg.

San Angelo, Texas

Feb. 20-22

Curriculum Management Audit Training Susan Townsend Level 1

TASA Headquarters Austin, Texas

Feb. 21-22

First-Time Superintendents Academy Various Session 4

Austin Marriott North Round Rock

Feb. 27-Mar 1

Curriculum Management Audit Training Susan Townsend Level 1

TASA Headquarters Austin, Texas

Academy for Transformational Leadership Schlechty Center Session 4

San Angelo ISD Admin. Bldg.

San Angelo, Teas

March March 21-22

March 27-28 Spring Leadership Conference Various

UTSA San Antonio, Texas

April April 18-20

Curriculum Management Audit Training Susan Townsend Level 2

TASA Headquarters Austin, Texas

WINTER 2017

5

www.PBK.com 1-800-938-7272

DESIGNING SCHOOLS SHAPING LIVES Architecture Engineering Interiors Planning Technology Facility Consulting

WINTER 2017

6

A TIME OF REFLECTION

T

he fall semester has drawn to a close, and all of our thoughts have shifted toward the start of 2018. Even though New Year’s resolutions often come and go (… but this year will be different … right?), the semester break still affords each of us the opportunity to reflect on the success of the past, consider current challenges and obstacles, and set a course of action for the future.This time of reflection is critical not only for each of us as individuals and school leaders but also for the collective membership of TASA.

Buck Gilcrease

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

As a TASA member, this time of reflection is particularly meaningful considering the pending retirement of our tenured leader, Dr. Johnny Veselka. Johnny has guided our organization through many changes and helped TASA emerge as an organization that allows our membership to have a valued voice when it comes to the needs of Texas public school students. (See pages 14-21 for our tribute to Johnny.) His legacy and commitment to leadership and school transformation will forever be an instrumental component of TASA.

As we approach TASA’s 100th anniversary, our beliefs must inform who we will be as an organization.

As we continue to build on this legacy, this season of reflection is critical. In the first century, Rabbi Akiva famously focused his reflections around the two inquiries,“Who are you?” and “What are you doing here?” These are deeply personal questions that warrant thoughtful reflection and consideration.

These questions guided the TASA 2025 Task Force during the past year as they engaged in extensive conversations aimed at charting our course forward. (See pages 28-33 to learn more.)

The question, “Who are you?” speaks to character, motivations and beliefs. As TASA members, we must evaluate to what extent we are motivated and compelled by our organizational beliefs and vision.

As we approach TASA’s 100th anniversary, our beliefs must inform who we will be as an organization.

For school leaders, the inquiry “What are you doing here?” can inadvertently and unintentionally shift as we deal with important but ancillary issues such as budgets, payroll, personnel matters, construction projects and a growing list of other issues that monopolize our time and attention. If we are not cognizant, the same type of phenomenon can occur with an organization such as TASA.With intentionality, we must put in place systems that compel us to evaluate our actions, efforts and resource allocation to ensure we are continually pursuing our vision as an organization.

As the TASA 2025 Task Force worked to affirm our direction, three areas of critical importance emerged. Professional learning has always been a focus of TASA, and moving forward we must remain firmly committed to personal growth that serves to improve our schools and benefit students.

Membership engagement is the key to remaining a dynamic, diverse and responsive organization that provides value to our membership across the state. Finally, we must remain steadfast in our collective commitment to advocacy, both as we share the successes of our students and teachers and as we engage in the governmental process on their behalf.

I am looking forward to continuing the conversation on TASA’s direction with each of you at this year’s Midwinter Conference. That event represents a pivotal time in TASA’s history. We will not only reflect on our past and honor Johnny for his many years of outstanding service to TASA, but we will share more details about the strategic framework that the TASA 2025 Task Force has designed to guide us toward 2025.

WINTER 2017

7

IT’S BEEN AN HONOR, TASA

I

t has been an honor and a privilege to serve TASA for the past 43 years, first as a member of the TASA staff from August 1974 to December 1985, and then to serve as your executive director since Jan. 1, 1986.

Johnny L. Veselka

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S VIEW I leave my position as executive director with tremendous admiration and respect for the superintendents of schools and the district and campus leaders who guide the learning opportunities for the 5.3 million students in our Texas public schools.

When I arrived in Austin in the summer of 1974 and enrolled in the graduate program at The University of Texas at Austin, I could not imagine that an internship assignment on the TASA staff would lead to a 43-year career with this association.TASA was in a period of transition at that time and, in the fall of 1975, the newly hired executive director invited me to remain on staff with him as he assumed his new position of leadership.Ten years later, upon his retirement, I was afforded the opportunity to assume the position that I have now held for more than 30 years. To work with Emmett Harris,TASA’s first full-time executive director, and then with Dr. Charles F. Mathews throughout his 10-year tenure, was truly rewarding and I learned much from their mentorship.

I will always value the personal and professional relationships that I have developed over these many years with the association presidents, Executive Committee members, and thousands of TASA members across the state.Without the support and commitment of TASA’s elected leaders and our members, the growth and progress we have experienced would not have been possible.

One of the most challenging aspects of our work year in and year out surrounds legislative advocacy. Since TASA adopted its first legislative agenda in 1975, we have strived to represent the diverse and unique interests of our members who represent small, rural, mid-size, suburban and large urban school districts, including districts with varying degrees of wealth and diverse student populations.

In anticipation of each legislative session, we have sought to include representatives of all the various school leadership organizations on the TASA Legislative Committee.We have addressed members’ concerns before numerous commissions, the Select Committee on Public Education (1983), House and Senate legislative committees, the TRS Board of Trustees, and the State Board of Education, while also working individually with legislators and other state leaders.

We participated in a complete rewrite of the Education Code (1995) and have successfully presented numerous legislative proposals on matters of interest to TASA members. We have experienced success in many instances, and not so much at other times. Many of the critical issues we are debating today have been topics of legislative debate throughout my tenure.

When I think of the vital role of superintendents in the legislative process, I am often reminded of the events that took place on July 14, 1977. It was a special session, and the topic was school finance. Hundreds of superintendents were in Austin, and an amendment to mandate a local property tax reduction during the coming biennium was offered on the House floor. It was adopted on a 101-39 vote.

After considerable discussion among the superintendents and with House members, Speaker Bill Clayton agreed to accept a motion to reconsider the vote if we could demonstrate sufficient opposition among House members who, only a few hours earlier, had voted for the amendment.

Confident we could turn the vote around, the motion to reconsider was offered and passed 70-69.The amendment was then offered for reconsideration and failed on a 70-70 vote. I know

8

INSIGHT

there are many other examples of past success in the legislative halls that I could share. And, I know there are many others to come, given the commitment and involvement by today’s TASA members in the legislative process.

I am especially proud that today the mission and vision of the association is grounded in Creating a NewVision for Public Education inTexas, the document that embodies the work of the Public Education Visioning Institute (2006-2008).The work of the 35 superintendents participating in the Institute, and the resulting New Vision grew out of a desire to let state policymakers know what superintendents and other educators are for, not simply react to the inappropriate actions of politicians, business leaders and policy advisors.

The second focus of the Institute was to move the conversation about public education away from compliance to one of transforming the learning environment.A natural progression followed in response to the New Vision. In 2011 the Texas Legislature passed SB 1557, creating the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium to inform the governor, Legislature and commissioner concerning “methods for transforming public schools in this state by improving student learning through the development of innovative, next-generation learning standards and assessment and accountability systems.”

We have been fortunate to facilitate the Consortium’s work since its inception and continue to provide reports on our work to state leaders.The Texas Performance Assessment Consortium and our Future-Ready Superintendents Leadership Network, as well as our continuing Mission: School Transformation are all a continuation of the work begun by the Visioning Institute. In recent months, our attention has turned to creating a blueprint for the association’s future in anticipation of TASA’s centennial celebration in 2025.Again, the New Vision provided the basis for the work of the TASA 2025 Task Force in establishing a strategic framework that emphasizes advocacy, member engagement and professional learning as our core areas of work.

I believe TASA has built a formidable reputation as an advocate for Texas public schools and the 5.3 million students we serve.Among the highlights that I will always treasure are: • •

• •

• •

•

• •

• •

Securing a permanent headquarters facility for the association near the State Capitol The opportunity to grow and develop a staff that works hard for the association and is committed to fulfilling the mission and goals of TASA Establishing a corporate partner program that generates more than $1 million annually to support the association Acquiring the TEA Midwinter Conference in 2004 and transforming it into the most significant statewide education leadership conference in the nation Accepting responsibility for the Texas Teacher of theYear Program when TEA could no longer support the program Facilitating and sustaining the work of the Public EducationVisioning Institute, the Texas High Performance Schools Consortium, and now the Texas Performance Assessment Consortium The work of the TASA 2025 Task Force and the adoption of the TASA Strategic Framework, which includes long-term strategies that will propel TASA forward to its centennial anniversary in 2025 and beyond Developing significant alliances for TASA at both the state and national levels Fulfilling our mission to promote, provide and develop leaders who create and sustain student-centered schools and develop future-ready students through effective legislative advocacy and professional learning opportunities for school leaders Significant growth in TASA membership Witnessing the passion of TASA members across the state who are committed to transforming the learning opportunities for the students they serve

I leave my position as executive director with tremendous admiration and respect for the superintendents of schools and the district and campus leaders who guide the learning opportunities for the 5.3 million students in our Texas public schools. I will always treasure the opportunities you have afforded me, the challenges and opportunities that have come our way, and our service on behalf of the public schoolchildren of Texas.

WINTER 2017

9

LEGAL INSIGHT The Community Safety Education Act

by Ramiro Canales

D

The SBOE and TCOLE are required to develop instruction, including the curriculum and instruction modules, on the proper interaction with law enforcement officers

uring the 85th Texas Legislature, lawmakers passed Senate Bill 30. SB 30 relates to the inclusion of instruction in school districts, open-enrollment charter schools and driver education courses regarding interaction with peace officers. The legislation also requires civilian interaction training for peace officers. The bill was designed to minimize tensions between students, civilians and law enforcement.

The bill went into effect on Sept. 1, 2017, but it will not apply to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools until the 2018-19 academic school year. No later than Sept. 1, 2018, the State Board of Education and the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) are required to develop instruction, including the curriculum and instruction modules, on the proper interaction with law enforcement officers during traffic stops and other encounters. Interested parties, including a volunteer work group convened to provide specific recommendations regarding the instruction, may be consulted. Before any instruction is finalized, the SBOE and TCOLE are required to provide a reasonable period for public comment.

during traffic stops and other encounters.

The new law does not create a new high school course. Rather, the SBOE is required to adopt rules to include the instruction in one or more courses in the required curriculum for students enrolled in grade levels 9 through 12.

Instruction for interaction with law enforcement officers SB 30 specifically provides the information that must be included in the instruction agreed to by the SBOE and TCOLE. The following information must be included: •

the role of law enforcement and the duties and responsibilities of peace officers;

•

a person’s right concerning interactions with peace officers;

•

proper behavior for civilians and peace officers during interactions;

•

laws regarding questioning and detention by peace officers, including any law requiring a person to present proof of identity to a peace officer, and the consequences for a person’s or officer’s failure to comply with those laws; and

•

how and where to file a complaint against or a compliment on behalf of a peace officer.

