2014 tepsa august news

Serving Texas School Leaders August 2014 Vol. 71, No. 4 www.tepsa.org

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association

Inside

TEPSA News

Best Practices with Tom W. Manypage 8

MCEC President Awarded Tribute to Texas ChildrenMary Keller, EdD, President and CEO of the Military Child Educa-tion Coalition (MCEC), was awarded the association’s 2014 Sandi Borden Tribute to Texas Children at Summer Conference.

MCEC is the nation’s only nonprofit organization that serves as an advo-cate for military children around the world as they strive to meet the chal-lenges of frequent transitions, parental deployments, loss and trauma. Dr.

New Principal and Teacher Evaluation and Support SystemsTEA has released the new Princi-pal and Teacher Evaluation and Support Systems. The final docu-ment outlining the new principal standards includes several recom-mendations made by TEPSA principals and leaders who served on the steering committee.

The teacher evaluation system will be piloted in 72 school districts and charter schools this fall with state-wide implementation expected in 2015-2016. However, House Public Education Committee

members have expressed concern regarding the timeline since a law man-dating statewide implemen-tation would be necessary prior to receiving feedback from the pilot study.

Visit the list of resources in the righthand column or at www.tepsa.org. TEPSA will keep you posted on updates and additional resources as these become available.

Tech Lab with Trae Kendrickpage 18

Mistakes Leaders Make with Grant Simpsonpage 7

Legal Ease with Kevin Lungwitzpage 14

Keller has served as the organization’s executive leader since 1998. Prior to her work at MCEC, Dr. Keller served as a teacher and school administrator in several Texas school districts for more than 21 years.

“Just being around Mary made you want to be a better educator. I never would have had the courage to be a principal if not for her belief in me,” said Sharon Wright, Past State Presi-dent, Plainview ISD.

President Belinda Neal, Mary Keller and Executive Director Harley Eckhart

ResourcesNew Principal Standards Adopted into Commissioner Rule (See Attachment Part II):http://bit.ly/principalstandards

Draft of Principal Evaluation and Rubric: http://bit.ly/principalrubric

New Teacher Standards Adopted into Commissioner Rulehttp://bit.ly/teacher-standards

Draft Teacher Evaluation and Rubric:http://bit.ly/teacherrubric

Texas Comprehensive Center: Teacher and Principal Evaluation and Support Systems:http://bit.ly/txsupportsystem

• Real-time online progress monitoring to evaluate student progress on 100% of the content standards

• Total Motivation Math – You get both! Your Student Edition and Teacher Edition in books and online!

• Revised to provide teachers with the resources needed to effectively implement the NEW TEKS

• Greater rigor, depth, and complexity to meet varied student needs and ability levels

800.585.5258mentoringminds.com

Success Now with the New Math TEKS

Call and order today!

INTRODUCING

TEPSA News www.tepsa.org 3

TEPSA President/Belinda Neal, EdD

District Presidents Dianabel Gómez-Villarreal La Joya (1) Annette Sanchez Beeville (2) Laura Longoria Victoria (3) Christina Hopkins Fort Bend (4) Paul Shipman, EdD Beaumont (5) Leah Russell Navasota (6) Tana Herring Elkhart (7) Missy Walley Chapel Hill (8) Stacey Darnall Burkburnett (9) Pam Mitchell Coppell (10) Ronnita Carridine Fort Worth (11) Wendy Haider Killeen (12) Martha Werner Round Rock (13) Kim Jones Clyde (14) Lynn Schniers San Angelo (15) Reagan Oles Claude (16) Ann Callaway Meadow (17) Tanya Bell Midland (18) Michael Mackeben Clint (19) Graciela Martinez Edgewood (20)TEPSA districts coincide with regional education service center boundaries.

Staff Joni Carlson Director of Meetings Cecilia Cortez de Magallanes Marketing & Communications Manager Harley Eckhart Executive Director Ann Hopkins Membership/Standing Committees Coor. Kirsten Hund Associate Executive Director for Instruction Anita Jiles Associate Executive Director for Marketing & Communications Ken Jones Controller Trae Kendrick, EdD Chief InformationOfficer Elizabeth Kernan OfficeManager Callie Low Director of Governance & Exhibits Kristina Mora Governance & Exhibits Assistant Louis Silvas Webmaster Mark Terry Deputy Executive Director

TEPSA NewsPublished six times a year by Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors

Association. Subscription is included in TEPSA membership dues. Postage paid at Austin, Texas.

Articles may be reproduced by TEPSA members without written request, providedthatduplicationisforaneducationalpurposeatanonprofit

institution; copies are available without charge; and each copy includes full citation of the source.

Copyright © 2014 by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

ContactTEPSA 501 East 10th Street Austin, TX 78701

512-478-5268 800-252-3621 Fax: 512-478-1502 www.tepsa.org

Executive Committee Belinda Neal, EdD President, Lindale Eddie Damian President-Elect, Brazosport Nancy Tovar First Vice President, El Paso Manuel Gonzales Second Vice President, Frisco Yolanda Delaney Secretary, Canyon Victorius Eugenio NAESPRepresentative,Mansfield Harley Eckhart TEPSA Executive Director

Standing Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs Pam Mitchell Advocacy Chair, Coppell Lisa McLaughlin Advocacy Vice Chair, Deer Park Stacy Davis Membership, Marketing & PR Chair, Frenship Nayeli Carriaga Membership, Marketing & PR Vice Chair, Sharyland Lauri Schroeder Programs & Services Chair, Elgin Sue Wilson Programs & Services Vice Chair, Longview Dianne Timberlake Special Committee on Elections, Hardin-Jefferson Sharon Wright Nominating Committee Chair, Plainview Scot Clayton Nominating Committee Vice Chair, Henrietta

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association This year’s theme is “Cheering for Children.” I was reminded of the enormous responsibility we have as educators when my former student, Jonathan Cary, installed TEPSA’s 2014-2015 state officers at Summer Conference. I knew back then what a bright young man he was; however, I didn’t fully understand until years later the challenges he faced outside my classroom walls. As TEPSA members across the state listened, Jonathan elo-quently shared his story. The following excerpt pulled at our heart strings:

“When I think about the word elemen-tary, it carries more meaning for me now. The connotation evokes more thought, but the definition becomes more transparent. As with most fourth-graders, imagination and dreams are synonymous with that period in your life. Unfortunately, every fourth-grader may not get the opportunity to dream and instead endure harsh reali-ties that translate into living nightmares. Poverty, alcoholism and a broken family unit are all things that induce these nightmares and have a tendency to send kids like me on a downward spiral—one that shapes his future and perpetuates a cycle that too many kids, families, and even generations fall victim to. A mother making a choice between working a third job or helping her fourth-grader with homework is a decision that impacts one’s future. To be keenly aware as a nine-year-old that a mother’s love, hard work and dedica-tion to the well-being of her boys does not always translate to the utilities staying on, doesn’t leave much room for imagining life’s pos-sibilities. By the grace of God, the kindness and genuine care of an educator, this story turned out differently. An at-risk youth growing up in a single parent household who qualified for free lunch does not score exemplary on a state assessment. A child who witnesses violence, drugs and was a victim of abuse does not graduate high school with honors. A young man who scored less than a thousand on the SAT should not be able to compete in a university setting, complete multiple semesters with a 4.0 GPA, and graduate from Rice University. However, statistics cannot measure the power of belief, and society does not account for caring educators. I encourage you

to keep cheering, believing and giving students hope.”

