Gearing up for the 79th Legislative Session

AdvocateAdvocateTexas State Teachers Association/National Education Association WINTER 2004

Gearing up for the 79th Legislative Session

Legislature Convenes January 11pr

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We must rise up tomeet the challengesof this 79th LegislativeSession because if wedo not, educationemployees will paythe price.

The countdown to the 79thLegislative Session began a

few months ago and the pre-quel may be a predictor ofominous days ahead. Pre-filingof bills so far has given usreason for concern. The firstvoucher bill has reared its uglyhead and other repeat billsfrom last session will followwithout doubt. Last session Inicknamed my notebook ofbill summaries, “The LittleShop of Horrors,” and thisupcoming session may proveto be even more daunting.

In October, the Commis-sioner of Education made anend run on the K-4 class sizemandate of 22:1 by sending aletter to superintendents sug-gesting they could expeditethe waiver request process bynot requiring a public hear-ing. After a press conferenceprotesting the letter and ameeting of most educationgroups with the Commis-sioner herself, TSTA andTexas Federation of Teachersfiled a lawsuit on October 25.Consequently, the Commis-sioner rescinded her letterfour days later and wedropped the suit.

This was a decisive victoryregarding one of our sacrosanct,“die on the sword” issues!And, remember last session,when we fought a four-monthbattle against instant certifica-tion but it passed anyway?The rules we helped write im-proved it somewhat but weexpect those rules to berewritten by a less-than-friendly State Board for Edu-cator Certification Board.

These constant barrages oneducation are part of a largerpattern—a bigger agenda bythe likes of Grover Norquist,

an anti-tax activist who isfond of calling the NEA abunch of Bolsheviks! It is alsothe agenda of the Texas Pub-lic Policy Foundation, a rightwing think tank, and theagenda for the voucher pro-ponents who had the Gover-nor’s ear while sailing in theBahamas with him last year.

We stopped most of theiragenda last year with an ag-gressive grassroots campaignbecause thousands of phonecalls were sent by our mem-bers who were energized andgot mobilized. Vouchers,home rule, attacks on dueprocess, certification, andclass size were all defeated.

School finance will finallybe discussed and, hopefully,fixed to provide our schoolsthe funding they need. AndTSTA will be working hard torestore the unfair cuts in healthinsurance that were made lastsession and to focus on theproblem of the pathetic payfor Texas educators! Withteacher salaries $6000 belowthe national average, it is timefor us to be on the offensiveand say “It is TIME we caughtup!” The paperwork require-ments most education em-ployees have to deal with aretotally out of control. It seemslike every time there is a prin-cipal’s meeting, new forms getcreated that we have to findtime to fill out! That is, be-tween faculty meetings, teammeetings, grade level meetings,department meetings, ARDs,parent conferences, etc. Some-where along the way there arelesson plans to write, materi-als to prepare, benchmarkand practice TAKS tests togive, papers to grade, and—oh, yeah—teach our classes.

The legislature should ad-dress these working condi-tions that are burning out al-most all school professionals.

Let’s not forget, also, thateducation support profes-sionals are still fighting justfor due process rights and aliving wage.

Now, you all know that Iam no political neophyte.Having been around theblock a few times, I know thiswill not be the easiest time totry to advance a pro-publiceducation agenda. Eventhough we won 93% of theraces of our endorsed candi-dates last November 2, it willstill be an uphill battle. I alsoknow that we in TSTA havenever been about doing theeasy things. I also know wecan’t do it alone. We need alarger army if we are to makeimprovements in salaries andworking conditions of schoolemployees.

So, I need you to start talk-ing it up. Tell your colleaguesthat we are on the move. Thatwe CAN create the kind ofpublic education system ourkids deserve. Remind themthat the struggle for decentsalaries and working condi-tions has always been hardand certainly never for thefainthearted!

We must rise up to meetthe challenges of this 79thLegislative Session because ifwe do not, education em-ployees will pay the price. Wemust stand together to beatback bad bills and advanceour agenda of advocacy forour schools and schoolchild-ren. If not now, when? If notus, then who?

WINTER 2004 3

UPFRONT4 Big Win for Kids: No Class Size Change

In response to a lawsuit by TSTA and TFT, CommissionerNeeley pulled her letter that would have made it easier toget class size waivers; Texas Educational Issues Confer-ence; 90% of recommended candidates win; candidatesannounce for TSTA office and Evans is elected NEA Direc-tor; student groups plan meetings; Stilwell needs yoursupport; national higher education group to meet in SanAntonio; a survey on school start dates.