The new law provides school districts and open-enrollment charter schools the flexibility to tailor the instruction that is developed. Subject to the rules adopted by the SBOE, a school district or open-enrollment charter school may tailor the instruction as appropriate for the school district’s or charter school’s community. If a school district or open-enrollment charter school chooses to tailor the instruction, it must solicit input from local law enforcement agencies, driver training schools and the community.

10

INSIGHT

Information relating to traffic stops The new law also requires TCOLE to adopt rules requiring that the curriculum of a driver education course and driver safety course include information relating to law enforcement procedures for traffic stops. The curriculum must include the following information: •

a demonstration of the proper actions to be taken during a traffic stop; and

•

information regarding 1) the role of law enforcement and the duties and responsibilities of peace officers, 2) a person’s rights concerning interactions with peace officers, 3) proper behavior for civilians and peace officers during interactions, 4) laws regarding questioning and detention by peace officers, including any law requiring a person to present proof of identity to a peace officer, and the consequences for a person’s or officer’s failure to comply with those laws, and 5) how and where to file a complaint against or a compliment on behalf of a peace officer.

The commission may consult with any interested parties, including a volunteer work group that is convened to provide specific recommendations regarding the development of the curriculum.

Civilian interaction training program Under the new law, the SBOE and TCOLE are also required to enter into a memorandum of understanding detailing each agency’s responsibilities in developing a civilian interaction training program.The training program will include training and testing materials.Any training program that is developed must include the following information: •

the role of law enforcement and the duties and responsibilities of peace officers;

•

a person’s rights concerning interactions with peace officers;

•

proper behavior for civilians and peace officers during interactions;

•

laws regarding questioning and detention by peace officers, including any law requiring a person to present proof of identity to a peace officer, and the consequences for a person’s or officer’s failure to comply with those laws; and

•

how and where to file a complaint against or a compliment on behalf of a peace officer.

Both the board and the commission are allowed to consult with any interested party, including a volunteer work group organized to provide specific recommendations regarding the training program. A reasonable period for public comment is required before a training program is finalized. The civilian interaction training program must be developed by Sept. 1, 2018.

Community safety is an important issue to Texas lawmakers.

The 86th Texas Legislature will likely evaluate the effectiveness of the programs created under SB 30 and make any necessary changes to strengthen the programs created by the legislation.n

Ramiro Canales is an attorney and the assistant executive director of governmental relations at TASA. Disclaimer: This article is provided for general information purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice.

TEACHER PERSPECTIVE Living and teaching by example

by Tara Bordeaux

S As humans, we find validation in the opinions and thoughts of others. In an era of hashtags and memes, it begs the question, when did just being ourselves become unacceptable?

ocial media has undisputedly become one of the most vital ways humans obtain information and identify themselves with the rest of the world. In an age where public opinion has become the norm, identities are masked by avatars, and social commentary and political rhetoric can disrupt the daily lives of millions in 140 characters or less, how can we, as educators, assure our students are able to be comfortable in their own skin and not lose themselves to social media conformity and mass identity?

As humans, we find validation in the opinions and thoughts of others. In an era of hashtags and memes, it begs the question, when did just being ourselves become unacceptable? Social media platforms have shifted our perspectives.We are now a generation that finds acceptance in who we are in the number of followers we have and the amount of “likes” we get on our posts. Social media has become such an integral part of our lives that we are consolidating who we are in real life with our online alter egos, and that can have serious repercussions on young minds.

Even as adults, we all do it at one point or another — forget to be who we really are and instead, revel in the idealized digital versions of ourselves that seem to boost our self-perceptions of who we are.The affirmation provided by our online presence that we are relevant holds significant weight in our real lives, sometimes forcing our true selves to hide behind the illusions we have created. Knowing this, it’s imperative that we challenge our own beliefs and attitudes about identity, and allow our individuality to be transparent with our students.

From early childhood to adolescence, being authentic is not an easy feat. Students are faced with pressures and expectations that do not always encourage self-expression and creative explorations.The fear of failure or societal rejection often silences their inner thoughts and incapacitates their confidence in their authenticity. Cultural differences, varied backgrounds and contrasting socioeconomic status all play a role in suppressing student identity, sometimes reinforcing the idea that what is real and true is not of value.

As a progressive educator, I am a strong advocate for encouraging student voice and demonstrating to students the importance of being confident and self-aware in a world that does not always accept or appreciate the diversities each of us possess. Students know that I value truth and transparency in conversation. I say what I mean, mean what I say, and stay true to who I am, regardless of how others see me. I know my self-worth, am comfortable in my own skin, and I am, without reservation, always unapologetically me.

It isn’t always easy. It takes time and requires a tremendous amount of courage and trust, but the payoff with students is worth the risk. My students are not afraid to call me out when I am wrong, or question me if they do not agree with me.They are learning to be leaders.

My classroom is open and inclusive, and although it is a comfortable and safe learning environment, our comfort zones are always under construction, including mine.The inevitability of change is a constant

12

INSIGHT

reminder that our classroom must follow a growth mindset and that I must always lead with honesty, transparency and purpose.

Some days I am not the teacher, instead I am humbled to learn from my students. They love that. They respect teachers who are confident enough to say, “I don’t have that answer.”

It teaches them that they too can make a mistake, or not know an answer, and that does not lessen them as a person.

As students start to view, interpret and process information with an open mind, they become much more self-aware, confident and empowered to use their own voices. They are freed from the restrictions of mass identity and follow their own moral compasses. They are equipped to decipher information and comprehend implicit biases, advocate for themselves and others, grasp the magnitude of multicultural understanding and civic engagement, and understand the power of an authentic identity. They accept who they are, and they do not apologize for it.

And neither should we.

In a tech-obsessed world, where technology is growing at a rapid rate, and social media is exploding as the “know-all” hub and self-identities are now shaped by popular culture, media

2018

and political viewpoints, the need for self-aware educators is greater than ever. As teachers, we know there is no “one size fits all” style of teaching. We are all unique in our approaches to reaching students. Even knowing this, being transparent can be scary. It makes us feel vulnerable and exposed, but that is what makes it such a critical component of education today.

It cultivates authenticity. It teaches tolerance. It builds strong relationships with our students and enables them to trust us with their futures.

The power to change a young person’s life cannot be taken lightly. We cannot afford to not be transparent with our students.

We must challenge the next generation to think for themselves and not be defined by the masses. We have to teach them the importance of standing up to conformity, never allowing their voices to be silenced, or their identities be formed by public opinion. It is up to us, as educators, to be examples of authenticity, in and out of the classroom, online and offline. Keeping it real significantly impacts of the lives of our students, and that, after all, is why we teach. n Tara Bordeaux is the 2018 Texas Teacher of the Year and the audio-video production teacher at Lanier High School in Austin ISD.

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS

MIDWINTER CONFERENCE JANUARY 28 - 31

AUSTIN, TX

Keynote Speakers

Chip Heath

Stanford Graduate School of Business professor and author of The Power of Moments

Mike Morath

Texas Commissioner of Education

Dr. Peter DeWitt

former principal and teacher, and expert on collaborative leadership

Register by Jan. 12! tasanet.org/midwinter

TRIBUTE TO A TRUE TEXAS EDUCATION

GIANT

TASA Executive Director Johnny L. Veselka

T

JV

his spring, we will experience a turning point in TASA’s history. Executive Director Johnny L. Veselka, who has served the association for 43 years, is retiring. Johnny joined the TASA staff in 1974 as an intern and became a full-time staff member the following year. Since 1986, he has led our association as its executive director, steering TASA through many changes and helping our organization to grow not only in numbers, but in reputation. TASA has become a highly respected and influential force in Texas under his leadership.

On behalf of the TASA membership, I would like to publicly express our appreciation for Johnny’s service and contributions that have benefited our organization and the students of Texas for so many years. In this special section of INSIGHT, you will hear from many others who appreciate Johnny and the positive impact he has had on Texas public education.

—Buck Gilcrease, TASA president and superintendent, Alvin ISD

WINTER 2017

15

John Horn, 1987-88 TASA president, senior associate, Schlechty Center “I first came to know Johnny Veselka well in 1975 when Dolph Briscoe was in his second term as governor. Johnny was working for TASA in governmental relations. I was in my first central office position, and one of my duties was keeping up with legislation. Gov. Briscoe was pushing a revolutionary school finance plan. Johnny became my ‘go to’ person. I remember thinking, ‘This guy knows more about school legislation, the key players, and the nuances of the process than anyone I have ever met.’ He has always had a clear command of the facts, and his ability to think through implications of all proposals is unmatched. I had no idea then that our mutually supportive paths would be so intertwined for the next four decades.

“I was privileged to be TASA president-elect when Johnny was chosen executive director. He was out front in his thinking from the beginning. HB 72 and the reform legislation was then in full implementation, setting the stage for constructive revisions. The LEAD center was established — the only one housed and managed by a professional association.

The Texas Education Research Center was organized in collaboration with TASB. These set the tone for what was to become 40 years of innovation, though that was not the descriptor used in those days.

“In tandem with his personal modeling of how great leaders lead by example, think divergently, create strategic alliances, and cultivate trusting relationships, Johnny’s more enduring legacy will be his role as the primary architect and builder of the nation’s premier professional association of school leaders. His decision to embrace the principles of the Visioning Institute was a pivotal decision that propelled TASA to the forefront in this last decade. TASA has no equal. Because of that, his contribution to public education

is national in scope. His extraordinary executive abilities are revealed in the values, adaptive capacities, and future orientation of the organization he leaves behind.

“Even-tempered but dynamic, resolute but open-minded, cautious but courageous, Johnny Veselka makes you want to be on his team and makes you want him on your team. He can stand up to opposition in ways that are sometimes disarming.

He pays great attention to details, yet is always guided by the bigger vision. These and related characteristics have enabled him to create a culture of deep commitment among employees, annual changes in officers, and Executive Committee members. The trusting alliances he has created with other associations (TASB in particular), corporate partners, and political leaders will be another lasting trademark of his tenure of amazing success.”

Mike Moses, former Texas commissioner of education (1995-99), consultant, School Executive Counseling, Inc. “I met Johnny in 1978. He was the associate executive director of TASA, and I was an administrator in Garland ISD. Early on when we were merely acquaintances, I knew I wanted to keep an eye on him because he was so well-informed on everything dealing with public education.

“From the moment I became a superintendent in 1982, Johnny impacted my work. As a young superintendent, if I wanted to know what was going on in Texas public education or in Austin, I would call Johnny. He always answered, we always had a great conversation, and our call usually ended with a ‘Johnny chuckle’ as he reflected on how little I knew. While I may have amused him with some of my thoughts or ideas, I could always count on the fact that he was going to be 100 percent supportive as long as he

believed that it benefited boys and girls and public schools.

“Johnny Veselka will enjoy a wonderful legacy in the annals of Texas public schools. Ensuring that school administrators received appropriate professional growth will probably be among those.

While serving as commissioner, I met with Johnny and discussed with him that TEA no longer had the capacity or the ability to offer a comprehensive midwinter conference. Our staff had been cut, and frankly, districts had more expertise than we had in many instances. I asked Johnny if TASA would be willing to take over the conference. The rest is history.

“The TASA Midwinter Conference is the largest in the nation. Usually it is better attended than the American Association of School Administrators annual conference. Johnny’s vision and leadership have helped make this the most outstanding administrator conference in the country. That is just one example of his commitment to the professional growth and training of school administrators.

Equally as important, he made sure that the right venues were created to allow for the networking of school administrators in the right way for the right reasons.”