As we begin this new school year, re-member to encourage the Jonathans in your life. A cheerleader on their

sidelines could make all the difference.

Keep cheering for children!

Belinda and Jonathan at Summer Conference

4 www.tepsa.org August 2014

News BriefsFree Software Helps Students and Educators Explore the World Texas school nutrition programs have until August 31 to take

advantage of the new Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Be-ginning in the 2014-2015 school year, CEP is a federal option that allows high poverty schools to provide free meals—both breakfast and lunch—to all students without having to collect school meal applications. Instead schools are reimbursed through a formula based on the number of “identified students”—those certified without application for free school meals due to their enrollment in other programs for low income students. Learn more:• 2015-2016 State Compensatory Education Funding and

Implementation of the Community Eligibility Provision (TEA): https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5_wAPuk6FgyejNjSzd-hbzRzMnc/edit?pli=1

• A Guide to Implementing Community Eligibility (Center for Public Policy Priorities): http://www.cbpp.org/files/10-1-13fa-guide.pdf

• Making Breakfast Big in Texas (Center for Public Policy Pri-orities): http://forabettertexas.org/images/FN_2014_02_BreakfastForAll_web.pdf

• Google Drive of Documents Collected Related to the Community Eligibility Provision (Various Sources): https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B-OVkxjAj_tNLTJpaGkteGozQ00&usp=sharing

Community Eligibility Provision Deadline: Aug 31

Scan code or visit http://www.tepsa.org/?SampleTepsa to sample resources including the webinar “Rigor for Students with Special Needs” presented by Barbara Blackburn.

When You’re Successful, Your Students Are Too!TEPSA and NAESP’s #1 priority is ensuring you have all the

support you need to focus on your #1 priority—students.

[ [Why join the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)?Combined membership in TEPSA and NAESP provides you with the latest best practices in student achievement, up-dates on topics that impact your work, access to a nationwide network of colleagues, plus much more including:• Free online learning on timely topics such as rigor,

accountability and discipline.• Discounted rates on professional development

featuring state and national education experts.• News and resources to stay current and train staff.

Join or renew at www.tepsa.org.

ArcGIS Online is a free software that allows educators and students to explore a subject, region or event using layers of map data and content from experts in government, research and industry. If students are using their own devices in the classroom, they can download the ArcGIS app available for An-droid, iOS, and Windows Phone. A sample of the resources available include:• GIS for History - Investigate critical

moments in American history: http://bit.ly/GISforhistory

• ArcGIS Online Five By Five - Five Activi-ties You Can Do In 5 Minutes Each (No login required): http://bit.ly/ago5X5

Learn more at http://bit.ly/ArcGISonline.

Source: TCEA TechNotes. (2014, June 24). “His-tory Never Looked So Good!” Texas Computer Education Association. http://www.tcea.org.


School Spending Continues to Fall

Texas Universities Rank High for Teacher Prep ProgramsThe elementary undergraduate programs at Dallas Baptist, Texas A&M, the Uni-versity of Houston and the University of Texas at Austin ranked among the top 10 in the country in recent rankings released by the National Council for Teacher Quality. Factors considered in the ranking included selection criteria, early reading, elementary math and student teaching. To see how other Texas university pro-grams ranked, visit http://bit.ly/txprep.

Source: Radcliffe, J. (2014, June 20). “Texas does well in teacher training rankings.” Houston Chronicle. Available at http://blog.chron.com/k12zone/2014/06/texas-does-well-in-teacher-training-rankings/.

National Council on Teacher Quality. http://www.nctq.org/teacherPrep/review2014/findings/byState/stateInstitutions.jsp?state=TX#title.

According to the Census Bureau, total school funding fell in 2012 for the first time since 1977. From 2010 to 2012, funding fell more than 20 percent, and it continues to fall with state and local funding per student essentially flat in 2012 (most recent year for which data is available). The national average for spending per pupil was $10,608. Texas spent an average of $8,260 per pupil.

Urban districts have been particularly hit by cuts in federal education spending. Nearly 90 percent of big-city school dis-tricts spent less per student in 2012 than when the recession ended in 2009. Budget cuts have also meant that student-teacher ratios are at their highest levels since 2000. Nationally, the student-teacher ratio is now 16:1.

Sources: Casselman, B. (2014, June 10). “Public schools are hurting more in the recovery than in the recession.” FiveThirtyEight’s Economics. Available at http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/public-schools-are-hurting-more-in-the-recovery-than-in-the-recession/.

Madhusudan, S. (2014, June 18). “Texas among least-spending states on education.” Dallas CityBiz List. Available at http://dallas.citybizlist.com/article/texas-among-least-spending-states-education.

News BriefsIncreased Flexibility for Federal Grant FundsTEA recently announced a new initiative to provide increased flexibility for subrecipients of federal education grants adminis-tered by the agancy. The initiative supports one of Commissioner Williams’ top agency priorities for Texas education in closing gaps in student achievement. TEA will release new information about the flexibility initiative as it becomes available.

Dr. Nora Hancock, Associate Commissioner for Grants and Fed-eral Fiscal Compliance, who is spearheading this priority effort, outlined key policy changes and upcoming guidance on oppor-tunities for LEAs to exercise flexibility during a presentation at Summer Conference. Visit http://bit.ly/nhhandout to access her presentation handout.

Source: Texas Education Agency.

[Texas Voters Support Array of Education ReformAccording to results from a University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll, voters support an array of proposed education reforms, including higher pay for teachers, increased funding for public education, less standardized tests, statewide PreK and greater local control over schools. Among Republican voters, increased funding, more local control and vouchers were among the three reforms deemed most effective. For Democrat voters the top three reforms were increased funding, reduced testing and statewide PreK.

Source: Ramsey, R. (2014, June 17). “UT/TT Poll: Voters open to education chang-es.” The Texas Tribune. Available at http://www.texastribune.org/2014/06/17/uttt-poll-voters-open-education-changes/.

Cultivating Empathy on Your CampusThe start of a new school year is a great time to set the tone in how your students, teachers and parents relate to one another. Cultivating empathy on your campus can help reduce bullying and result in better relationships and stronger learning commu-nities. Following are a few steps from Edutopia’s nine-part series based on the Project Happiness curriculum that you can take to develop empathy:1. Start with teachers. Combat teacher burnout by offering not only professional support, but emotional support as well.2. Make sure that all students have a voice by building trust and validating what children have to say.3. Encourage children to befriend those considered “different,” or who may have a disability or be new to the school.