FEATURES8 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year

Gloria Voutos teaches Richardson teachers how to helpstudents improve their English language skills: “We needto help them assimilate our culture and teach us theirs.”

12 Texas Secondary Teacher of the YearWichita Falls teacher Sherry Lindemann says she is aspokesperson not just for teachers but for the Interna-tional Baccalaureate program: “It's hard teaching but it'sgood teaching.”

15 Celebrate Reading With Us!Pull out the centerspread and use it! The front makes anice poster, with photos of our two Texas Teachers of theYear promoting reading; the back tells how to set up yourown Read Across America celebration in March.

20 Trouble Ahead: The 79th LegislatureSign up for our electronic newsletter and update your con-tact information. This session is going to be a tough one.

COMING UP22 New? Retired? Be a Leader!

If you're just starting your career, sign up for our Ambas-sador Academy; if you've retired, how about being aTSTA-Retired officer?

GOVERNANCE24 TSTA Convention and Board of Directors

The Renaissance Austin Hotel will host the state conven-tion April 14-17, and nominations are now in order forTSTA at-large Board of Directors members.

AWARDS30 Take a Reporter to Lunch!

The TSTA School Bell Awards Luncheon, that is. Once ayear, TSTA members honor outstanding coverage of edu-cation by newspaper, radio and television reporters. Theluncheon takes place during the state convention.

TSTA Advocate is an officialquarterly publication of the TexasState Teachers Association/National Education Association.

How to Contact Us: Call877-ASK-TSTA, visitwww.tsta.org, or write to TSTA,316 West 12th Street, Austin, TX78701. Please send addresschanges to the attention ofMembership Records ormembershiprecords@tsta.org.

Advertising: If you would like toadvertise, contact Nichole Loweryat 512-476-5355, ext. 1292.

TSTA makes no representationsregarding advertised products orservices that are not endorsed.

Postmaster: Send addresschanges to TSTA MembershipRecords, 316 West 12th Street,Austin, TX 78701.

PRESIDENTDonna New Haschke

VICE PRESIDENTAnn Heuberger

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORE.C. Walker

DIRECTORJay Levin

EDITORDebbie Mohondro

PUBLIC RELATIONS SPECIALISTRichard Kouri

PRODUCTION TECHNICIANSusan Martin

ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGERLeann Kloesel

ADMINISTRATIVE SECRETARYAdriana Montoya

SECRETARY/ADVERTISINGNichole Lowery

Copyright 2004 by

Texas State Teachers AssociationNational Education Association

316 West 12th St., Austin, TX 78701www.tsta.org • 877-ASK-TSTA

AdvocateVol. 24, No. 2 Winter 2004

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PHOTO CREDIT: Cover photo and photo on page 24 courtesyof the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau.

4 TSTA ADVOCATE

California, Florida, andTexas are the states to watch,Dr. Phillip Schlechty told par-ticipants at the Texas Educa-tional Issues Conference, Oc-tober 29-31 in San Antonio.

“That’s where the future ofeducation in America is beingdesigned,” he said. “You haveto create the 21st centuryschools. Our system was notdesigned to do what we arenow asking it to do.”

Schlechty, who is thefounder and CEO of theCenter for Leadership inSchool Reform and author ofmany books, said Americahas moved from a societywhere the majority are par-ents to a society where themajority are non-parents andgrandparents.

“Twenty years from now, ifwe keep going as we’re going,the only kids in publicschools will be the poor or re-cent immigrants. The affluent

will be in private education,”Schlechty warned. “Peopleare estranged from their com-munity schools. We need toget senior citizens and othersinvolved in their schools.

“If we lose public schools,we’ll lose democracy,” he con-cluded. “The time is gettingshort and it’s going to takecourage to lead.”

Schlechty spent Fridayworking with teams fromschool districts at a pre-con-ference professional develop-ment event. He also was thekeynote speaker for TEIC.

The weekend was filledwith workshops, more than30 of them for continuingprofessional developmentcredit.

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Texas: A State to WatchTeams from local school districts work with Dr. Schlechty at a pre-conference professional development event.

“You have to createthe 21st centuryschools. Our systemwas not designed todo what we are nowasking it to do.”

TSTA President Donna New Haschke with Dr. Phillip Schlechty at theTexas Educational Issues Conference.

In response to a lawsuit byTSTA and Texas Federation ofTeachers, Commissioner Nee-ley on October 29 pulled herletter of October 5 whichtried to establish new proce-dures for school districts toobtain a class size waiver.

Her October 5 actionwould have made it easier forschool districts to apply forclass size waivers without anydiscussion or review by theschool board or input fromparents and teachers.