Jim Nelson, former Texas commissioner of education (1999-2002), counsel, Thompson & Horton LLP “I likely first met Johnny in the late 1980s after I became a TASB board member.

Few Texans have positively impacted Texas public schools and Texas school leaders over the nearly 40 years since we met than he has. Not only has he successfully lead TASA all these years, but he’s kept it relevant and dynamic — not an easy task in the fast-changing environment we’ve lived through.

“In 2004-06, I was able to serve on TASA’s Legislative Committee while I

During Johnny’s 43 years with TASA, he’s seen state leaders come and go and worked with many of them. Here he is with every Texas governor going back to 1974, when he joined the TASA staff:

Bill Clements (1987-91)

Bill Clements (1979-83) Dolph Briscoe (1973-79)

Mark White (1983-87)

was superintendent in Richardson. I was struck then, as now, with Johnny’s skill at working with such a diverse group of leaders and all the egos that go with them.

You always know that he is going to be a voice of reason and good judgement, without imposing his will. He has always been an honest broker of effective policy and practice for Texas schools.

“Johnny’s legacy is his ability to keep TASA relevant, dynamic, and an important voice in Texas. The visioning work, as an example, speaks to this. He’s always seemed to be a step ahead of most education leaders with respect to technology as well.

“I’m honored to be his friend and I’m so grateful for his long and successful career which has impacted Texas schools and Texas students so significantly.”

Dawson Orr, 2003-04 TASA president, clinical professor and chair of the Department of Education Policy and Leadership, Southern Methodist University “I first met Johnny Veselka when I was a graduate student at UT in the Cooperative Superintendency Program. Dr. Nolan Estes was working on a leadership grant from the Meadows Foundation, and I remember him saying that ‘you will want to get to know him.’ And I did. Our professional and personal friendship grew as I became more engaged in TASA, the LEAD Center, and particularly when I became TASA legislative chair.

“He has had a tremendous impact on my work as a school leader. His commitment to educational transformation, starting with the Schlechty Center partnership and then The Visioning Institute, has changed the conversation about teaching, learning and schooling.

“I have many memories, but I remember our early work with the Coalition to Invest in Public Schools and a press conference. Johnny and I worked with a wellknown large lobbying firm in preparation.

This was the ‘No Child gets a Dime’ press conference. Within hours, the powers that be had gone ballistic. The firm dropped us, and a state representative was telling my local representative to ‘keep your boy under control.’ Johnny was his usual calm, collected presence.

“Steadfast and faithful service to public education and the reshaping of TASA into a leading catalyst for educational transformation is Johnny’s legacy. This not only required vision and moral courage, but the business acumen to set TASA on strong financial footing through the corporate partnership initiative.”

Virginia Collier, 1999-00 TASA president, retired superintendent and clinical associate professor, Texas A&M University “I first met Johnny when I entered the Cooperative Superintendency Program at The University of Texas. As an earlier graduate of the program, Johnny was one of my cycle’s role models. We thought he was ‘the man!’ That was 1985, and I now know we were right. He was ‘the man.’

“Johnny encouraged my election as the first female president of TASA. He has always looked forward and that is his great strength. He is aware of the present but acutely attuned to the future.

“His legacy will be the exceptional growth and stability of TASA through the turbulent years of the 1990s with the establishment of testing, rewriting of the education code, and the court decision declaring the funding for Texas public schools inadequate. During all of that change, Johnny maintained the image of TASA as a quality organization that legislators could trust. In a word, he was classy and by association we were all classy!

“Johnny Veselka is a man I have admired for over 20 years. His friendship is a treasure. Working with him was a pleasure. I’m sure he is leaving TASA in a good place.”

John Folks, 2009-10 TASA president, senior lecturer, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, College of Education and Human Development, The University of Texas at San Antonio “I came to know Johnny through my membership in TASA. Eventually I became a member of the Executive Committee, and then moved up to serving as president of TASA. “Through his many years of experience as TASA executive director, Johnny has had a tremendous impact on Texas education and on many school superintendents. His leadership provided many services, but two not only impacted me, but also our school district and education in Texas.

“First has been his relentless work on behalf of schoolchildren, teachers and superintendents during legislative sessions, and second was his leadership of the Visioning Institute. A major part of his legacy will be the creation of the Visioning Institute, the production of the visioning document, and the subsequent impact this had on legislation and public schools.

“Johnny’s kindness, patience and understanding have been so important to school leaders. Many times, he has showed us ‘the way’ to have an influence on legislators and adopt innovative programs, and provided a focus on the job superintendents were called upon to do.

“We all love Johnny Veselka! He has guided many of us in our years we served as superintendents, but more important, he has guided our profession. His impeccable character, his intellect, and his political savvy made TASA one of the premier professional educational organizations in the state. He will be missed, but his legacy and what he has done for Texas public education will last forever!”

George W. Bush (1995-00) Ann Richards (1991-95)

Greg Abbott (2015-present) Rick Perry (2000-15)

Johnny’s tenure has also included a number of brushes with celebrity, especially football stars and TV journalists!

Legendary Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach with Johnny at the 1993 TASA/TASB Convention in Dallas. Staubach delivered the keynote address.

Johnny with his wife Mary and the NFL’s all-time rushing leader, Dallas Cowboys running back Emmitt Smith, who gave the keynote speech at the 2010 TASA/TASB Convention.

Johnny with former TASA president Karen Rue and noted journalist Dan Rather, who introduced The Rather Prize to improve public education in Texas at the 2015 TASA/TASB Convention.

Johnny with John Quinones, anchor of ABC News’ “What Would You Do?” and TASB Executive Director Jim Crow at the 2017 TASA/TASB Convention, where Quinones was the keynote speaker.

Kevin Brown, 2016-17 TASA president, superintendent, Alamo Heights ISD “I came to know Johnny about 20 years ago through TASA professional development. However, I didn’t really get to know him until I served as a member of a TASA Major Committee and then the Executive Committee. Johnny is a ‘behind-thescenes’ kind of person. Serving as an officer has allowed me to see how much he really does for our organization and across the state.

“I have learned so much from Johnny about the inner workings at the state level as well as with TASA. He knows so much history about public education, the legislative process and the many leaders who have come and gone. In a very quiet and calm manner, he has gone about building tremendous capacity across the state for public education. He has also forged many relationships over the years with business associates, legislators, and state board members, and he is always a statesman.

“His work with superintendents across our state with the visioning document has really placed Texas as the leader nationally. It is with great pride that I tell superintendents in other states that I am a member of TASA, because Johnny has made our organization the envy of our entire country.

“Johnny is a workhorse. I remember being at a Midwinter Conference a couple of years ago. He obviously had a lot of work to do at the conference, yet the next day he was traveling out of state to represent TASA at another event. Meanwhile, he was updating me and others about legislative work, informing staff about the Future-Ready Leadership Network, and answering questions from TASA members

on his cellphone. He handled all of this with calm and grace and wisdom, and even humor.

“Johnny is a dear, honest and committed man. He has devoted more than four decades of his life in the service of public education — a remarkable career, especially given the tremendous position of influence he has held. It has been a highlight of my career to work with Johnny and to witness how one person can make such a profound impact at the state and national level.”

Tom Burnett, retired manager, Strategic Initiatives, Apple Education “I’ve had the privilege of working with Johnny for several decades on learning initiatives that are enhanced by leveraging the power of technology. This work has included various professional development initiatives, several learning technology initiatives and too many legislative initiatives to count.

“Personally, I learned so much from Johnny, watching how he worked collaboratively with others, and his unique ability to bring people to a consensus. Amazing. From an organization perspective, he changed Apple Education, especially with regard to its digital content perspectives.

His leadership and the work of TASA absolutely changed Texas public education, and will continue to change Texas public education going forward.

“There are so many memories I have, and all of them will be with me forever.

The one that stands out is when we were working on a legislative initiative that was stalled. Johnny took the reins of the effort, put his leadership and the power of TASA behind it, coordinated all the various business, education and civic groups, and

got the bills passed. Again, this happened numerous times, but the one that stands out is the effort to create the Instructional Materials Allotment, which recognized not just textbooks, but digital content and the devices needed to access that content. He bridged so many different groups and factions to bring about this historic change in Texas education.

“Texas is known not just nationwide, but worldwide, for its adoption of technological innovations in support of learning and future-ready students. While there have been several people who’ve contributed over the years to this legacy, none have done more than Johnny Veselka. He has provided ongoing leadership, direct support via TASA leadership initiatives, and on multiple occasions, it was Johnny who brought legislative change by building and leading coalitions of educators, business leaders, government officials and civic leaders to embrace legislation supporting new forms of learning that leverages the power of learning technologies. I truly hope everyone realizes the profound change he’s been spearheading for decades.”

Neal W. Adams, TASA general counsel and principal, Adams, Lynch & Loftin, P.C. “I first met Johnny when I was on the Board of Trustees of the Texas Association of School Boards and he was the assistant executive director of TASA. He has been a huge impact to me personally and also to my law firm. In 1987, after I rotated off the TASB Board, Johnny and the TASA officers came to my office and asked me if my law firm and I would consider becoming the first and only general counsel that TASA had ever had.

“Of all the clients that I have represented in my 47 years of the practice of law, this is the one that I am most proud of, primarily because of the kind of individuals whom I get to represent on a daily basis — the superintendents of the state of Texas.

“The one thing that has been consistent about Johnny Veselka is his devotion and love for the superintendents in this state in assuring that, whether through the association’s programs or legislation passed or just being there for them, that he is there to support them in their leadership role of the public schools.

“Johnny has carried the Texas Association of School Administrators to another level to where it is absolutely the envy

of every state association in the United States. The foundation that he has built will live forever and will continue to be a great asset to those who aspire to be superintendents and those who become superintendents.

“The one thing I can say about Johnny is he has never wavered in his base values of hard work, honor, loyalty and selfless service to the men and women who aspire to and serve as the superintendents of this state. Most of all, I cherish our great friendship.”

about Johnny. He truly is one of a kind.

“I am very excited and happy for Johnny and his next phase in life but must confess my trepidation at continuing in my job with him no longer at the TASA helm. I will miss knowing that I can just call Johnny to talk through the many issues that arise at the board. I know that I’ve been a better chair because I’ve had a terrific partner who has jumped at every chance to work with me and the board to help make education better for all children.”

David Thompson, partner, Thompson & Horton LLP “I first met Johnny Veselka in 1977. He and I worked side by side in the Texas Capitol for TASA and TASB for several years, and I was at TEA when he became TASA executive director in 1986.

I remember many late nights and early mornings working together on important legislation for public schools.

“Johnny always was calm and focused on the issues, and he never seemed to get caught up in the momentary drama.

TASA has grown so much during Johnny’s leadership, and it has provided outstanding support for Texas superintendents and public schools.

“Perhaps the best thing that can be said about a person at his retirement is that he made a difference. Johnny Veselka truly has made a difference, and Texas public schools and millions of children are better because of his service. I wish Mary and Johnny many happy years in the future!”

Debbie Ratcliffe, former long-time spokesperson for the Texas Education Agency, interim director, State Board of Education Support Division “I first became aware of Johnny when I was an education reporter and would see him at the Capitol or State Board of Education meetings. It’s hard to pinpoint one memory, but they all end the same way — with Johnny saying, ‘We can help.’ He is a can-do, go-to-man.