Learn more at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-happiness-empathy-randy-taran.

Source: Taran, R. “Building social and emotional skills in elementary students: Empathy.” (2013, April 16). Edutopia. Available at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-happiness-empathy-randy-taran.


Current ResearchStudy Shows Benefits of Early Financial EducationTexas Students Beat

National Graduation AverageIn a study recently released by the USDE, only Iowa posted a higher graduation rate than Texas for the Class of 2012. Texas, with a graduation rate of 88 percent, tied for second place with Nebraska, Vermont and Wisconsin. In addi-tion, the Texas Class of 2012 had the highest graduation rate in the country among African-American students and tied for the highest graduation rates for white and eco-nomically disadvantaged students.

Source: Texas Education Agency. (2014, April 29). “Texas’ high school graduation rates shine in national comparison.” Available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/news_release.aspx?id=25769810912.

Results from a study exploring the impact of school-based financial educa-tion and account access in elementary schools showed: • Even relatively brief classroom financial education significantly im-proved student financial knowledge and the effects of the education per-sisted up to a year later.• A student with access to banking in his or her school was more likely to have a savings account than a student who did not.

Amarillo ISD was one of two school districts nationally that partici-pated in the study. The study was a project of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Opportunity Texas (an initiative of the Center for Public Policy Priorities and RAISE Texas), the Corporation for Enterprise Development, the Center for Financial Security at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and the Texas Council on Economic Education. In Texas, the findings have prompted OpportunityTexas to launch the Texas Children’s Savings Partnership to encourage all Texas families to open savings accounts for postsecondary education in connection with the state’s new personal financial education curriculum. Opportunity Texas plans to conduct a series of pilots over the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years to refine the plan before expanding the effort.

Source: Center for Public Policy Priorities. (2014). “Financial Education and Account Access Among Elementary Students.” Available at http://www.forabettertexas.org/images/AFCO_Youth_Full_Report_Final.pdf.

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Mistakes School Leaders Make/Grant W. Simpson, PhD

Read more from Dr. Simpson in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

Dr. Grant W. Simpson is Dean of the School of Edu-cation at St. Edward’s University. He also serves on the State Board of Educator Certification with a term expiring February 2017.

Remember the bandaid box we all carry? Because ours is a helping profession, we are ever alert for life’s booboos, ready with literal and figurative bandaids in our back pockets. We live to “make it better,” espe-cially when someone is suffering. Unfortunately, this human kindness can also be a mistake we make.

When a “tale of woe” comes our way and we choose to put on our listening hat, we must not only allocate some time but also maintain silence. Both of these are conscious decisions. While that light bulb is on, the voice inside our head needs to chant, “Affirm the feeling!” However, we are more than likely to slap on a bandaid of choice. Consider the following: Your talented, successful assistant principal has car trouble, and you volunteer to pick him up. On the way to school, his frustration bubbles over profusely as he recounts an incident with his own child that made him furious. He says repeatedly: “I am just so angry and I don’t know what to do.” Your primal urge is to make this pain go away, and you immediately think of several supportive things to say, including:

• Reassurance/praise = “Oh John, you are a wonder-ful parent, and I’m confident you can work this out.”• Advice = “My kid did something similar. Here’s what worked for me.”• Logic = “John, we’re two blocks from school. Let’s check in at lunch. I’m sure you’ll come up with a solid plan by then.”

Three strikes, you’re OUT! Supportive but WRONG! John wants someone to hear his story and validate his current experience. AFFIRM THE FEELING! So instead of the above platitudes, you simply acknowl-edge where he’s at with, “You seem very upset about this.” Or “You’re really angry at your kid.” Or “That must suck.” These show that you listened and picked up on his pain. The bandaid responses just cover feel-ings up or worse ignore them. They can even send the message of, “You shouldn’t feel this way.” Too late! He already does, and it’s OK. We all get angry, have moments of despair, feel guilty, and even want to run

away. Acknowledging that the bad feeling is present and real can be step one in moving on.

There’s good news in all this. After you affirm the feeling, John is more likely to take steps toward problem solving or rational thinking. Neither of those can happen in the heat of the moment. So when John seems calmer, you can gently probe, “So what’s your plan?” His response will be very telling one way or the other. “I said I don’t know what to do?” Oops…he’s not ready. Go back to affirming. “You’re at a loss?” But maybe he replies, “I’m not sure yet, but am glad I didn’t react out of anger.” Aha...baby steps forward.

Let’s take this to a larger context. My current insti-tution is undergoing lots of change, largely due to growth. With change comes existential havoc. Good people start getting panicky or even paranoid. They worry that the good things will be washed away, that jobs will be cut, that freedom will be limited. These fears may be justifiable. But even if totally irrational, they are real for them. In such circumstances, the very last thing that helps is someone saying in disbelief, “Why on earth are you feeling that way?” Rather, car-ing leadership affirms that change is difficult and scary; it makes us uncomfortable, but that discomfort is part of the path to quality and excellence. So if we’re uneasy now, it’s probably right where we should be.

Let’s go lots smaller. When your own kid/grandkid calls out at night and says there’s a monster in the room, what will you say? Will you turn on the lights, give a science lesson, and assure there is no reason to be afraid? I really hope not.

nvalidating e perience


Best Practices/Tom W. Many, EdD

The question whether PLCs are still relevant caused me to reflect on talks with teachers and principals about why they should embrace the PLC process as a way to improve their schools. These conversations sometimes end with comments like, “Oh, we’ve heard all that PLC stuff before” or “We already read that PLC book” or my favorite, “We did PLCs last year. This year we’re doing teacher evaluation and the Common Core.” Comments like these make me wonder why so many schools talk about the PLC process, but continue to engage in prac-tices that have proven to be ineffective? Why is it that some teachers are allowed to ignore the value of a guar-anteed and viable curriculum, timely feedback from formative assessments or additional help when stu-dents need more time and support to learn? How can anyone justify teachers working in isolation when the evidence supporting collaboration is so overwhelming? I haven’t discovered answers to these questions and despite the fact that the PLC process has emerged as the most effective strategy for achieving long-term and sustained school improvement, the successful imple-mentation of PLCs remains an elusive goal in many schools. So, to reconcile my colleague’s question with questions of my own, I offer six reasons why the PLC process is more relevant today than ever before.

Why Professional Learning Communities Are Relevant Reason #1: Because We Need to Prepare Our Students for the 21st Century The PLC process embodies some of the most im-portant 21st century skills students will need to

succeed. Bill Ferriter argues that in order to help students prepare for future, it is far more important for teachers to be “learning savvy” than “tech savvy.” Technology can facilitate and accelerate learning but students will need skillful teachers to help them “learn how to learn” using these powerful new tools. The PLC process promotes the kind job embedded professional development teachers need to sharpen their pedagogy, deepen their content knowledge, and create, collaborate, and communicate with each other while becoming learners themselves.