“Two generations of schoolchildren have graduated sincethe law limiting class size wasadopted, and we still haven’tfully implemented it,” TSTAPresident Donna NewHaschke said. “If school dis-tricts are going to ask for anexemption, then the publicand school personnel shouldhave the opportunity to par-ticipate in the conversation.

“The 22-1 class size limitlaw is one of the most signifi-

cant pieces of education re-form legislation ever passed.Giving kids small classes andmore individualized instruc-tion has been one of the keyfactors in the improvementthat our schools have shownover the last two decades. Aprocess that keeps parents,teachers and elected schoolboard members out of thediscussion of class sizewaivers would be the firststep to rolling back this stan-dard. TSTA will not sit idlyby and watch as the Commis-sioner attempts to undo byrule what the legislature hasmandated by law,” she said.

At one point, after severaldays of bad press, the com-missioner sent a guest editor-ial to the media trying to jus-tify her position. It didn’thelp. The Austin AmericanStatesman ran an editorial en-dorsing the lawsuit.

“Two teacher organizations,the Texas State Teachers

Association andthe Texas Federa-tion of Teachers,have sued thecommissioner inan effort to reversethe decision. Weare not in the habitof endorsing law-suits, but there aretimes when courtintervention iswarranted,” theAmerican States-man said. “Thecourt should stepin to protect thequality of educationfor students and

preserve parents' rights.”When the commissioner

first sent the new provisionsOctober 5, TSTA and severalother groups met with herbut it was obvious that therewas no way the dispute couldbe resolved through negotia-tions. Left with no other wayto stop the new provisionsfrom going into effect, thetwo organizations filed for atemporary injunction to stopany waivers from beinggranted until the case wasresolved.

Several issues were in-volved in the lawsuit but twoof the key points cited were:1) The Commissioner is act-

ing outside the scope of herdelegated authority; 2) TheCommissioner's policy andpractice on class size waiverapplications violates theTexas Education Code Sec-tion 7.056(b) because theypermit the submission ofwaiver applications which donot include written com-ments from the campus ordistrict-level committees. Thesuit was dropped when Nee-ley withdrew her letter.

Candidates Announcefor TSTA President andVice President

Nominees for TSTA Presi-dent are Bayardo Arellano,NEA Dallas, and Donna NewHaschke, Clear Creek Educa-tors Association.

Nominees for TSTA VicePresident are Mike Buckner,Clear Creek Educators Asso-ciation; Ann Heuberger, Col-lege Station Education Asso-ciation; and J. B. Richeson,San Antonio Alliance.

The filing deadline for bothpositions was September 15with the elections to beconducted at the State Houseof Delegates in Austin inApril. Candidate statementsand biographical informationwill appear in the spring2005 Advocate.

WINTER 2004 5

TSTA Files Suit, NeeleyPulls Class Size Letter

TSTA President Donna New Haschke speaks on the class size issue at an October pressconference in front of the Texas Education Agency building in Austin.

IMPORTANT NOTICE!Watch closely for the next issue of your Advocate.

Ballots for electing TSTA state delegates to the

NEA Representative Assembly will be printed in

that issue. You should receive your next issue in

late March, and the deadline for the marked ballot

to be received at TSTA Headquarters is 5 p.m.,

CDT, Friday, April 29.

6 TSTA ADVOCATE

Evans Elected NEADirector for Texas

Congratulations to GinnyLee Evans of Lewisville Edu-cation Association, who isrunning unopposed for elec-tion to NEA Director forTexas Place 3. According toNEA Bylaws 5-1a, Board ofDirectors, Election, “In anelection for NEA director, ifthere is only one candidatefor the position, the election

may be waived, and the can-didate declared elected.”There will be no election heldfor this position.

This is Evans’ first term. Herterm of three years begins onSeptember 1, 2005. As NEADirector, she will serve as amember of the NEA and TSTABoards of Directors and as adelegate to the TSTA StateHouse of Delegates and theNEA Representative Assembly.

“My vision for TSTA andNEA is to increase our mem-bership by securing betterworking conditions for allpublic school employees,”Evans said in her campaignstatement. “This includes notjust moving toward collectivebargaining for public schoolemployees but also ensuringthe highest quality of profes-sional development. From the

member who unlocks theschool door every morning tothe one who turns out thelights in the evening, the edu-cation of our children is every-one’s priority.”