“During the state budget crisis of 2011, the Texas Education Agency found it necessary to cut back on programs in order to live within our budget. Any program that wasn’t statutorily authorized was in danger. Just as he had offered for TASA to take over the Administrators’ Midwinter Conference a number of years before, Johnny stepped up and TASA took over the Texas Teacher of the Year program.

It has grown ever since. And right now, he’s helping the State Board of Education and the State Board for Educator Certification by providing facilities and other assistance for a conference scheduled for January 2018.

“For the past three decades, Johnny Veselka has been one of the dependable education leaders in this state who looks at the big picture and tries to find ways to support and improve public education. He has always been more concerned about getting a job done than getting credit for the work. There are so many educators in this state who have been touched in profound ways by the work of Johnny Veselka, but they may never have realized it because of his quiet, unassuming ways.

“We are so going to miss him. He has been a wise advisor to so many administrators and TEA staff that it’s hard to imagine a landscape that doesn’t include him in the TASA building.”

Donna Bahorich, chair, State Board of Education “I met Johnny when I was just beginning my work on the SBOE in 2013. He has been invaluable to our work on the State Board of Education and to me personally in my job as chair.

“In issue after issue, policy after policy, I knew I could always call Johnny and pick his brain or ask for his help. He always responds with enthusiasm and energy, ready to pitch in to help with whatever is needed. He is so helpful he even helped me write legislation he definitely did not want to see passed, just so it would be better. Now that’s a committed partner!

“Johnny’s legacy is his indefatigable spirit. Someone may step into his shoes at TASA, but they will not be able to assume what we’ve all come to love and admire

WINTER 2017

19

Above: Johnny with 2009-10 TASA President John Folks. Top Right: Retired Texas House Public Education Committee Chair Jimmie Don Aycock with TASA consultant Ellen Williams and Johnny at the 2013 TASA/TASB Legislative Conference. Bottom Right: Johnny presents a Johnny L. Veselka Scholarship to Ramiro Nava of Somerset ISD. The TASA Executive Committee established the scholarship in 2013-14 to honor and provide financial assistance to outstanding doctoral students pursuing careers in educational leadership, with particular emphasis on the superintendency.

Don Rogers, executive director, Texas Rural Education Association “Johnny came to TASA the same year I got my first and only job as a superintendent. I got to know him through his visits to the service center to speak to us about legislation and other relevant matters. I was always impressed with his knowledge and appreciated his low-key, matter-offact presentations.

“He made a difference as he worked with Dr. Charles Mathews [former TASA executive director] to improve retirement benefits for superintendents. I have reaped that benefit for several years.

“I have always viewed Johnny with respect for his professional leadership and his insights. His leadership has expanded the reach of TASA and improved the pro-

20

INSIGHT

fessionalism and educational leadership of superintendents as the public education climate has changed during the past 44 years.

“Working with superintendents is not always an easy job when there are so many divergent interests. Johnny did it as well as it could be done in my opinion. He let the association leaders get the credit as he worked behind the scenes to keep things moving as he moved the organization forward. He will be missed.”

Linsae Snider, executive director, Texas School Public Relations Association “I’ve known Johnny a lot longer than Johnny has known me. Everyone at the Region 17 Education Service Center where I worked before coming to TSPRA

knew about ‘the TASA guy.’ To us, Johnny was TASA, the face we put on the wealth of resources and institutional knowledge that TASA represented.

“In 2009, the Texas School Public Relations Association named Johnny our Key Communicator in recognition of his work building partnerships, maintaining open communications and addressing legislative matters. Johnny’s ability to bring the state’s various education organizations together to speak with one voice on the issues facing students and teachers made him crucial to the work that’s been done.

“Decades before receiving the award himself, Johnny helped put the Key Communicator Award on the map by allowing TSPRA to announce the award at the annual TASA/TASB Convention. From the beginning of his career at TASA, Johnny has known that a big part of improving public education is sharing with your stakeholders — whether they be legislators, superintendents, business leaders or the voting public — what you want to accomplish, how you plan to do it and why it’s necessary for the good of students.

“Our members work closely with the superintendents in their districts, and we’ve been privileged over the last several years to work closely with the staff of TASA in their building. It’s going to be a major change in our lives to think of TASA without Johnny.”

Pete Gonzales, regional manager, NWEA “I began working with Dr. Veselka in 2000 as a corporate partner representative. Our organization (and the organizations I have represented through the years) has been very appreciative of his partnership as we support Texas schools and educators. Dr. Veselka has provided our organization insight into the needs of district leaders, allowing us to provide products and services that are better suited to Texas school leaders. Through the years, he has created a positive environment where education leaders across the state could meet to address the needs and challenges of educating Texas students. He will always be considered a friend of public education and of all who support the best interests of students in Texas.”

Michael Hinojosa, 2004-05 TASA president, superintendent, Dallas ISD “I had the opportunity to first meet Johnny when I became a member of TASA and I attended the First-Time Superintendents’ Academy in 1994. Serving on the TASA Executive Committee, chairing the Legislative Committee and serving as an officer, I got to know him very well.

“As I got to know Johnny, I saw how he always made sure that TASA served the wishes and desires of superintendents.

He is a true Level 5 leader as described in ‘Good to Great.’ His calm, no-ego leadership style has always had a lasting impression on me, especially his humility and commitment.

“TASA is the best trade organization in the country because we have had a great CEO in Dr. Johnny Veselka for more than 30 years.”

Greg Smith, TASA vice president, superintendent, Clear Creek ISD “I met Johnny a long time ago, but I truly began to appreciate him when the Public Education Visioning Institute began to meet in 2006. I was amazed that one man could bring so many quality leaders into one room, and I kept scratching my head wondering how I was invited.

“The visioning work that was done through that institute is some of the best work that I have been involved in. Participating in the development of the ‘Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas’ white paper had a pretty significant impact on my life and on the two districts that I have been fortunate enough to lead.

So I would say that Johnny’s legacy will be providing a vision for public education when all that we, as school leaders, were statutorily responsible for providing was a general diffusion of knowledge.

“To me, Johnny Veselka has been like the Father of Public Education. His connections are endless, and his advice has been collegial and fatherly. It has never been about Johnny Veselka. His work has increased people’s capacity, and his greatest pleasure comes from watching people grow and succeed. Johnny is always poised, selfless, and ageless. His pulse on public education was and is second to none.”

edgeable, calm, thoughtful and a true servant. He is without ego and simply wants to help public education and support anyone (elected or otherwise) do the same. He and others were invaluable to me during the rule-making to implement House Bill 5 at the SBOE. It simply wouldn’t have turned out as well as it did without him.

“Johnny is a true hero to Texas public education. He may not have been in the limelight or on the front page, but he was always there. I pity whomever has to fill his shoes, because they were worn by a Texas education giant.” n

Thomas Ratliff, former State Board of Education member “I knew of Johnny through my work around the Capitol, but I really came to know him and work with him during my tenure on the State Board of Education.

“Johnny is an institution. He’s knowl-

In 2011, when TEA was no longer able to facilitate the Texas Teacher of the Year program, Johnny decided TASA should step up and take over coordination so that Texas’ outstanding teachers could continue to receive this highest level of recognition from the State of Texas.

In 2015, a Texas Teacher of the Year won National Teacher of the Year honors. Shanna Peeples, formerly of Amarillo ISD, is pictured here with Johnny at the 2016 Midwinter Conference. When Peeples was honored by President Barack Obama in 2015 in a ceremony at the White House, Johnny attended along with former Amarillo ISD Board President John Ben Blanchard, SBOE member Marty Rowley, former Commissioner of Education Michael Williams, and former Amarillo ISD Superintendent Rod Schroder.

ctice cting Pra fe r e P Practice ting Practice : k the Pea the Peak: Perfecting rfec g in u s a r e Pu e P k: Pe Pursuing Pursuing th

n Erdman Richard wErdmann Dre e ha n n ti rd s ri h ic C R rd Erdman DrewRicha Drew Christine Christine

Doing case studies for Syfr Learning has been both revealing and rewarding. I am glad that Richard and Christine’s work will be available to more educators through this thoughtful book. The work stands on the shoulders of giants in cognition research but is accessible to any reader.

Jennifer S. Jones, Ed.D., Assistant Professor, Educational Leadership & Policy Studies, Director of the U.T. Tyler Texas Turnaround Initiative, Superintendent Program Coordinator, Co-Editor in Chief of the Journal: Diversity, Social Justice & the Educational Leader, School of Education The University of Texas at Tyler, former teacher, turnaround principal, superintendent

As a curriculum and instruction veteran, Pursuing the Peak: Perfecting Practice is a must-read for anyone whose interests lie at the heart of learning! The authors reach across many disciplines to clearly connect the art and science of learning to the design for effective instructional practice.

Greg McIntyre, Chief Administrative Officer and former C&I Deputy Superintendent, principal and teacher, CSISD

Pursuing the Peak: Perfecting Practice takes us below the surface of learning to its fundamental principles and lets teachers and students build the learning. It is personalized teaching and learning wrapped up as one. It makes closing gaps and raising the bar seem within reach. This book will challenge and change the way you think about teaching and learning. Educators will talk about this book in the future as a game changer.

Peter Negroni , Ed.D., former teacher, principal, urban superintendent and Vice President of the College Board for K-12 Education

In Pursuing the Peak: Perfecting Practice you literally see learning evolve from the use of prior knowledge and experience and then understand the science behind it. It introduces a simple concept as the core for school improvement - limit the input and expand the output. Engage students in more output that challenges them to remember, think and apply. This book brings learning down to a simple set of principles and reframes our mental models.

Richard Middleton, Ph. D, former teacher, principal and superintendent of North East ISD, former regional Vice President College Board.

When I began teaching over thirty years ago, I envisioned a profession where I could hone a craft, working with professionals who saw opportunities and possibilities in students and in curriculum. Syfr Learning continues to renew that vision and encourage thoughtful teaching. Teachers today need the ok to pursue creative but effective learning strategies for their students and for themselves. The ideas presented in Pursuing the Peak: Perfecting Practice promote the kind of optimism in the profession that is much needed in the current culture of education.

David Youngblood, Veteran Teacher of 30+ years

Pursuing the Peak: Perfecting Practice Richard Erdmann, Thought Leader Lecture TASA Midwinter 2018

HIGHER EDUCATION Top 10 issues for higher education in Texas

by Pauline M. Sampson

I

The idea of campus free

n January 2017, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities published “Top 10 Higher Education State Policy Issues for 2017,” a higher education policy brief. This article by AASCU Government Relations was addressed to national states with examples under each trend provided from several states.The top 10 issues for 2017 are: 1) Higher education funding amid “softening state budgets,” 2) affordability, 3) economic and workforce development — building a skilled workforce to revitalize state, 4) undocumented and DACA students, 5) campus sexual assault, 6) guns on campus, 7) institutional productivity and student success, 8) academic freedom, civil rights and social issues, 9) student debt management, and 10) dual enrollment.

speech is an important

component of how to

discuss controversial topics and not violently condemn others for differing opinions.

This article is an examination of these trends with specific examples for Texas.

1) Higher education funding amid “softening state budgets” shares that states have lower state revenue often based on lower revenue from natural resources such as oil and gas.The funding for higher education relates to the state budget and often is a potential reduction.According to Comptroller Glenn Hegar,Texas will have a shortfall of revenue (Hooks, 2017).