Reason #2: Because We Need a New Definition of Success The PLC process promotes the belief that all kids can learn. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that traditional schools are based on a statisti-cal construct called the “normal curve?” In the past, it was assumed that not all students would (or could) learn to high levels. It was expected that some students would succeed, some would fail and most would fall somewhere in the middle. Schools were expected to rank and sort kids across a “normal distribution.” As Benjamin Bloom observed, the problem with this no-tion is that, “the normal curve describes the outcome of a random process. Since education is a purposeful [intentional] activity in which we seek to have students learn what we teach, each achievement distribution should be very different from a normal curve if our instruction is effective.” The PLC process promotes high expectations by encouraging teachers to collabo-rate around results and identify which practices should

Why Professional Learning Communities Are More Relevant Than Ever

A colleague asked why some schools continue working on professional learning communities. “No offense,” he asked, “but are PLCs still relevant? Aren’t they past their prime? A little passé?”


Read more from Dr. Many in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

Dr. Tom Many is an author and consultant. His career in education spans more than 30 years.

be retained, refined and/or rejected. The result of this continuous improvement process is a “new normal” for the traditional normal curve—one that is skewed to the right and reflects all students learning.

Reason #3: Because Every Child Deserves a Quality EducationThe PLC process promotes a commitment to equity and fairness. Some children come from learning enriched backgrounds, others from learning impover-ished backgrounds. In learning enriched homes, par-ents are involved and expose their children to a variety of experiences that create a predisposition to learning. The opposite is true in learning impoverished homes. If education is to fulfill its essential role in America as the great equalizer, significant achievement and opportu-nity gaps must close to allow all students access to the kind of world-class education that will prepares them for college and careers in the 21st century. In schools functioning as PLCs, teachers embrace their responsi-bility to create high quality learning experiences for all children, regardless of their background. They accept the challenge posed by Barbara Coloroso who said, “Children from learning enriched homes may make our jobs easier but children from learning impover-ished homes make our jobs important.”

Reason #4: Because What We Do as Teachers Does MatterThe PLC process promotes teacher efficacy. Inher-ent in the belief that all kids can learn is a belief that as teachers, we can teach all kids. We know differ-ences in children’s backgrounds exist but the more important question is, “What are we doing about those differences?” Almost five decades of Effective Schools research and Bob Marzano’s meta-analysis of What Works in Schools show that effective schools almost entirely mitigate the influence of negative demographic factors. John Hattie found 32 factors more impactful than the home a child comes from, and Rick DuFour observed, “The collective efficacy

[belief] of a staff is a better pre-dictor of their students’ success than the socioeconomic status of the students.” In a PLC, teachers understand that the school a child goes to is more important than the home a child comes from.

Reason #5: Because Our Kids will Compete in a Global Economy The PLC process supports the kinds of schools that will enhances our nation’s economic competitive-ness. In 2011, results showed the U.S. made statisti-cally significant gains on international assessments and scored above the international average in all subjects. Yet students from several countries (in-cluding Finland) continued to outperform American students. Finland’s performance has drawn the at-tention of educators from around the world. Experts have identified several attributes of the Finnish educational system that are distinctive and contrib-ute to their success. For example, the Finnish school system uses the same curriculum for all students. Finland uses very little standardized testing and re-lies instead on early and frequent diagnostic testing of students. If students need extra help, intensive in-tervention is provided. Groups of teachers regularly visit each other’s classes to observe their colleagues at work and teachers typically receive one afternoon per week of professional development. These same practices are closely aligned with the PLC process.

Reason #6: Because as Good as We are, We Need to be Even BetterEven the best schools need to keep improving. The PLC process helps align what we do with what we know is effective. Nearly every school’s mission statement identifies learning as their fundamental purpose so if that is true, the question then becomes how committed are we to that mission? As Ken Blanchard said, “There is a difference between interest and commitment. When you are interested in doing something, you do it when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something, you accept no excuses, only results.” When schools are committed to learning, teachers embrace the notion of continuous improvement. They guard against becoming compla-cent, question the “precedent of past practice,” and re-ject ineffective policies, practices and procedures just because “that’s the way we’ve always done it around here.” Schools functioning as a PLC understand that past practice represents history, not prophecy and rely on the Critical Questions of Learning to guide their improvement efforts.


Register by September 4 and save! Member - $262 (Register by September 4 - $212)Nonmember - $322 (Register by September 4 - $272)Registration includes Monday’s lunch.

Make your reservations directly with the Austin Omni Southpark Hotel:4140 Governors Row | 512-448-2222TEPSA room rates: $108 single; $148 double; $158 triple; and $178 quadCut-off date: September 7

Join assistant principals from across the state to strengthen your instructional leadership capacity and prepare for the principalship. In-depth work-shops focus on specific topics that matter most in your role including supporting teacher growth, effective time management, successful behavior strategies and up-to-date legal advice.

Plus network with peers and get tips from veteran principals. Gain new skills and tools to maximize your leadership potential!

Assistant Principals ConferenceSeptember 28-30 | Austin Omni Southpark

Register online at www.tepsa.org.

Learn to create a shared vision of high expectations and implement a rigorous instructional program to ensure student success!


TEPSA Live Learning Center: Education-On-the-Go!If you attended Summer Conference, you should have received an email with login and password to access the TEPSA Live Learning Center fea-turing 50 hours of Summer Conference content using the latest recording technology:•Share with and train your staff.•Access 24/7 on your mobile device and/or tablet•Download handouts

Visit http://tepsa.sclivelearningcenter.com. Need more information? Email [email protected] or call 800-252-3621.

Applications for the State Schools of Character Award are due December 1. The award recognizes PreK-8 schools and districts that demonstrate outstanding character education initiatives based on the 11 Principles of Character Education that yield positive results in student behavior, school climate and academic performance. State winners advance to compete in the National Schools of Character (NSOC) award program which will be awarded by the Character Education Partnership in March.

Visit http://www.character.org/schools-of-character/national-schools-of-character-overview/application-process/.

State Schools of Character Application Now Available

Association News

Sept 25 Del Rio Sept 30 Southlake Oct 2 Fort Worth (Peace Elem) Oct 3 Irving Oct 7 Victoria Oct 7 McKinney Oct 9 Northside (Steubing Elem)Oct 10 Northside (Forester Elem)Oct 10 Royse City Oct 14 Killeen Oct 15 Georgetown Oct 16 Mercedes Oct 17 Buda Oct 17 Harlingen

Oct 21 Clear Creek Oct 21 Kilgore Oct 23 Sugar Land Oct 23 Plano Oct 24 Pasadena Oct 28 Fort Bend Oct 28 Fort Worth (Phillips Elem)Oct 30 Sour Lake Oct 30 Coppell Nov 6 Abilene Nov 7 MidlandNov 7 El Paso Nov 18 Galveston

StuCo 2014: Leading the Way Around TexasLeaders ‘ ’ UsTM Student Council Workshop ScheduleR

Registration is $46/person and includes lunch and materials.

Learn more and register at www.tepsa.org.