Input Needed onSchool Start Date

In September 2004, CaroleKeeton Strayhorn, the TexasComptroller of Public Ac-counts, issued a special reporton school-start dates, “SavingSummer: Lessons Learned.”She asked TSTA PresidentDonna New Haschke to serveon a task force that is nowworking independently tofurther explore start date is-sues and to make recommen-dations to the Legislature.

Between now and the be-ginning of the legislative ses-sion in January 2005, the task

force will explore alternativesto early school-start dates, layout a plan that preserves nec-essary instructional schooldays, examine the start-datewaiver loophole process inexisting law and look at theimpact that earlier start datesare having on migrant fami-lies. You can access the surveyat: www.window.state.tx.us/survey/schoolstart.

Student Groups SetSpring Meetings

The TSTA Student ProgramAnnual State Convention isApril 8-9 at the RadissonHotel and Suites in Austin.Registration on Friday is from3:00-5:30 p.m. with late reg-istration Saturday morningfrom 8- 8:30 a.m. The regis-tration fee is $40 for memberregistration, $45 for non-member registration.

The Texas Future Teach-ers of America (TFTA) StateConvention will be held atthe Radisson Hotel and Suiteson February 4-5. Registrationis 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and theregistration fee is $12.95 perperson. Meals are not pro-vided by TFTA but there willbe a snack bar for the conve-nience of the students.

At the same time and placeas the TFTA Convention, theTSTA Student Program willhold its Fall Meeting.

Stilwell Seeks Supportfrom Active Educators

TSTA’s support for the Stil-well Residence for retired ed-ucators in Waco goes back toits founding in 1964.

The TSTA Board of Directorshas voted to continue that sup-port by adopting a resolutionto endorse and promote the“Ten for Texas” campaign toencourage every current and

Amazing MembersJoe Atkins Receives Honorary DoctorateFormer TSTA member and staffer Joe Atkins, whoworked in the Dallas area, has received an hon-orary Doctorate degree from the University of NorthTexas. He was honored for the work he did in inte-grating the university when he was a student.

Atkins applied to the school in 1955, when it wasknown as North Texas State College, and was de-nied admittance; as a result of his lawsuit, the col-lege was ordered to admit black students.

Hay’s Shelton Named Coach of the YearBob Shelton, Hays High School’s Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, has beennamed a National Federation of State High School Associations State Coach of theYear. Shelton was nominated by the University Interscholastic League’s staff based onhis “hard work, dedication and loyalty to the student athletes of Texas.” In a letter an-nouncing his selection, Rachel Harrison, UIL Athletic Coordinator said, “Your commit-ment to excellence is to be commended.”

Coach Shelton last year celebrated 40 years—his entire coaching career—with HaysCISD. In 2002, he was named to the Hall of Honor of the Texas High School FootballCoaches Association. In 1997, Shelton was selected to receive the Tom Landry Awardand was chosen as AAAA Coach of the Year by the Texas Sportswriters’ Association.

WINTER 2004 7

RD 111............Yvonne DavisRD 116............Trey Martinez-FischerRD 117............David LeibowitzRD 118............Carlos UrestiRD 119............Robert PuenteRD 120 ............Ruth Jones McClendonRD 123............Mike VillarrealRD 124............Jose MenedezRD 125............Joaquin CastroRD 128............Wayne SmithRD 131............Alma AllenRD 137............Scott HochbergRD 139............Sylvester TurnerRD 140............Kevin BaileyRD 141............Senfronia ThompsonRD 142............Harold Dutton, Jr.RD 143............Joe MorenoRD 145............Rick NoriegaRD 146............Al EdwardsRD 147............Garnet ColemanRD 148............Jessica Farrar

TEXAS SENATESD 06 ..............Mario GallegosSD 16 ..............John CaronaSD 20 ..............Chuy HinojosaSD 21 ..............Judith ZaffiriniSD 23 ..............Royce WestSD 26 ..............Leticia Van de PutteSD 27 ..............Eddie LucioSD 31 ..............Kel Seliger

STATE BOARD OF EDUCATIONSBOE 02..........Mary Helen BerlangaSBOE 11..........Pat HardySBOE 13..........Mavis Knight

Candidates recommended by TSTA/NEAdid well in November; 90 of 97 candi-dates for state office won. (See our website, www.tsta.org, for national candi-dates.) For more on the upcoming leg-islative session, turn to page 20.

TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVESRD 001............Stephen FrostRD 003............Mark HomerRD 007............Tommy MerrittRD 009............Robin Moore (Lost)RD 010............Jim PittsRD 011............Chuck HopsonRD 012............Jim McReynoldsRD 014............Fred BrownRD 016............Ruben HopeRD 017............Robby CookRD 018............Dan Ellis (Lost)RD 019............Tuffy HamiltonRD 021............Allan RitterRD 022............Joe DeshotelRD 023............Craig EilandRD 025............Dennis BonnenRD 027............Dora OlivoRD 031............Ryan GuillenRD 033............Vilma LunaRD 034............Abel HerreroRD 035............Yvonne ToureillesRD 036............Kino FloresRD 037............Rene OliveiraRD 038............Jim SolisRD 039............Armando MartinezRD 040............Aaron PenaRD 041............Veronica GonzalesRD 042............Richard Raymond

RD 043............Juan EscobarRD 044............Edmund KuempelRD 045............Patrick RoseRD 046............Dawnna DukesRD 047............Terry KeelRD 048............Kelly White (Lost)RD 049............Elliott NaishtatRD 050............Mark StramaRD 051............Eddie RodriguezRD 056............John Mabry, Jr. (Lost)RD 057............Jim DunnamRD 059............Sid MillerRD 069............David FarabeeRD 071............Bob HunterRD 072............Jeri Slone (Lost)RD 073............Carter CasteelRD 074............Pete GallegoRD 075............Chente QuintanillaRD 076............Norma ChavezRD 077............Paul MorenoRD 078............Patrick HaggertyRD 079............Joe PickettRD 080............Tracy KingRD 081............Buddy WestRD 083............Delwin JonesRD 085............Pete LaneyRD 090............Lon BurnamRD 094............Ruby Woolridge (Lost)RD 095............Marc VeaseyRD 099............Charlie GerenRD 100............Terri HodgeRD 102............Tony GoolsbyRD 103............Rafael AnchiaRD 104............Roberto AlonzoRD 106............Katy Hubener (Lost)RD 109............Helen GiddingsRD 110............Jesse Jones

How Did They Fare? TSTA/NEA’s Recommended Candidates

former educator to contribute$10 to Stilwell for the im-provement of the facility andto honor those who dedicatedtheir lives to education.

The Residence is named forHenry Stilwell, who was pres-ident of TSTA from 1932 to1933 and the longtime chairof the association’s legislativecommittee.

Please mail contributions,with checks made out to Stil-well Residence, to TSTA Cen-

ter for Executive and Gover-nance, 316 West 12th Street,Austin, TX 78701.

NEA Higher Educationto Meet in San Antonio

NEA's 23rd Annual HigherEducation Conference willmeet in San Antonio March 4-6at the historic Sheraton GunterHotel on the Riverwalk.

Explore the topic of diver-sity in academia from a vari-ety of perspectives: student

body, workforce, what the workis, who provides it and how;and the impact of recent fed-eral and state policy changes.

NEA is offering a $95 con-ference registration rate forTexas Faculty Association(TFA) members—a substan-tial savings off the $150 earlybird rate and the $185 regu-lar rate. The fee covers twolunches, a reception/dinner, acontinental breakfast and abrunch, plus conference ma-

terials. Just fill out the regis-tration form and check thespecial box for Texas resi-dents. You may register, re-serve a hotel room, and findup-to-date information aboutthe conference at www.nea.org/he/conf.html.

TFA will hold its 2005 Rep-resentative Assembly (businessmeeting only) in conjunctionwith the NEA Higher Edu-cation Conference. Seewww.tfaonline.net for details.

8 TSTA ADVOCATE

Gloria VoutosTexas Elementary Teacher of the Year

GLORIA’S STORY, INHER OWN WORDS

Abraham Lincoln oncesaid: “And in the end it’s notthe years in your life thatcount. It’s the life in youryears.” Those brief words re-mind me of the greatest influ-ence in teaching that I ever

had: my mother. She taught33 years in the poorest schoolsin Puerto Rico. Schools in-fested with drugs, gangs,pregnant teens (her sixthgraders), unemployment, andlack of skills yet full of mindsthat wanted to learn the sim-plest lessons, draw the pretti-est pictures, and smile themost candid smiles.

Before it became popular tostudy Maslow’s hierarchy ofneeds and ask questions usingthe Bloom’s Taxonomy, she wasusing her common sense tomake sure her students werewell fed, felt safe and were

going further in the limitedcurriculum that was available.From buying cribs for new-borns to going to the grocerystore to buy food for anotherfamily in need, she deliveredmore than knowledge, shedelivered love. My motherwas the spark that illumi-nated the path—curved as itwas at the time—that finallyled me into teaching. Shedied at 66 years old, just a lit-tle under 10 years into retire-ment, but her presence in thisworld did not go unnoticed.