The Texas legislators voted on the state budget for a two-year budget of $217 billion.This includes increases in funding for child welfare and an increase in state troopers. But this budget required using some of the Rainy Day Fund for other issues, including schools. Several people felt that the increases only brought back some of the cuts made in previous years. Our universities were worried at the beginning of 2017, because there had been a push to remove the special projects for universities. However, this was not part of the final bill (Walters, 2017).

The Texas economy has some positive and stabilized aspects such as growth in manufacturing employment, growth in new jobs and oil price increases, but also saw a decreased demand for gas, a drop in house sales and a lower per capita income. Hurricane Harvey also impacted production and shipping that will impact the economy for this year (Texas A&M University, 2017).

2) Affordability is a national concern as well as a Texas concern; however, Texas shows slightly lower average costs than the national average. Students attending community colleges with an average of 15 credits each semester for fall and spring of 2017-18 have an in-state tuition cost of $2,760, plus $1,190 for books, $8,452 for room and board, $2,040 for transportation, and $1,950 for other costs, for a total yearly cost of $16,392. The cost of a four-year institution is higher, with two examples showing the following: in-state tuition cost of $9,538, $1,204 for books, $8,868 for room and board, $1,616 for transportation, and $1,873 for other costs, for a total of $23,099. The second four-year institution was slightly higher with an in-state tuition cost of $9,890, $1, 372 for books, $11,664 for room and board, $2,004 for transportation, and $1,862 for other costs, for a total of

WINTER 2017

23

$26,792 (College for All Texans, 2017). 4) Texas has many immigrant students due to its proximity to Mexico. Some Texas One source stated that college costs legislators considered not allowing for students has increased by 8 percent in-state tuition for undocumented stueach year since 1993.That’s a staggering dents, which was put into law in 2001. figure, since the Texas state appropriaSince then, undocumented immigrants tions for colleges declined in 15 years, could attend Texas public colleges and requiring students and their families to pay in-state tuition if they had been pay more for college (Center for Public residents in Texas for three years and Policy Priorities, 2017). graduated from a Texas high school or received a GED, while also promising 3) Building a skilled workforce to revitalto complete the work towards legal ize state economies is also part of the citizenship (Samuels, Sept. 22, 2017).

60x30TX higher education strategic plan, as one of the goals is directly related DACA stands for Deferred Action to this issue.The goal is for graduates to for Childhood Arrivals.According to have marketable skills. Those skills need Alex Samuels (Sept. 22, 2017), DACA to be a part of their college programs began in 2012 to protect undocuaccording to our current state strategic mented immigrants who came to the plan (Texas Higher Education CoorU.S. prior to being 16 years old and dinating Board). Many colleges work were still younger than 30 years old. with business partners to understand the DACA grants a two-year renewable needed skills for employees.

We believe a well-crafted learning environment produces more confident, engaged and accomplished students.

That’s been our commitment for 50 years, and it’s a foundation from which we’ll never waver.

Huckabee-inc.com

work permit.The program continues to be in jeopardy as some see that then-President Obama should not have established this federal policy instead of Congress. (Livingston,Allbright & Essig, Sept. 7, 2017). However, many university presidents have supported the continuation of DACA and have requested continued state support of this federal policy.

5) The national attention to sexual assault is a daily report on the news of high profile people using their position to assault/harass women.There has been less attention to campus sexual assault in the news; however, Congress did pass two bills related to campus sexual assault. One bill gave approval for students and employees to anonymously report sexual assaults (Samuels, May 28, 2017).

6) Guns on college campuses has become an important trend since 2016, when Texas students over age 21 who held a concealed handgun permit could carry concealed weapons on campuses.There has been concern that students would not feel safe on campuses, while others felt that campuses would be safer when others could help defend the campus if there was a mass shooting attempt.Texas is one of eight states that allow concealed weapons on campus (BBC, 2230016).

7) Institutional productivity and student success are important ways to ensure that students succeed in college.This has been partially helped by partnerships between universities and community colleges so that students are able to transition in a more streamlined way between institutions.Additionally, student success is often examined by retention in college. Further, the gaps are identified that might create barriers to students’ success in college. Innovations are advocated that increase student success such as learning support through technology, redesigned remedial courses and tutoring support. Bill Gates shared that we have a high enrollment rate for students entering college, but a lower rate for students finishing college. Gates further suggests that this high dropout rate will negatively affect the U.S. economy (Hess, 2017).

8) Academic freedom, civil rights and social issues are important issues in higher education.The idea of campus free speech is an important component of how to discuss controversial topics and not violently condemn others for differing opinions.

References

Our colleges have often been the places to explore social issues and express one’s own understanding of our democratic society; however, there has been more condemning of professors’ individual views and how they should best be allowed or not allowed in colleges.There needs to be a sense of safety in expressing a variety of views for academic freedom to continue at colleges.

9) Student debt management is a national concern as well as a Texas concern.According to Nanette Light with the Dallas Morning News,Texas college students have an average of $26,000 debt when leaving school, which ranks Texas as 37th for college debt. Over half of graduates from Texas colleges have student debt.This is a partial reason for the 60x30TX higher education strategic plan that sets goals by 2030 that 60 percent of Texas’ 25-34-year-old adults will hold a certificate or degree with undergraduate student loan debt not to exceed 60 percent of the graduates’ first-year wages (Light, 2017).

10) Many high school students in Texas take college courses while in high school. One premise behind dual enrollment is to help high school students get a mindset on college attendance after high school.According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, there were more than 133,000 Texas high school students enrolled in dual credit in 2016 (Smith, 2016). n Pauline M. Sampson is a professor and coordinator of the Superintendent Program at Stephen F. Austin State University. Her research interests are women superintendents and successful Title I schools.

BBC (August 1, 2016) “New Texas gun control law allows concealed guns on campus” bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36948149 Center for Public Policy Priorities (2017) “College Affordability” forabettertexas.org/images/EO_2017_CollegeAffordability.pdf College for All Texans (2017) “College Costs” www.collegeforalltexans.com/apps/collegecosts.cfm Hess, A. (Oct. 10, 2017) “Bill Gates: US college dropout rates are ‘tragic’” CNBC. cnbc.com/2017/10/10/bill-gates-us-college-dropout-rates-are-tragic.html Hooks, C. (Feb. 21, 2017) “Why the State Budget is Such a Mess.” The Texas Tribune. texasobserver.org/why-the-state-budget-is-such-a-mess Light, N. (Aug. 24, 2017) “Baylor tops Texas in student loan debt, with a Dallas school having the least, report says” Dallas Morning News. dallasnews.com/ news/education/2017/08/24/baylor-tops-texas-student-loan-debt-dallas-school-least-report-says Livingston, A., Allbright, C. & Essig, C. (Sept. 7, 2017) “See where Texas’ congressional delegation stands on Trump’s DACA decision” The Texas Tribune. texastribune.org/2017/09/07/texas-congressional-delegation-reacts-trump-administration-daca-decisi Samuels, A. (May 28, 2017) “Measures targeting sexual assault on college campuses get legislative approval” The Texas Tribune. texastribune. org/2017/05/28/measures-target-sexual-assault-college-campuses-gets-legislative-appro Samuels, A. (Sept. 22, 2017) “Facing federal confusion, Texas ‘Dreamers’ prepare for looming DACA deadline” Texas Tribune. texastribune.org/2017/09/22/ facing-federal-confusion-dreamers-and-advocates-prepare-looming-daca-d Smith, A. (Nov. 29, 2016) “College Courses in High School” Inside Higher Ed. insidehighered.com/news/2016/11/29/dual-enrollment-rise-texascommunity-colleges Texas A&M University (November 2017) “Outlook for the Texas Economy” assets.recenter.tamu.edu/documents/articles/2046.pdf Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board “60X30TX” http://www.thecb.state.tx.us/reports/PDF/9306.PDF?CFID=70257985&CFTOKEN=68941073 Walters, E. (May 27, 2017) “Texas Legislature sends $217 billion budget to Gov. Abbott“ The Texas Tribune. texastribune.org/2017/05/27/texas-legiaturevotes-217-billion-budget

WINTER 2017

25

TSPRA VOICE Non-traditional voters empowered to change the odds

by Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez

T In the fall of 2016, PSJA ISD pledged to help educate young adults, parents and staff about the importance of exercising their constitutional right to vote.

he Rio Grande Valley, located in deep south Texas, is mainly known for having one of the most famous spring break destinations in South Padre Island, handling most of the nation’s produce imports through its ports of entries along the Texas/Mexico border, and having the lowest voter registration turnouts in the state.

To help remedy the low voter turnout in the area, Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD joined forces with local non-profit AACT Now (Advocacy Alliance Center of Texas) to help raise awareness of the importance of registering and voting on local, state and national elections.

When AACT Now was created in 2015, only one in three Texas residents would vote during elections, and in the Rio Grande Valley only one in five. In the fall of 2016, PSJA ISD pledged to help educate young adults, parents and staff about the importance of exercising their constitutional right to vote.

A communications plan was developed to ensure participation of our stakeholders, especially employees. Data showed that out of almost 5,000 employees, fewer than 25 percent were registered to vote.

This caused alarm as we expect students to learn the importance and impact of exercising their right to vote during their civic and government courses, but our own staff, many of them teachers and administrators, were not modeling this behavior.

Based on these findings, the PSJA Votes campaign started with an ambitious goal of increasing the number of staff members registered by 20 percent and overall voter turnout by 70 percent prior to the 2016 presidential election.

Intentional tactics were put in place to educate our public about the importance of letting their voices be heard and placing the Rio Grande Valley as a true contender and decision-maker in the electoral process.

The PSJAVotes team placed voter registration boxes at every front office desk districtwide, conducted student voter registration rallies and parent meetings, and printed, posted and shared materials highlighting the importance of voting in all district buildings, during football games, and on social media platforms and electronic billboards.

With the assistance of our technology department, we created a dashboard to keep track of the number of new registered voters based on county records. We ensured our community learned about our strides throughout the campaign.

By the end of the primary elections, registration numbers increased dramatically within the school district and across our tri-city area. A record increase of 22 percent was recorded across the region, compared to other election years.At PSJA ISD alone, there was an increase of 48.91 percent compared to the 2012 presidential election.

26

INSIGHT

Currently, 72.17 percent of PSJA ISD employees are registered to vote and the plan continues to be implemented to ensure a real and permanent change occurs in our region’s voting behaviors.The Rio Grande Valley is a catalyst for change, and PSJA ISD is proud to be one of its most active leaders.. n

Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD encourages voting among its employees.

Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez, CPC, serves as director of communications, marketing and public information for the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD in Pharr, Texas. She has 13 years of experience in the communications field as a former newspaper journalist and school PR practitioner. Prior to working at PSJA ISD, she was the public relations specialist at neighboring Hidalgo ISD. She is currently serving her second term as vice president of the Texas School Public Relations Association’s Gulf Coast Region, and is a recent graduate of Texas Christian University’s Certified Public Communicator Program.

More Learning Happens with Apex Learning Apex Learning is the leading digital curriculum used by educators for keeping students on track and getting at-risk students back on schedule for graduation by

“I felt pretty confident when I went into the

driving the highest student achievement — resulting in

testing and because of Apex I passed.

students who are really ready for college, work, and life.

And now I’m college-bound.”