Ready from the STAART! K-2 Learning ConferenceMark your calendar for lead4ward and TEPSA’s one-day workshop on building a strong founda-tion in the early years. Get your teacher team ready to explore developmentally appropriate assessments that lead to sound instructional practices for K-2. Registration and more informa-tion coming soon!

Fall dates and location:•November 18: San Antonio

Omni Colonnade•November 19: San Antonio

Omni Colonnade

Spring dates and location:•April 8: Irving Convention Center•April 9: Irving Convention Center


National Distinguished Principal Finalists: Mya Asberry, Everman ISDAlma Guzman, Georgetown ISDSylvia Ibarra, McAllen ISDStephanie McConnell, Pittsburg ISDJudy Murray, Comal ISDMelissa Portwood, Lubbock ISDCynthia Rodriguez, McAllen ISD Nickolas Smith, Midway ISDCherie Wagoner, Birdville ISD

Assistant Principals of the Year: Erika Gonzalez, La Joya ISD, District 1Rita Stracener, Banquete ISD, District 2Kristin Hunt, Victoria ISD, District 3Lorena Zertuche, Katy ISD, District 4Miracle Daniel, Hardin-Jefferson ISD, District 5Theresa Waller, Conroe ISD, District 6Cathryn Greer, Lufkin ISD, District 7Jennifer Sumrow, Mount Vernon ISD, District 8Erica Adkins, Wichita Falls ISD, District 9Amber Teamann, Garland ISD, District 10Lisa Walker, Carroll ISD, District 11Wendy Haider, Killeen ISD, District 12

Congratulations to all PreK-8 Award Recipients!2014 National Assistant Principal for Texas

Katy ISD’s Lorena Zertuche is the 2014 National Assistant Princi-pal of the Year for Texas. Since the announcement she has been promoted to principal in Katy ISD. Lorena also serves on TEPSA’s Advocacy Com-mittee.

The National Assistant Principal of the Year award is sponsored by TEPSA in co-ordination with the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Horace Mann supports the Texas program.

Learn more about TEPSA’s Awards Program at www.tepsa.org.

Kimmie Etheredge, Northwest ISD, is the 2014 National Distin-guished Principal (NDP). Leading a school that has more than doubled in popula-

tion in the last seven years, Ether-edge has nurtured an impressive culture of academic excellence, positive character and active par-ent involvement.

“The principalship is a highly complex job,” TEPSA Executive Director Harley Eckhart said. “Kimmie has a proven record for building a successful learning culture so that all teachers and students succeed.”

Challenged with opening a new campus in a developing subdivi-sion that lacked a particular “city”affiliation, Etheredge created a vision and led her staff to create a community as well as a school. Granger was Exemplary their first year and seven years later, the students and teachers continue to excel. The campus boasts more than 10,000 yearly volunteer hours earning Granger Northwest ISD’s coveted Partner in Educa-

Kimmie EtheredgePhoto courtesy of Provine.

tion Campus of the Year for three consecutive years.

In 2012, Granger Elementary was recognized as a Texas State School of Character. In 2013, the campus was honored as a Na-tional School of Character. Last year, the office had fewer than 20 discipline referrals for a popula-tion of 865 students.

Etheredge was awarded a check for $10,000 thanks to a generous donation from long-time TEPSA business partner Mentoring Minds. She will represent Texas at the National Distinguished Principals program held in Washington, D.C. in October. Nominate an outstand-ing principal for NDP award at www.tepsa.org.

Texas’ 2014 National Distinguished Principal

Lorena Zertuche, EdDPhoto courtesy of Provine.

12 www.tepsa.org


National Distinguished Principal Finalists: Mya Asberry, Everman ISDAlma Guzman, Georgetown ISDSylvia Ibarra, McAllen ISDStephanie McConnell, Pittsburg ISDJudy Murray, Comal ISDMelissa Portwood, Lubbock ISDCynthia Rodriguez, McAllen ISD Nickolas Smith, Midway ISDCherie Wagoner, Birdville ISD

Assistant Principals of the Year: Erika Gonzalez, La Joya ISD, District 1Rita Stracener, Banquete ISD, District 2Kristin Hunt, Victoria ISD, District 3Lorena Zertuche, Katy ISD, District 4Miracle Daniel, Hardin-Jefferson ISD, District 5Theresa Waller, Conroe ISD, District 6Cathryn Greer, Lufkin ISD, District 7Jennifer Sumrow, Mount Vernon ISD, District 8Erica Adkins, Wichita Falls ISD, District 9Amber Teamann, Garland ISD, District 10Lisa Walker, Carroll ISD, District 11Wendy Haider, Killeen ISD, District 12

Danielle Taylor, New Braunfels ISD, District 13Mary Helen Gonzalez, Abilene ISD, District 14Miranda Coffey, San Angelo ISD, District 15Stacie Jones, Highland Park ISD, District 16Mary Jane Poormon, Lubbock ISD, District 17Linda Silvas, Midland ISD, District 18Teresa Wilks, Ysleta ISD, District 19Manuela Haberer, Northside ISD, District 20

TEPSANs of the Year: Pat Viera, Sharyland ISD, District 1Kurt Adams, Corpus Christi ISD, District 2Pam Weathersby, Calhoun County ISD, District 3Ben Perez, Lamar CISD, District 4Amanda Jenkins, Hamshire-Fannett ISD, District 5Natalie Jones, Bellville ISD, District 6Tana Herring, Elkhart ISD, District 7Missy Walley, Chapel Hill ISD, District 8Clarisa Richie, Wichita Falls ISD, District 9Jackie Gorena, Irving ISD, District 10Trish McKeel, Keller ISD, District 11Sara Watson, Killeen ISD, District 12Martha Werner, Round Rock ISD, District 13David Adams, Abilene ISD, District 14Lynn Schniers, San Angelo ISD, District 15Yolanda Delaney, Canyon ISD, District 16Judy Sage, Seminole ISD, District 17Sharla Butler, Midland ISD, District 18Michelle Aubé-Barton, Socorro ISD, District 19Dana Bashara, Alamo Heights ISD, District 20

State School of CharacterSouthside Elementary, Angleton ISDPrincipal: Jerri McNeill

State and National School of CharacterW. R. Hatfield, Northwest ISDPrincipal: Cathy Sager

Scholastic Book Fairs 2013 Summer Reading Challenge Top SchoolJackson Elementary, McAllen ISDPrincipal: Sylvia Ibarra

Student Council Excellence AwardsFor a complete list of 2012-2013 Student Council Excellence Schools and 2012-2013 Student Coun-cil Excellence Schools visit https://tepsa.site-ym.com/?HonorCouncil.