I remember telling mymother that I wanted to fol-

We need to get ready to teach the new generationof Texans. They bring an amazing wealth ofexperiences, and all these children want to do islearn, like any other children. We need to getready to help them assimilate our culture andteach us theirs. They can enrich our lives.

WINTER 2004 9

low in her footsteps. She wasso alarmed. “Gloria, it be-comes your life. You must beready to give yourself. Thereis so much need.” I heededher advice and, at the cross-roads, I chose to work in an-other career field.

After getting married, mywonderful daughter came tomy life. It was then I realizedthat I was not going to beable to give her the wonderfullegacy that I had receivedfrom my mother.

I came to the second cross-road in my life at 27 yearsold. I decided to move to theUnited States in pursuit of acollege degree. In the wordsof Robert Crawford, off Iwent into the “wild blue yon-der.” I joined the U.S. AirForce to search for collegemoney, learn English, andgive my daughter more op-portunities to succeed. OnNovember 11, 1989, I arrivedat Plattsburgh Air Force Basein the North County of theState of New York. I had gonefrom a warm island in theCaribbean to the northern-most part in the UnitedStates, only 15 miles from theCanadian border. There Iserved the country that gaveme the opportunity to studyand learn the meaning ofteamwork, leadership and pa-triotism. Working as a lawenforcement officer andstudying part time, I finisheda Bachelor’s degree in Litera-ture and shortly after, a Mas-ter’s degree in Literature andCounseling. I did not finish adegree in Pedagogy becausemy mother still insisted I dosomething else.

While assigned to my unitin Plattsburgh AFB, the firstGulf War began. Because of

my Spanish language skills, Iwas assigned to relieve thesoldiers that were stationed inHonduras but had to be de-ployed to Saudi Arabia. ThereI worked with the Joint TaskForce Bravo — Army,Marines and Air Force—intheir fight against the spreadof drug cartels in CentralAmerica. In my off-duty time,I teamed up with the localChristian mission and wentinto the mountains of LaCeiba to establish contactwith local school houses andhelp them build fences, bath-rooms, windows, and providebasic hygiene education forboth adults and children.

The experiences gainedduring those days were thesecond influence in my deci-sion to become a teacher. Ispent countless days build-ing, hauling supplies, andcontributing, for the first timeas an adult, to education byteaching the parents basic hy-giene for themselves and theirchildren. Some of the classesthat I taught dealt with theprevention of marasmus,malaria, food sanitation, aswell as letters, sounds andbasic reading skills. The localteacher and I created smallreading groups, a simple syl-labus for her multilevel class-room, and doing read-aloudfor the community at large.

The words of my motherresounded in my ears:“…there is so much need.” Assoon as I returned stateside, Ispoke to my husband andtold him that I felt the needto join the teaching profes-sion. I wanted to help.

In the summer of 1995, wemoved to the Carswell AFBarea in Ft. Worth. I beganworking for ATT in Language

Services, but shortly after sawan ad in the paper looking fora teacher in Dallas Indepen-dent School District. I sentmy resume on Labor Day andreceived an appointment forthat same week. After theinitial interview, they askedme if I could begin on Mon-day—it was Friday.

I went to the first day ofclass with an open mind to agroup of 36 students in sixthgrade, at a new school, with-out being certifiedby the State Boardof Education, butwith all the love Icould muster forthose children.This was 10 yearsago almost, whenthe state allowed ateacher to teach with a provi-sionary certificate. (I wasteaching in Dallas with a pro-visionary certificate while Itook classes at SMU, so mystudent teaching was on-the-job training.)

It had taken me the betterpart of my twenties and thir-ties to get there, but I madeit! I immediately was drawnto the apartments to preparea class for the parents, talkedto the local church about giv-ing adult education classes,and moved those kids for-ward at an exhilarating pace.From the essential elements,to trips to the Ball Park in Ar-lington, to learning to ridethe DART bus, we became afamily—year after year. Iserved six years in Dallas ISDand touched more than 600lives, the “life in [my] years.”

The last crossroad thathelped reaffirm my decisionof being an educator hap-pened last year. On December29, my brother-in-law took

I’ve always held the bar reallyhigh and I’ve never had aproblem with the kids meetingthat bar. The minute you startsaying, “You cannot learn,” itwill be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

What is your job?

I’m an instructional specialist at Spring Val-ley Elementary in Richardson. I model bestpractices. This area is more than 70% His-panic. I mainly teach the teachers how tohelp students improve their English lan-guage skills but I’m helping children di-rectly, too.