Learn more at ApexLearning.com

Emmett J. Conrad 2017 High School Grad Dallas, Texas

WINTER 2017

27

MAKING TASA FUTURE-READY TASK FORCE DEVELOPS A TASA 2025 STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

I

n 2016, recognizing the need to chart a long-range direction for TASA as the organization nears its 100th anniversary in 2025, the TASA officers began the process of creating a long-range plan that would ensure TASA’s continued success and align association operations with the vision for public education that TASA has championed since 2008, when Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas was released (https://goo.gl/pv4nLN).

For nearly a decade, the visioning document, as it is called, has inspired school leaders to transform Texas public schools so that they foster student-centered learning and develop future-ready graduates, and it has become integral to TASA’s vision, mission and beliefs (https://goo.gl/wt2vem).

The past year of work by the officers and a task force of TASA members has yielded a strategic framework that lays out TASA’s aspirations and outlines the long-term strategies we will use to reach those aspirations by 2025, TASA’s centennial year. The details of the new framework, along with a fresh new look for TASA, will be unveiled and celebrated at the 2018 Midwinter Conference in January, then shared more widely through TASA’s various communication channels following the conference.

In this special section of INSIGHT, you’ll hear directly from TASA 2025 Task Force members about the development of the strategic framework and why this long-range plan is so important to the future of TASA and public education in Texas.

A MESSAGE FROM TASA 2025 TASK FORCE CHAIRMAN KEVIN BROWN, TA S A PA S T P R E S I D E N T A N D S U P E R I N T E N D E N T, A L A M O H E I G H T S I S D

TASA has never been more effective than it is today. Under the leadership of Johnny Veselka for more than three decades, a talented staff, and with an engaged and visionary membership of school administrators, TASA provides tremendous advocacy, engagement and professional learning for all of us. The visioning document, created a decade ago, has led to many changes within and outside public education. So, why on earth would we set out to create a long-range strategic framework to change things and risk losing our momentum?

The answer lies in the urgency to continuously remake ourselves to best serve public education and retain our leadership as THE organization. Most organizations have a lifespan. They emerge from an idea or product, grow to a certain level of success, and then begin to decline because they don’t change to meet new challenges — just ask the makers of PalmPilot and BlackBerry.

When organizations hit a low point, they either remake themselves, or they cease to exist. The alternative to this is to remake and rethink ourselves while we are at our peak. That is what TASA 2025 is all about. We are thinking strategically while things are good, proactively working to meet the needs of the future before they pass us by.

The TASA 2025 initiative was born out of conversations among many of you. There is a sense that our visioning document was an important step for all of us but that there is still more to do. So, a little more than a year ago, we called on 40 administrators from across the state, representative of every type of administrator and community in Texas, to serve on the TASA 2025 Task Force. This group has worked hard all year to think about the long-term future of TASA, how it can become even more effective, and how it can continue its leadership role as the strongest, best educational organization in the nation. Through meetings facilitated by John Horn and Natalie Glover, and that also included the TASA staff as well as members of our Major Committees, powerful conversations and decisions were made about how we can continuously improve to better serve our membership, advocate for public education, and engage every member in a more meaningful way.

I am excited to have been a small part of this process, and I look forward to working with each of you to make our vision of the future a reality. It will take each of us to make it happen, but if we work together, we will be stronger in 2025 than we are today. That is a high bar indeed!

TASA 2025 DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE n

n

n

2006 to 2008 – Thirty-five public school superintendents came together to create a new vision for public education in Texas. Meeting as the Public Education Visioning Institute for two years, they shared ideas on how to transform Texas public education to meet the needs of 21st century students.They envisioned a public school system that fosters innovation, creativity, and a thirst for learning — and one that champions new, more meaningful assessment and accountability measures. The result of the Institute’s work, Creating a New Vision for Public Education in Texas, was published in 2008.

2009 to 2016 – The new vision for Texas public schools gained momentum and inspired the TASA MISSION: School Transformation initiative, guiding the school transformation movement in Texas.

June 2016 – Recognizing the need to chart a long-range direction for TASA as the organization nears its 100th anniversary, the TASA officers began the process of creating a long-range plan that would align association operations with the vision for public education TASA has embraced.

n

July 2016 – TASA leaders at the Executive Planning Meeting began the long-range planning process by identifying several areas of strategic focus: professional learning, member engagement, and advocacy.

n

October 2016 – The TASA members serving on the then-five major TASA committees provided their input on the identified strategic areas, identifying potential roadblocks and opportunities to make progress toward TASA’s vision.

n

February 2017 – Led by thenPresident Kevin Brown, the TASA officers plus a group of 30 superintendents and central office staff formed to create the TASA 2025 Task Force, representing districts of varying size and regions.

n

June 2017 – The TASA 2025 Task Force met to confirm the draft of aspirations created in April; develop top strategies to guide TASA in achieving those aspirations; and provide input on the core brand direction for TASA.

n

March 2017 – In its virtual kickoff meeting, the TASA 2025 Task Force discussed its charge: tackling the next level of strategic work.

n

n

April 2017 – The TASA 2025 Task Force met to: clarify the most important ways TASA creates value for stakeholders, define TASA’s aspirations for 2025, and gather intel about the characteristics of the brand to shape how the organization can best engage audiences.

July 2017 – During the Executive Planning Meeting, members of the TASA 2025 Task Force and other TASA leaders reviewed the TASA 2025 planning process outcomes and provided input on what would be the 2017-18 annual priorities — the first steps the organization would take to activate its new strategic direction.

n

October 2017 – The newly reorganized TASA major committees (Professional Learning, Member Engagement, and Advocacy) met for the first time to review the result of the Task Force’s work and begin work on the 2017-18 annual priorities.

n

January 2018 – The result of the Task Force’s work — the TASA Strategic Framework — will be shared, along with a whole new look for TASA, and celebrated at the 2018 Midwinter Conference.

The framework lays out TASA’s organizational aspirations and outlines the long-term strategies TASA will use to reach those aspirations by 2025, TASA’s 100th anniversary year.

n

May 2017 – Informed by the initial 2025 Task Force work, TASA shared with the membership the focus and design of the longrange planning process that would result in: (1) definition of three strategic areas of focus for TASA; (2) identification of long-range aspirations and strategies to work toward the desired future; and (3) activation of a new, ongoing, and organization-wide strategy/action planning process. To accelerate progress, the major committees were notified and reorganized to align with the strategic areas at this time.Task Force members also shared information on its work at regional meetings across the state and invited members to provide input.

WINTER 2017

29

Q&A WITH TASA 2025 TASK FORCE MEMBERS Why has it been exciting to be part of the TASA 2025 Task Force?

“The process undertaken by t h e Ta s k F o r c e w i l l g u i d e TA S A’ s work and priorities for years to come. I enjoyed collaborating with bright, intelligent, and thought-provoking leaders from across the state for the good of our organization as TA S A p o s i t i o n s i t s e l f t o r e main a leader as a professional organization in the years to come.”

—George Kazanas, superintendent, Midway ISD, Region 12 “Participating in the vision a n d d e l i v e r y o f TA S A 2 0 2 5 has been electric! In the twilight of my career I am laying foundation for the future. The legacy we leave f o r p u b l i c e d u c a t i o n i n Te x a s is about collaboration, values-driven decision making and advocacy for our profession.”

—Kelli Moulton, superintendent, Galveston ISD, Region 4 “ TA S A 2 0 2 5 i s helping set the direction for the f u t u r e o f TA S A .

Building off of the visioning work, this strategic framework w i l l h e l p TA S A b e p u r p o s e f u l in how it engages and supports superintendents and school leaders across the state.”

— J i l l S i l e r, s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Gunter ISD, Region 10

30

INSIGHT

“ T h e 2 0 2 5 Ta s k Force has allowed us the opportunity to apply the tenets of the original New Vision for Public Education i n Te x a s d o c u m e n t to our work. It is encouraging to all of us to be able to advance the strategic direction not only of our organization but also of the state and beyond.”

—Gayle Stinson, superintendent, Lake Dallas ISD “I believe this work will map the course for the future of TA S A . I s e e i t a s t h e a c t i o n plan for the visioning work, and it will create a framework to take our organization to the next level.”

—Doug Williams, superintendent, Sunnyvale ISD, Region 10 What has been the most rewarding part of the process in which the TASA 2025 Task Force has been engaged?

“In the past, I sensed that some of the larger urban districts were more involved in the development of the visioning document. Howe v e r, I t r u l y a p p r e c i a t e h o w t h e TA S A 2 0 2 5 Ta s k F o r c e includes members from small and rural school districts to be involved in the conversation about the future of our organization and the unique needs that we have in serving rural communities.”

—Jo Ann Bludau, superintendent, Hallettsville ISD, Region 3

“The summer meetings were incredible. School leaders from across the state were engaged in dialogue about t h e f u t u r e o f TA S A a n d h o w TA S A c a n m e e t t h e n e e d s o f those we serve. The strategic framework that evolved from those sessions will be present when we celebrate the e n d o f TA S A’ s f i r s t c e n t u r y and launch the next.”

—Fred Brent, superintendent, Georgetown ISD, Region 13 “What I have enjoyed most is being able to participate with other ‘forward thinking’ leaders to truly redefine what we aspire to be as an organization. The work has been challenging because it required us to step out of our comfort zone and consider what we’re willing to strategically abandon, while at the same time focus on a rebranding effort to connect with and reach a broader audience.”

—Jodi Duron, superintend e n t , E l g i n I S D , R e g i o n 1 3 “The most rewarding part of the process has been evaluating the important work TA S A h a s u n d e r t a k e n t o t h i s date, and developing innovative ideas and strategies for TA S A t o u n d e r t a k e t o n a v igate through future challenges in public education.”

—George Kazanas, superintendent, Midway ISD, Region 12

“Dialogue around current issues that ranged from policy to practice allowed us to put together a comprehensive gap analysis. This analysis has set up for many meaningful actions to this point, and will in the future.”

—Bobby Ott, assistant superintendent, Curriculum & I n s t r u c t i o n , Te m p l e I S D “The most rewarding part of t h e Ta s k F o r c e h a s b e e n t h e opportunity to collaborate with leaders from all across the state. Every kind of district was represented yet our focus was the same — to be the best support organization for school leaders in the nation.”

— J i l l S i l e r, s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Gunter ISD, Region 10 “The most rewarding part of the process has been the connection with all partners and networks of leaders working together for a common goal — superintendents, district leaders, transformative educators, and communities of people mobilizing to cultivate meaningful work.”

—Gayle Stinson superintendent,Lake Dallas ISD, Region 11 Why is the work that the Task Force has done important?

“The work of t h e Ta s k F o r c e is so important because, as a state, national and world leader in education administration, TA S A i s t h e o n l y g r o u p o f its kind that places student-centered schools and future-ready students as priority No. 1.”

— K i m A l e x a n d e r, s u p e r i n tendent, Roscoe Collegiate ISD, Region 14

“ T h e Ta s k F o r c e h a s s e t a standard for the future.

Advocacy, learning and engagement are the keys to our framework. It is grounded in the thoughts and ideas of today’s leaders with the vision for tomorrow behind every decision. It is work that grounds us in who we are and where we want to go.”

—Fred Brent, superintendent, Georgetown ISD, Region 13 “We are serving students in rapidly changing times, and to meet the future needs of the school administrators in l i g h t o f t h i s , TA S A m u s t b e responsive to these needs.