TEPSA Awards CelebrationSpecial thanks to TEPSA Partner Provine School Pictures

for taking Awards Reception photos.Visit TEPSA’s Facebook page for additional photos.

www.tepsa.org 13


Legal Ease/Kevin Lungwitz

Facebook, Twitter and The First Amendment:What are the boundaries of employee free speech?The explosion of digital technology and social media has allowed almost every employee to share his or her opinions with digital “followers”—and ostensibly the world—with the tap of a screen. This is no longer a new topic. We’re living it every day and we will continue to read stories about employees getting into trouble via electronic media which has morphed over the last few decades from phones to fax machines to email to social media. Who among us can keep up with the latest social media trend? MySpace becomes Facebook becomes Twitter becomes Snap Chat and on and on. There is no end in sight to this trend and so the discussion continues. How free are employees to express their opinions about the school in which they work? How free are they to express their opinions about you?

The Spewing of Opinions on Social MediaImagine three teachers on your campus posted the following on their individual Facebook pages, Twitter, Snap Chat or (fill in the blank with the snazziest, latest social media rage). Further, let us assume that all of these comments were made on the employee’s own time at home on his/her own electronic equipment/device and network:• I am tired of seeing some of our “economically

disadvantaged” students arriving to school in a pretty new BMW. I think I should quit my job and become “economically disadvantaged” so I can drive a better car and get a free lunch.

• Our principal moved me from fourth grade to first grade. He doesn’t even get the differences between the two grades. I’ve never liked teaching first grade so wish me lots of luck.

• Our school board blew it last night when they approved the building of a new high school. We don’t need it and we can’t afford it. What a bunch of morons!

Let the Backlash BeginLet’s assume you receive complaints about these three different teachers. This is because the entire school

community became aware of the comments shortly after they were posted and went viral in the district. The parent who drives the “pretty new BMW” figured out she was the target of the teacher’s diatribe. The parent tells you, “The BMW is not ‘pretty new’ and we don’t even own it!” Further, “How dare the teacher lash out at economically disadvantaged students?” Regarding the second statement, a parent of a rising first grader takes issue with the fact that the teacher admits he doesn’t like teaching first grade. “How can I trust this teacher with my child if he doesn’t even like to teach first grade?” Finally, a school board member calls you to say she did not like being criticized by your teacher regarding the vote on the new high school, and she does not appreciate being called a “moron,” especially by a school employee. All of these complainants want you to discipline the teachers.

Can you discipline these employees or is their speech protected?In order to answer that question, we need to establish a few general rules set forth by the U.S. Supreme Court for analyzing employee free speech: 1. Matters of Public Concern - Employees generally

have free speech protection for speaking as a citizen on “matters of public concern.”1 For example, a teacher would generally be protected for writing a letter to the editor of the local paper (remember those?) endorsing a board member in an election. If a letter to the editor would be protected, so would the same comment in social media. However, one difference between letters to the editor and social media is that letters to the editor are frequently edited for inappropriate content or name-calling. Social media has no such filters.

2. Pure employee speech - The inverse of the “matters of public concern” rule is that complaints limited to the employee’s own working conditions generally do not rise to the level of First Amendment protection. Even when speaking on matters of public concern, if the employee’s speech is part of his or her job responsibilities, it is not protected. In the leading case, an assistant district attorney was critical of law enforcement in an internal memo to his supervisors and was later disciplined. The Supreme Court held his speech was not protected because it was part of his job duties, and thus, he was not speaking as a citizen.2

3. The Pickering Balancing Test - Even if the employee is speaking as a citizen on a matter of


legal easeWebinars with Kevin Lungwitz

Free for members! Join Kevin Lungwitz for current education law updates and information on legal hot topics. Archived recordings are available 24/7 to all TEPSA members. Visit www.tepsa.org.}

Kevin Lungwitz is TEPSA’s Outside General Counsel.

Note: Information from Legal Ease is believed to be correct upon publication, but is not warranted and should not be considered legal advice. Please contact TEPSA or your school district attorney before taking any legal action, as specific facts or circumstances may cause a different legal outcome. Archives of past columns are available to members in Legal Resources at www.tepsa.org.

public concern, the governmental employer may show that its interest in promoting an efficient (and non-disruptive) work place outweighs the employee’s right to free speech.3

4. Employee speech pursuant to a subpoena is protected - The U.S. Supreme Court announced on June 19, 2014, that an employee may not be disciplined for giving sworn testimony pursuant to a subpoena.4

With the caveat that these are complicated matters which require a parsing of facts and free speech case law, I opine as follows:

The first teacher could most likely be disciplined for such conduct. In a recent case, a Child Protective Services worker in Oregon posted similar comments on her Facebook page, complaining about how seemingly affluent some of her “needy” clients were, commenting on their nice cars and flat screen TVs. While it could be argued that this is protected social or political commentary, the court ruled that the comments caused a disruption of trust and service between the employee and her clients, and that the speech was not protected.5 In other words, the employer’s interest in running an efficient and non-disruptive work place outweighed the employee’s right to free speech, per Pickering. The second teacher arguably has even less First Amendment protection. The comments seem to be more about his plight as a disgruntled teacher and his working conditions than they do about a broader social commentary or matter of public concern. Furthermore, the district has a valid interest in building confidence in its customers. The teacher’s comments seem to directly undercut that effort. While the teacher’s public criticism of the administrator is pretty mild in this example, in another case, a court ruled against the employee who lashed out at his supervisor on social media saying, “a supervisor is entitled to a modicum of respect and decorum in work related situations.”6 Perhaps such comments should have been made by the teacher in

the district’s grievance system instead of Facebook, where they would receive customary protection from retaliation even if the complaint does not rise to protected First Amendment speech.

The third teacher, in my opinion, is the most protected for engaging in pure, political commentary about building a new high school. Most courts would agree this is protected speech. But what about the “moron” comment? This is the kind of comment that would have been edited from a letter to the editor, but in today’s social media explosion, the “moron” comment is published to the world. The teacher could arguably be disciplined for that comment.

Finally, note I do not argue each of these teachers must be disciplined, nor do I explain what level of discipline any of these employees might receive. That will depend on the fleshing out of many more facts which might include the environment in which the speech was made, the seriousness of the complaint, and the disciplinary history of the teacher. Like so many legal topics, this is a gray area not prone to being determined by looking at a chart or graph. This is a discussion best left between you, your supervisors and the school lawyer, all of whom will have to defend the adverse employment action.

Endnotes1Connick v. Myers, 461 U.S. 138, 103 S.Ct. 1684 (1983)2 Garcetti v. Ceballos, 547 U.S. 410, 126 S.Ct. 1951 (2006)3Pickering v. Board of Education, 391 U.S. 563 (1968)4 Lane v. Franks, 573 U.S. __ (2014)5 Shepard v. McGee, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 159432 (Dist. Ct. Oregon 2013)6 Curan v. Cousins, 482 F. Supp. 2d 36 (D. Mass. 2007)

Mark your calendar. Topics coming soon!September 11October 9

November 13December 11

January 8February 12

March 12April 9


12,342Viewed recorded

webinars and shared them with staff

2013-2014 Annual ReportTexas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association

5,929Total

Members

2,816PrincipalMembers

1,990AssistantPrincipals

199Aspiring

Administrators

154TEPSA/NAESP

3,421 attended regional and statewide

learning events

181Served by legal services

96Schools recognized

with Student Council Excellence Award

2,282 students trained through

Student Council Workshop

719 advisors trained through

Student Council Workshop

Visit https://tepsa.site-ym.com/?HonorCouncil for a list of Student Council Excellence Schools.