I do a lot of mentoring. Everybody that getsinto teaching says the same thing: I did itbecause I love the kids. The reality is wehave to do lesson plans and look for re-sources and do paperwork and check theirreading level and that’s not that easy. It’seasy to read a book to a child or pull out atextbook but those are not good practices.In mentoring I show the teachers how to in-dividualize instruction and pull the re-sources to help the children. Those are nothard concepts; it just takes practice.

Did you always know you’d be a teacher?

My mother was an English as a SecondLanguage teacher in Puerto Rico for 35years. Most of the best practices I learnedfrom her. As a child, I saw what a readinggroup looked like and how to do a parent-teacher conference. I lived that life.

Some of the parents never came to theschool in Puerto Rico, so I learned to dohome visits. My mom did parent-teacherconferences with 700-800 homes in 10years. She would say, “While I talk to theparents, go do a reading group with thekids.” My mom was an excellent educatorand an amazing social worker.

Did you consider a career in the military?

The main reason I went into the military wasfor school. I had not been a diligent studentmyself so I did not qualify for a scholarship.I served and the military in turn paid for myschool. I completed a bachelors and a mas-ters while I was in the military in upstateNew York.

How did your Air Force experienceinfluence your teaching?

The discipline and the teamwork. There

was no better training ground. I don’t whinea lot, I just get it done. This is the life wechose. It’s more of a calling.

What do you do to reach your students?

I visit the homes of every single child inorder to learn their customs and learn moreabout their families. The parents easilyopen up their doors, because I too was animmigrant that brought my family to theUnited States seeking a better life. I did notspeak English when I came to the UnitedStates and neither did my three-year-olddaughter; we are both still learning evenafter 15 years in the country. As I connectmy own experience with their own, we cre-ate effective partnerships that lend a help-ing hand to their children both socially andacademically. Hardships can be overcomeby respecting one another.

Has teaching changed in the last decade?

Just in 10 years, teaching has changed andI have to say it’s changed for the better. Ithink the kids have a better opportunity toget a fair education now. I think the ac-countability has a lot to do with it. (Tenyears ago) I still saw teachers doing thingsvery different from each other. Back then ifyou were lucky, your kid had a goodteacher. If you were not lucky, your kid hada bitter teacher. What the accountability hasdone is everybody has to teach at least thesame skills. Even the resources are non-negotiable.

Do you think children rise to meet ourexpectations?

I’ve always held the bar really high and I’venever had a problem with the kids meetingthat bar. The minute you start saying, “Youcannot learn,” it will be a self-fulfillingprophecy. I told my kids, “We’re going topass this test and we’re going to do it thefirst time.” You don’t get second or thirdchances in life; there are very few things weget to do over. I told them, “This is a thirdgrade test; are you in third grade? No one’sasking you to take a sixth grade test.” Nowhining at all. They all passed.

10 TSTA ADVOCATE

the life of my sister and myseven-year-old niece, Vannia.My sister and her husbandwere going through a bitterdivorce battle and she was themain issue. Vannia was insecond grade. She spoke tome daily during those tumul-tuous weeks prior to her deathand I felt the anxiety in thatyoung life about a situationthat she could not control.During our conversations, Itold her that children de-served to be happy and that,hopefully, the adults wouldfix their problems soon.

Vannia spoke about therefuge she encountered atschool. Her teacher loved her,her classmates accepted her,and the counselor was help-ing her. In the final analysis,it was Vannia’s teacher whomade the difference duringthe last days of her life. Thatcold morning, as they laid herto rest and sadness filled mysoul, I did not feel defeated.God had a new angel and Ihad chosen the right pathafter all. More studentsneeded a caring teacher’s lov-ing hand.

After having served eightyears as an educator, I havenot only developed curricu-lum, given parent educationclasses and worked with mycolleagues. I have loved mychildren, used the facilitiesfor parent-teacher confer-ences in the apartments,pulled lice from the hair ofmy children and continue tobuy groceries to deliver withmy daughter, Vera. I guess Iam beginning to pass thetorch as Vera enrolls in thefall at Texas Christian Univer-sity and, with my blessing,will complete a teaching anda music degree.