Without a plan, the tendency is to react rather than b e p r o a c t i v e , a n d t h e Ta s k F o r c e ’ s w o r k w i l l a l l o w TA S A to be proactive.”

—Keith Bryant, superintendent, Lubbock-Cooper ISD “I am a strong believer that we must plan the work and then work the plan.

We are planning for a brighter tomorrow. Many school systems are depende n t o n t h e w o r k o f TA S A t o be the voice of reason during legislative sessions. We must champion the work together as an organization to advance the value of public school systems.”

—Art Cavazos, superintendent, Harlingen CISD, Region 1 “ T h e f o r m a t i o n o f t h e Ta s k Force was intentional to include a diverse group of leaders from small, rural, mid-size, suburban and urban districts and representing nearly every region.

Understanding the varying

needs and differences of school districts across the state was a strong motivator and consideration around the strategies and tools that would potentially move our work forward and help us realize our vision as an organization.”

—Jodi Duron, superintend e n t , E l g i n I S D , R e g i o n 1 3 “ T h e Ta s k F o r c e i s m o v i n g the visioning work to the next level — a level of implementation and sustainability. The new voices of t h e Ta s k F o r c e r e p r e s e n t enduring support for public education and the ideals of public education to grow and nurture our democracy.”

—Kelli Moulton, superintendent, Galveston ISD, Region 4 “Every day we are entrusted with the opportunity to positively impact kids. The crux o f TA S A 2 0 2 5 i s t o d e v e l o p and support innovative, future-focused leaders to do just that!”

— J i l l S i l e r, s u p e r i n t e n d e n t , Gunter ISD, Region 10 How will the Strategic Framework and other work of the Task Force impact the future of TASA and of public education?

“Being part of t h e TA S A 2 0 2 5 Ta s k F o r c e h a s been an opportunity to shape and impact the future of education. The work t h e Ta s k F o r c e h a s d o n e provides a focus and a clear vision. With the strategic framework in place, there is n o d o u b t t h e d i r e c t i o n TA S A is taking, and I’m hopeful it will help champion public schools.”

—Alda Benavides, superintendent, La Joya ISD, Region 1

WINTER 2017

31

“I strongly believe that there is strength in numbers, and the more we come together and share ideas, the more that we will be able to acc o m p l i s h f o r Te x a s p u b l i c schoolchildren. Our collaboration and initiative will allow us to embrace challenges early on and become more proactive rather than reactive to issues that arise in the education business.”

—Jo Ann Bludau, superintendent, Hallettsville ISD, Region 3 “The strategic framework provides just that — a framework to guide the work. It provides purpose and further accentuates our ‘why’ as an organization. ‘Why do we exist?’ should drive what we do and how we do it, and the framework does this and more.”

—Art Cavazos, superintendent, Harlingen CISD, Region 1 “The strategic framework will h e l p g u i d e TA S A , i t s o f f i c e r s , and the executive committee in the search for a new execu t i v e d i r e c t o r. T h e w o r k a l s o s e t s t h e c o u r s e f o r TA S A’ s future responsibilities to its members and constituents.

By being responsive to the needs of current and future education leaders, children in classrooms benefit from well-trained, creative, and innovative leaders at the campus and district levels.”

—George Kazanas, superintendent, Midway ISD, Region 12 “The strategic framework is a canvas for forward thinking educational leaders. It gives us unity in direction without stifling our creativity and inherent risk-taking ideals. We have to think 32

INSIGHT

beyond the factory model and embrace innovation. The framework acts as a beacon so that together we can focus on a future, but allows us the opportunity to serve out individual community needs and a s p i r a t i o n s . TA S A w i l l o n l y be as strong as our ability to adapt and serve the students o f Te x a s . F l e x i b i l i t y , a d a p t ability and responsibility are all a part of our future, and I’m excited that the framework honors this direction.”

—Kelli Moulton, superintendent, Galveston ISD, Region 4 “The strategic framework and the other work o f t h e Ta s k F o r c e does not just i m p a c t t h e TA S A , but it will become the arms and legs of discipleship throughout Te x a s a n d t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s . ” —Greg Smith, superintendent, Clear Creek ISD What do you hope that TASA members will experience as a result of the Task Force’s work? “ I t i s m y p r a y e r t h a t TA S A members will become a highly organized and unified body of leaders in the education transformation movement with student-centered schools and future-ready students at the forefront of the mission of every publ i c s c h o o l i n Te x a s . T h i s i s a historical time in public e d u c a t i o n a n d TA S A i s i n t h e perfect position to lead the c h a r g e i n m a k i n g Te x a s t h e national and world leader in public education, placing our 5.3 million students well in front of the pack in this global education race.”

— K i m A l e x a n d e r, s u p e r i n t e n dent, Roscoe Collegiate ISD, Region 14 “My hope is that all school administrators see the need t o b e a m e m b e r o f TA S A b e cause of the value provided

by the organization. I also hope t h a t d i s t r i c t s w i l l l o o k t o TA S A as a source of expert training and assistance moving forward.”

—Keith Bryant, superintendent, Lubbock-Cooper ISD “ I h o p e TA S A m e m b e r s w i l l experience the certainty of a roadmap for the future that creates a support system for Te x a s t e a c h e r s a n d c h i l d r e n a n d puts confidence in our administrators irrespective of our surrounding challenges.”

—Bobby Ott, assistant superintendent, Curriculum & Instruct i o n , Te m p l e I S D “It is my hope, dream and aspir a t i o n t h a t t h e w o r k o f t h i s Ta s k Force will permeate the DNA of every public school leader in all 1,000 school districts. By increasing our capacity and performance we will increase the capacity of those we lead, including the children.”

—Greg Smith, superintendent, Clear Creek ISD “I hope that members feel deeply engaged and equipped to advocate for studentcentered schools and future-ready students, and become immersed in professional learning systems that build their leadership capacity.”

—Gayle Stinson, superintendent, Lake Dallas ISD, Region 11 “I believe this work will help TA S A i m p a c t m o r e school leaders to grow professionally. Sometimes the most difficult challenge we face is not having the time to continue to g r o w t h i n o u r p r o f e s s i o n . TA S A has always been the best resource for school administrator development and I believe this work further enhance those efforts.”

—Doug Williams, superintedent, Sunnyvale ISD, Region 10

Members Serving on the TASA 2025 Task Force Kevin Brown, Chair .................Superintendent ....................................................Alamo Heights ISD Kim Alexander ..........................Superintendent ....................................................Roscoe Collegiate ISD Alda Benavides.........................Superintendent ....................................................La Joya ISD Jo Ann Bludau ..........................Superintendent ....................................................Hallettsville ISD Fred Brent ...................................Superintendent ....................................................Georgetown ISD Keith Bryant ...............................Superintendent ....................................................Lubbock-Cooper ISD Art Cavazos ................................Superintendent ....................................................Harlingen CISD Tylor Chaplin .............................Superintendent ....................................................Burkburnett ISD Marilyn Denison ......................Assistant Superintendent ................................Coppell ISD Charles Dupre ...........................Superintendent ....................................................Fort Bend ISD Jodi Duron..................................Superintendent ....................................................Elgin ISD Clark Ealy.....................................Superintendent ....................................................College Station ISD Jose Espinoza ............................Superintendent ....................................................Socorro ISD Buck Gilcrease...........................Superintendent ....................................................Alvin ISD LaTonya Goffney ......................Superintendent ....................................................Lufkin ISD Michael Hinojosa.....................Superintendent ....................................................Dallas ISD George Kazanas .......................Superintendent ....................................................Midway ISD Michael McFarland .................Superintendent ....................................................Crowley ISD Robert McLain ..........................Superintendent ....................................................Channing ISD Kelli Moulton .............................Superintendent ....................................................Galveston ISD Paul Norton................................Superintendent ....................................................Texarkana ISD Dawson Orr................................Clinical Professor and Dept. Chair ................Southern Methodist University Bobby Ott ...................................Assistant Superintendent ................................Temple ISD Orlando Riddick .......................Superintendent ....................................................Midland ISD Robin Ryan .................................Superintendent ....................................................Grapevine-Colleyville ISD Jill Siler .........................................Superintendent ....................................................Gunter ISD Greg Smith .................................Superintendent ....................................................Clear Creek ISD Gayle Stinson ............................Superintendent ....................................................Lake Dallas ISD Robert Thornell ........................Assistant Superintendent ................................Northwest ISD Roland Toscano ........................Superintendent ....................................................East Central ISD David Vroonland......................Superintendent ....................................................Mesquite ISD Doug Williams ..........................Superintendent ....................................................Sunnyvale ISD Kevin Worthy............................. Superintendent ...................................................Royse City ISD

What’s in the TASA Strategic Framework?

The details of the TASA Strategic Framework (along with a fresh, new look for TASA!) will be unveiled and celebrated at the 2018 TASA Midwinter Conference in January! Join us there if you can, and watch for an announcement and more information on the framework to be shared through TASA’s various communication channels following the conference.

WINTER 2017

33

TCEA TECH TAKE The everyday maker: five maker movement principles to transform and empower learning

by Randy Rodgers

The act of making is in and of itself extremely engaging and powerful, promoting creativity, problem solving, design thinking, collaboration,

I

n the past few years, it has become impossible to attend an educational conference or professional learning event without encountering some form of discussion of school makerspaces and maker education. Campuses and districts are setting up their own maker spaces with high- and low-tech supplies for building whatever students are capable of imagining.

The act of making is in and of itself extremely engaging and powerful, promoting creativity, problem solving, design thinking, collaboration, and many more critical, future-ready skills. Beyond the 3-D printers, Raspberry Pis and Makey Makeys, however, the principles embodied by the maker movement can easily be used to engage students more powerfully in the core curriculum and virtually any subject area.The following five principles embody what making is about.

and many more critical, future-ready skills.

1. Elevate and celebrate questioning. Makers are question-askers, especially questions like how, what if, or is it possible. In the typical classroom, teachers are great at asking questions. Students are skilled at giving answers. However, the problems of tomorrow won’t be solved by people skilled at regurgitating memorized facts. We have the internet in the palms of our hands — memorization is both fleeting and overrated. The makers of today and innovators of tomorrow will be the curious ones who ask powerful, open-ended, and actionable questions. Why does this culture have high rates of this disease? Is this type of motor the most efficient design? What could be done about the crime in our city? How can we use less energy?

According to the Right Question Institute (rightquestion.org), the peak age for students asking genuinely curious, actionable questions occurs around age 4 and declines steadily as they progress toward adulthood. That this coincides exactly with the years spent in school is unlikely to be a coincidence. Teach students how to ask powerful questions and celebrate the really good ones. The QFT from Right Question Institute is a good strategy: rightquestion.org/educators/ resources. Share powerful student questions on the announcements or create a school or classroom display of examples of student curiosity publicly, such as a “Question Hall of Fame.” As Warren Berger states in his book, “A More Beautiful Question”, “Knowing the answers will help you in school. Knowing how to question will help you in life.”

2. Minimize the instructions. One challenge for educators is relinquishing control. As a science teacher, I was often guilty of over instruction. Instructions for labs were detailed in written, precise steps, and a properly followed plan left no doubt as to the outcomes of “learning.” Regrettably, I had effectively removed thinking, creativity and wonder from science.

Genuine problem-solving involves planning and design, and our students need time to formulate their own strategies, free of the artificial boundaries of our expectations and experiences as educators. Rather than providing step-by-step roadmaps to “learning,” teachers can present students with a problem, a challenge or a prove/disprove scenario and let the creative sparks fly.