TEPSA meets the needs of principals in every way:

advocacy, professional growth, visionary thinking and net-

working. Why would a principal not be a member?!?


FinancialsAs of fiscal year ending June 30, 2013

Appraisal value of TEPSA’s downtown Austin office,

the associaton’s single biggest asset:

$1.3 million

Annual operating budget: $3 millionEstimated amount in reserve account: $1.8 million The estimated reserve would cover nine months of operating expenses. The suggested reserve for the association industry is six months of operating expenses.

TEPSA is in sound financial position.

Kimmie EtheredgeTexas’ 2014 National Distingushed Principal

Harley Eckhart Takes the helm as new Exceutive Director

AdvocacyTEPSA is well represented with

lawmakers at the state and national levels. The association also collaborates with state agencies and other education

associations. For a current list of advocacy efforts, please visit

http://www.tepsa.org/?KeyIssues.

To join TEPSA’s Legislative Networkemail [email protected].

Belinda Neal, EdDPresident, Lindale Eddie DamianPresident-Elect, Brazosport Nancy TovarFirst Vice President, El Paso Manuel GonzalesSecond Vice President, FriscoYolanda DelaneySecretary, Canyon Victorius EugenioNAESPRepresentative,Mansfield Harley Eckhart TEPSA Executive Director

2014-2015Executive Committee:

Visit http://www.tepsa.org/?AboutTEPSAVolunteers to find out how you can become more involved with TEPSA.


Tech Lab/Trae Kendrick, Ed.D.

Dr. Trae Kendrick is TEPSA’s Chief Learning Officer.

Read more tech tips in the Resources section at www.tepsa.org.

andLearnLunch Grab your lunch and join us for online learning

on timely topics. Free for current members! All webinars will be held from 11-11:45am Central. No registration required. Visit www.tepsa.org.

Save the dates. Topics and presenters coming soon!September 3October 1

What is the one thing that often completely plagues a principal’s calendar? You guessed it. Meetings, meetings, and more meetings. And often times, the principal has to do more than just show up for the meeting, he/she has to lead it. Check out the following apps for help in the preparation and organization of your meetings:

MailShot: One major shortcoming in iOS is the inabil-ity to create groups in Mail. Since most principals are sending emails to groups of people on their campuses, this can be especially frustrating. One solution to this is MailShot (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mailshot-pro-group-email-done/id445996226?mt=8) Bonus Tip: If you’re not using the Remind app for group texting, check out Text Shot (http://solubleapps.com/textshot/).

Timer: If there’s one thing that can get a meeting off track, it’s lack of attention to time. Take advantage of the built-in Timer app in the iOS Control Center. Simply swipe up from your home key for the Control Center. Set the allotted time for small group discus-sion or brainstorming, and you’ll have no need for the outdated approach of appointing a timekeeper. Take it one notch up and connect your iOS device to a projector so the timer is displayed for everyone. If

you want something a little fancier than the basic built-in timer, check out Timer+ (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/timer+/id391564049?mt=8). Bonus Tip: This app works great for students who need a visual timer to help manage their work time or behavior, too!

Note Anytime Lite: A good notetaking app can save a busy principal (or the school secretary) a great deal of time. There are many notetaking apps to choose from, but one I’ve recently discovered is Note Any-time Lite. This app is worth checking out especially because of its PDF annotation tool and advanced handwriting recognition, as well as handwriting to text conversion. Note Anytime Lite is available on iOS (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/note-anytime-lite-note-taking/id763225933?mt=8) and Android (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.metamoji.noteanytime&hl=en).

random.org: What’s a meeting without door prizes? How many principals have hurriedly cut names into little slips to drop in a jar to draw for a winner just min-utes before the meeting was set to begin? Or worse yet, forgot all about needing those little slips of paper until the moment it was time to draw the winners? Solve this problem easily with random.org (http://www.random.org). Launch Safari on your iOS or any web browser on your Android device, and go to random.org. Number off the people in your meeting. Then use the True Ran-dom Number Generator in the top right-hand corner of the site. Enter the max number of people in the room and then click generate. The result is your lucky winner! No slips of paper needed again!

Meeting Magic

November 5December 3

January 7February 4

March 4April 1

May 6

** ***


One fee trains you and your entire campus to integrate iPads into instruction!

Whip out those iPads, gather your teachers and get ready for a new season of TEPSA’s eAcademy Access Pass! Learn to integrate technology into instruction and campus leadership during 10 ninety-minute webinars scheduled throughout the school year. Hands-on learning allows you and your staff real-time practice. Plus, never miss out on the learning with 24x7 access to recorded webinars and materials.

Registration• Members$499;Nonmembers$699• Paywiththisyear'sornextyear'sbudget.

Register at www.tepsa.org.

Savings Access Happy Staff+ + = Academy

Access Passe

2014-2015 Webinar ScheduleAll webinars will be held 3-4:30pm Central (10 webinars total).September 9September 23October 7November 11December 9

January 13February 10March 10April 7May 5


Horace Mann finds another way to partner with youNo one loves to form partnerships with educators more than Horace Mann. It’s why so many school districts welcome our agents into their buildings and why so many teachers take advantage of our insurance and retirement planning expertise.

A new partnership with DonorsChoose.org helps donors find teachers who need financial assistance for classroom projects big and small. Teachers post their projects, donors choose projects to support, and teachers and kids benefit with materials

delivered right to their schools. Now that’s a partnership that can help everyone.

Contact your local agent today or visit horacemann.comPlease visit TEPSA partners online at www.tepsa.org.

Special thanks to TEPSA partners!

tourTEPSA 2014

Focus on Team Learning: One Day Workshop on STAARSTAAR passing standards are moving into phase II for 2014-2015. Are your students ready? Bring your teacher team to TEPSA Tour for in-depth learning to raise the level of instruction, intervention and collabo-ration necessary to ensure student success. Learn how to simplify your instructional plan to find the leverage points, delve into new Math TEKS including process standards, provide authentic learning opportunities for students to ensure growth and create a nurturing learning environment for all. Leave with a leadership and learning plan to take back to campus.

Morning session will be facilitated by Justin Richardson, Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Canyon ISD and Tim Persall, Executive Director of Elementary Accountability, Hays CISD.

Afternoon breakout sessions will highlight proven best practices shared by current school leaders to help you implement what works!

Register your team and learn more at www.tepsa.org.