3. Build in time for productive failure. In their book Invent to Learn, Gary Stager and Sylvia Martinez warn against the over celebration of failure that seems to be taking place in some educational

34

INSIGHT

quarters. They describe the importance of “iteration,” which can be contrasted with what we traditionally call failure in that it involves dissatisfaction with our work and making efforts to improve what we have done or made.

self-created online videos, interactive video conferencing tools such as Skype or Google Hangouts, social media, class websites or special events where invited guests get to see student projects and hear about the thoughts and processes involved in their creation.

In a typical classroom activity, failure refers to a number that is assigned to a product or activity at the end of a lesson or unit. In making, failure is a stage in the refinement of a design.This is real-life stuff that our students need more of during the school day if they are going to be prepared to overcome challenges they will face in the years to come.

One important consideration for teachers who wish to incorporate maker principles into their classroom practice is assessment. Despite significant research demonstrating the negative effects of number grades on student motivation and learning, we continue to insist on assigning a percentage to student performance.

4. Reflect on learning. Self-assessment and evaluation of one’s own learning are important parts of making. Whether through the use of workshop/engineering logs or journals, student-teacher conferencing, reflective blogging or vlogging, classroom discussions, or other means, reflection allows the glue to set, so to speak.

Giving deep, focused, and self-critical attention to the process or the product produced helps cement the learning from making and allow it to inform future projects. This concept is even more impactful when coupled with a learner setting their own project or learning goals. In fact, self-reported grading is ranked at the top of the Hattie Effect Size scale for impact on learning, at a staggering 1.44.

5. Share the learning. In The Maker Movement Manifesto, Mark Hatch lists sharing as the second core principle (behind making) of the maker movement. By sharing what they have made or learned, students inspire and engage others to participate in the learning. Authentic audiences are also highly motivating to students and critical to the effectiveness of both making and innovative approaches to teaching and learning, such as project-based learning.

If grades must be assigned, teachers can learn from the maker movement and implement assessment procedures that utilize helpful feedback, rubrics, teacher-student conferences, and self-assessment. These types of assessment focus more on identifying successful efforts and promoting improvement of less successful ones. They also embrace the open-endedness, creativity and variety of products that are paramount to successful making. It is less about arriving at a particular destination and more about the path taken to get there.

While exciting and powerful, the stand-alone school makerspaces being implemented around the nation are just a starting point. Giving students the opportunity to create and invent in these settings is often viewed as an add-on or enrichment activity. When the principles and practices of makerspaces are applied in the classroom curriculum, the potential exists for greater engagement, increased retention and a deeper understanding of what is being learned. n

Randy Rodgers is the director of digital learning for Seguin ISD, northeast of San Antonio. He currently serves on the board of directors for TCEA as the director of area 13.

Years ago, I interviewed the first group of student bloggers I had worked with at the end of their first year. Each one shared their motivation to do only their best work, “because the entire world could see it.” Students can utilize

Resources: Berger, W. “Home Overview.” http://amorebeautifulquestion.com/. Retrieved 30 Oct. 2017.

“Hattie Effect Size List.” 195 Influences Related To Achievement. https://visible-learning.org/hattie-ranking-influences-effect-sizes-learningachievement/. Retrieved October 27, 2017.

Hatch, M. (2013). The Maker Movement Manifesto. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Kohn, Alfie. “The Case Against Grades (##).” http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/case-grades/. Retrieved 29 Oct. 2017.

“Question Formulation Technique.” Right Question Institute. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from http://rightquestion.org/education/ Stager, G., & Martinez, S. (2013). Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Torrance, CA: Constructing Modern Knowledge Press.

WINTER 2017

35

SMALL SCHOOLS PERSPECTIVE Small school community relations

by Trig Overbo, Ed.D

T Top leaders always look for advice and council.

he Cambridge Dictionary defines community relations as “The relationship that a company, organization, etc. has with the people who live in the area in which it operates.” We, as district leaders, strive to have great relationships within our small communities. However, there is no script or perfect plan for good community relations because we are all different. Obviously, there are thousands of variables to community relations, but I have selected three general variables for the purposes of this article: the school leadership, the school and community culture. I have expanded these variables into four characteristics: leadership, inside out, go out, and serve.

Leadership: Who are you and who are you leading?

The first step to leadership is to know who we are and how we want to lead.

We need to understand why we do what we do. Simon Sinek says,“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” So ask, what is your why? Why do you do what you do?

After you have established who you are, ask, who are you leading? What are your community’s expectations? How do they expect you to lead both inside the school and out? Many times, the roles of a school leader are not adequately defined by the school. You need to understand what the staff and community expects from you.Turkish philosopher Hoca states,“You can only lead people where they want to go.” You need to find out the direction the school and community want to go. School leadership is too big for one person.The top leaders always look for advice and council.

How do you figure out where the stakeholders want to go? Having an open dialogue with those you’re serving is key. If you suggest an idea, be open to others shooting holes in the idea.While this may seem counterproductive at first, this is actually a useful tool to gain information about where your stakeholders’ interests lie. Our questions to others convey an openness and interest.

This is important to figure out where they want to go.

Inside out (take care of your house first) What is the culture of your “club” (school)? You need to start inside and then go out.Whatever is going on inside your school walls is certain to escape into the community, as it should. The information the community gets from information escaping the school walls will affect your relationship with the community. It starts with the culture of our club.We at Jayton-Girard ISD estimate that our district spends 80 percent of our time on the culture of our club.

I want to emphasize one relationship in your club that is vital to not only your club, but also to the community. Do you remember Carl, the janitor, from the movie,“The Breakfast Club”? He said,“I’m the eyes and ears of this institution.”What kind of relationships do you have with your auxiliary staff? Many times the folks who fill these roles are graduates of the school system. Many are staples in the community, with little expected influence, but have a place in the heart of community members. Everyone observes how the boss interacts with these staff members.The better these relationships, the better community relationships.

36

INSIGHT

Leave the building: involvement and listening

out these relationships. It is best to build become important when a leader listens. these relationships through non-school set- Listening starts with attention. Attention tings. This will give community members leads to trust, and trust leads to attention.

The first challenge is to be like Elvis and a chance to grow more confident in your leave the building. For many administrators, ability to lead them effectively.

Serve — it’s you first (it’s including myself, this is one of the most It starts with how you approach others. not an act, it’s an attitude) difficult things to do.

During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, he In the final scene of the movie “How the I still struggle with it, which reminds me and a group of travelers were crossing a Grinch Stole Christmas,” the Grinch is of a quote from General George Patton: river that had overflowed its banks. Each serving dinner. The Grinch was not serv“Remember that your primary mission as man crossed on horseback fighting for his ing himself, he was serving others. Why a leader is to see with your own eyes and life. A lone traveler watched the group tra- is he serving others? It’s because his heart to be seen by the troops when engaged in verse the treacherous river and then asked grew three times bigger. He learned that personal reconnaissance.” A large part of President Jefferson to take him across.The Christmas is not just about gifts, rather, it’s our role is to go out into the community president agreed without hesitation, the about giving. and be seen. However, the essential part of man climbed on, and the two made it safely our role is to go out and build relationships. to the other side of the river where some- We, as leaders of the small town schools, body asked him, “Why did you select the who would like good community relaI have learned that I am not leaving the president to ask this favor?” The man was tions, must get out and serve in multiple building alone — I am taking it with me. I shocked, admitting he had no idea it was capacities. This can look like serving in am taking the culture of our “club” outside the president of the United States who civic organizations, serving in the church the building and spreading it into the com- had carried him safely across.“All I know,” or volunteering at community events.The munity. I have learned the more I go out, he said, “is that on some of your faces was more the community sees the school servthe better we are within. There’s an old written the answer ‘No,’ and on some of ing them, the better opportunity there is saying, “The best fertilizer is for a farmer them was the answer, ‘Yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ to foster relationships We continuously say to walk his land.” Besides spreading the face.” that we are going to give our support back culture of the school into the community, to the community for all the support they Once you’ve shown yourself to be give us. It’s reciprocal. Cal Ripken said,“To we also give the community a voice. approachable, then give your community go anywhere, to achieve anything, it all A voice will allow community members your ear. I mean really listen, not just ear starts by saying these three words each day: to give advice, criticize, complain and even service.You can listen to their passions and Count me in.” n give us some crazy ideas. So, be prepared, emotions. You can listen to their history. if we go out and give them a voice, you You can listen to their pride in their school will hear it. Identify the important stake- and community.You can learn much from holders in the community. They may not listening to the community. One must lis- Trig Overbo, Ed.D, is superintendent be in leadership positions; however, seek ten first before influencing others. Ideas of Jayton-Girard ISD.

The 2018 Texas Reads One Book program, a literacy initiative sponsored by TASA, kicks off April 16 and will feature The Mouse and the Motorcycle. Sign up

by Jan. 31 to take advantage of the discounted rate of $4.95 per student!

Get the details: https://goo.gl/wrJf1t

Super Substitutes For Super Students A super substitute is not just a hired babysitter to fill in for an absent school employee. A super substitute engages with your super students, teaches lesson plans, presents materials creatively, and manages the classroom.

Physically Present Thoroughly Trained Well Prepared Enthusiastic Knowledgeable Professional Follows Lesson Plans Engages Students

Super Substitute

Hired Babysitter

P P P P P P P P

P X X X X X X X

Finding and retaining talented substitutes is difficult, never-ending work. We recruit, hire, train, place, and manage super substitutes.

ESS l Source4Teachers makes a difference in your schools because we’re not just placing people, we’re placing educators.

Come see us at the TASA Midwinter Conference - Booth #113 To learn how ESS l Source4Teachers can provide highly qualified substitutes to your district, contact Fred Bentsen at 832.244.5015 or FBentsen@ESS.com.

TASA Corporate Partners TASA is grateful to our 2017–18 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.

GOLD

PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE Apple Chevron Dell Edgenuity ETS Forecast5 Analytics Google K12 Insight Navigate NWEA PBK Scholastic Stantec

Achieve 3000 Apex Learning Discovery Education Education Elements engage2learn Fresh Grade High STEPS Houston ISD–Medicaid Finance & Consulting Services JASON Learning Milliken ProEthica Safari Montage Schneider Electric

PLATINUM ClassLink CollegeBoard Frontline Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Huckabee IBM Watson Education LPA Page Panorama Pearson PowerSchool Scientific Learning TCG Consulting VLK Architects

SILVER Cisco ESS|Source4Teachers Renaissance Learning

Learn more about TASA’s Corporate Partner Program 2017–18

TASA

BRONZE ABM/GCA Cenergistic Gexa Energy Hewlett Packard Hilltop Securities IDIS Indeco it’slearning Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP Lone Star Furnishings Meteor Education MIND Research Institute myON Organizational Health Performance Matters Silverback Learning Solutions Steelcase Education Turnitin Vanir Construction Management, Inc. Virco Walsh Gallegos Treviño Russo & Kyle P.C. WRA Architects

TASA Texas Association of School Administrators 406 East 11th Street Austin, TX 78701-2617

Maybe it’s time to hammer it out.

Find out what our job order contracting (JOC) program can do to help with your construction and maintenance projects on the BuyBoard®—a trusted, transparent, experienced cooperative purchasing choice.

And membership is free!

buyboard.com • 800.695.2919

Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Austin, TX Permit No. 1941