Workshop Dates and Locations• Oct 21: Houston/Harris County

Department of Education• Nov 5: Grapevine Convention

Center• Nov 6: Lubbock Overton Hotel• Nov 12: San Antonio Omni Colonnade

RegistrationFee includes lunch.• Member $250 (Register by Sept

30 and pay $200); Additional registrant pays $135/person

• Nonmember $310 (Register by Sept 30 and pay $260); Additional registrant pays $135/person


Purifans Quietly Filter the Air in ThisClassroom 40 Times Each Hour

Children Had 61% Fewer Sick DaysTeachers Had 50% Fewer Sick DaysLogged Inhaler Use Decreased 70%

Airborne Mold Levels Decreased 90%+Test Scores Shot Up the First Year

To See How Purifans Work Visit www.purifan.comLow Cost Rentals and Leasing Options Can Reduce Funding Issues

Any experienced educator will tell you if children feel better, take less mind-numbing alergy medications, miss fewer sick days and have fewer substitute teachers, they will keep up with classroom curriculum, learn more, get higher grades and achieve higher test scores. Purifans help keep parents from missing work to care for sick children, and can save health care costs for teachers and students. Purifans reduce the common airborne triggers for allergies and asthma, plus they reduce odors and the floating dust particles that help spread common colds, influenza and other contagious illnesses. Some parents estimated the first year savings in health costs and missed work costs were over 10 times the cost of the Purifans. Reduce the complaints about classroom air quality in your school. Purifans are quiet, energy-efficient, low-cost, easy-to-install and they save on heating and cooling energy costs.

Easy to Install and Service - Lifetime Warranty - Great PTO/PTA ProjectLowest Cost Solution - Great ROI - Increased Attendance & Test Scores

Purifan, Inc., 5200 E 35th St N, Wichita, KS 67220 - 800-686-6131

Only $880 Per Classroom in Quantity, Including Shipping!

Airborne Particulates Increase Absenteeism, Respiratory Health Problems and Facility Costs

Ceiling MountedPurifan Air Purifiers45,000+ Installed

Purifans provide other facilities benefits including, energy saving impact on thermostat settings, room airflow helps cooling and heating effectiveness. Capturing dust keeps room cleaner and keeps dust from blocking cooling ports on LCD projectors, increasing bulb life. Helps keep HVAC ductwork and filters cleaner saving money. Keeps computer screens and cooling ports cleaner, reducing failures from heat. Captures mold from hidden water damage. Charcoal layers dramatically reduce undesirable odors in rooms.

This school reported the average student missed days per year dropped 11 days, from 18 to 7 days! Saving only 2 sick days each year for 20 students adds $1,400 in $35/day attendance funding!

Some Schools Have Reported:


TEPSA District Events

September10 District 08 Meeting: 10am-NooN @ Region 8 ESC, Mount Pleasant Speaker: Karla Coker Information: Missy Walley, [email protected]

25 District 17 Meeting: 11:30am-1pm @ Lakeridge Country Club, Lubbock Speaker: Randy Anderson, Time Management Information: Sylvia Suarez, [email protected]

30 District 01 Meeting: 9-10am @ Hampton Inn, McAllen Speaker: Trae Kendrick, Technology Resources Information: Dianabel Gómez-Villarreall, [email protected]

Meet your 2014-2015 Board of Directors! Visit

TEPSA’s Facebook page

for more photos.

October01 District 09 Meeting: 9-10:30am @ Region 9 ESC, Wichita Falls Information: Stacey Darnall, [email protected]

07 District 18 Meeting: 11:45am-12:45pm @ Region 18 ESC, Midland Roundtable Discussion Information: Tanya Bell, [email protected]

08 District 16 Meeting: 9am-NooN @ Region 16 ESC, Amarillo Speaker: Trae Kendrick, Technology Information: Reagan Oles, [email protected]

09 District 05 Meeting: 11:30am-1pm @ Neches River Wheelhouse, Port Neches Information: Julie Gauthier, [email protected]

15 District 07 Meeting: 11am-1pm @ TBD Speaker: Belinda Neal and Trae Kendrick Information: Tana Herring, [email protected]

17 District 03 Meeting: 11:30am-12:30pm @ China B, Victoria Speaker: Trae Kendrick Information: Lynn Guerra, [email protected]

21 District 02 Meeting: NooN-1pm @ TBD Speaker: Mark Terry and Mentoring Minds Information: Annette Sanchez, [email protected]

29 District 15 Meeting: 11:45am-12:45pm @ Region 15 ESC, San Angelo Speaker: Mark Terry Information: Cheri Braden, [email protected]

August14 District 19 Meeting: 5:30-7:30pm @ Hudson’s, El Paso Memebership Social Mixer Information: Michael Mackeben, [email protected]

Give your students the best & the best will come back to youSince 1998, the Forde-Ferrier team has worked with thousands of teachers and students with the common goal of academic success. Our approach is to build lasting relationships with teachers, administrators, and districts to make sure that every single student masters the curriculum. This approach has proven to be incredibly successful, with all schools utilizing the complete Forde-Ferrier program reaching higher levels of academic success.

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Student Enrollment Continues to ClimbAdditional information available at www.tepsa.org or 800-252-3621.

Calendar/Deadlines• SummerConferencecontentavailablein the TEPSA Live Learning Center. Visit http://tepsa.sclivelearningcenter.com.

• eAcademy Access Pass - Register now and pay after September 1. Webinars kick-off September 9!

•Student Council Workshops start Sep-tember 25 . Dates and locations vary.

• Assistant Principals Conference (formerly C.A.M.P. TEPSA) is Sept 28-30 at the Austin Omni Southpark Hotel.

• TEPSA Tour 2014: Oct 21 Houston/Harris Co Dept of EdNov 5 Grapevine Convention CenterNov 6 Lubbock Overton HotelNov 12 San Antonio Omni Colonnade

• Ready from the STAART! K-2 Learning Conference:Nov 18: San Antonio Omni ColonnadeNov 19: San Antonio Omni Colonnade

• TEPSA State Office deadline to declareintenttorunforofficeisDecember 2.

• State Schools of Character appli-cation deadline is December 1.

TEPSA Highlights

2012-2013 School Year: Enrollment Topped 5 Million

Please recycle your TEPSA News copy.

Enrollment in Texas public schools has grown by 820,019 students (more than 19 percent) over the past decade with an official enrollment total of 5,075,840 in 2012-2013. Growth is even more pronounced over a 25-year period. Between the 1987-1988 school year and the 2012-2013 school year, enrollment grew 57.4 percent or about 1.85 million students.

Ethnic breakdown for 2012-2013:• 51.3 percent Hispanic/Latino• 30 percent White• 12.7 percent African American• 3.6 percent Asian• 1.8 percent Multiracial

Enrollment increased for all student groups between 2011-2012 and 2012-2013 except for whites who experience a numeric and percentage decrease statewide. The number of students participating in bilingual or English as a Second Language programs increased by 268,538 or 46.9 percent between 2002-2003 and 2012-2013. The percentage of children living in poverty remained steady at 60.3 percent.

Source: Division of Research and Analysis, Department of Assessment and Account-ability, Texas Education Agency. (2014, March) “Enrollment in Texas Public Schools, 2012-2013.” Available at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/acctres/Enroll_2012-13.pdf.