Q & A with Gloria Voutos

WINTER 2004 11

Texas Computer Education Association

- -

to attend

1. Hear Keynoter Ron Clark, Oprah’s favorite teacher & author of “The Essential 55.”

2. Visit the TCEA Exhibit Hall & see the latest technology & software for schools.

3. Be part of the “glitz & glam” of our FREE Hollywood Nights Social.

4. Talk shop as you meet & greet other educators from all over.

5. Get an “Extreme Technology Makeover” at a TCEA workshop.

6. You could be the big Door Prize Winner of a cruise or a computer!

7. Update your knowledge and skills base in our Free Sessions.

8. Enjoy the Ambience of Austin, “Live Music Capital of the World.”

9. Earn CPE Hours — the best in professional development.

10. Learn to use those Computers in your Classroom.

25th Annual

Convention & ExpositionFebruary 7-11, 2005 Austin Convention Center

Early Registration Deadline: Jan. 7, 2005

Learn all about TCEA 2005 and register online at

12 TSTA ADVOCATE

What made you decide to bea teacher?

My mother taught specialeducation 30 years and myfather has 36 years in educa-tion; he’s still teaching sci-ence and coaching part time.

As I was growing up, I waspretty stubborn. I didn’t wantto do anything like what my

parents did. I wanted to be alawyer.

I ended up with a doublemajor in political science andhistory; but I decided afterworking for a lawyer for twoyears that maybe I didn’twant to go into law after all.While I was deciding on anew path in life, I became a

Sherry LindemannTexas Secondary Teacher of the Year

If you can’t, as a history teacher, show students

how it all connects, you don’t know your dis-

cipline. If you just teach the date and what

happened, history is boring, dull, and ludicrous.

WINTER 2004 13

substitute teacher and beganto take education classes as a“back up” plan. The “back up”plan soon became my newcareer choice. I felt that I wasfinally headed in the directionthat I was supposed to go.

My parents let me go on myown path and it led back toteaching. I’m the chair of thehistory department at HirschiHigh School in Wichita Falls,both the regular program andInternational Baccalaureate.

Why history?History is one of the great-

est subjects to teach becauseit is ongoing. Seeing what ishappening all around us andlearning that there are morethings that connect us thandivide us. Starting to think alittle bit, forming your ownopinion, questioning, ques-tioning, questioning. Why arethey doing this? Are there anyother motives? Those peoplewho are pushing up daisies—how do they relate to me?How does it all connect?

If you can’t, as a historyteacher, show students how itall connects, you don’t knowyour discipline. Love andpower—the things that moti-vate us today—are the samethings that motivated peoplein ancient times. If you justteach the date and what hap-pened, history is boring, dull,and ludicrous.

I have taught 15 years in thepublic schools, not one year15 times. You’ve got to con-stantly change the way thatinstruction is delivered andbuild on the experiences thatare gained from year to year.

Is InternationalBaccalaureate similar toAdvanced Placement?

In AP, you cover from here

to there, but you don’t un-cover anything. There’s a lotof information in AP but youdon’t get into the “whys.”

Who is to blame? Was thisan imperialistic war? Whowas right? We let the kidsmake some of those evalua-tions based on what theyknow, what they’ve learned,what they’ve read.

I think, “What is importantabout this that I want thesekids to remember 20 yearsfrom now?” In my discipline,if they can’t apply whatthey’re learning to currentevents, what was the use ofgoing through all of it?

All of my IB kids, by thetime they graduate, will havewritten three research papersin my area alone, whichforces them to be indepen-dent learners. They’ll go tocollege with the knowledge ofwhere to go to get the infor-mation, how to analyze some-thing and convey it in a writ-ten format.

You can take one class orearn a diploma?

The students can get a cer-tificate—which is like takingan AP course—or a diplomafor taking the whole program,which includes 150 hours ofcommunity service, taking aphilosophy of learningcourse, and completing an in-dependent research project.

In a way I’m a spokesper-son not just for teachers inTexas but for the IB curricu-lum. We’re getting the wordout about IB. We believe in it.It’s hard teaching but it’sgood teaching. It’s a greatprogram. Everyone should bedoing it.

The diploma itself—if yougo on the East coast, you’regoing to find more of an ad-

vantage, especially Boston.We have two students atBoston University and two atMIT right now that, withoutthe IB diploma, probablywouldn’t even have been con-sidered. It’s that competitive.The universities see that IBstudents have chosen a muchmore rigorous path in theireducation and are wellrounded.

AP has been the stan-dard here in Texas;when Hirschi started IBsix years ago, we wereone of 13 schools in thestate to offer it. Nowthe list has grown towell over 100. Themore it grows, the more theaccolades and scholarshipsfollow.

Is it only for the gifted student?We’re one of the few IB

schools that doesn’t requirean entrance level exam. We’veblown the idea that IB has tobe an elitist program. IB is forthe kid who really wants tolearn and takes ownership inher own education. They’regoing to get out of it whatthey put into it.

How did InternationalBaccalaureate begin?

IB is housed in Geneva,Switzerland. It was originallydesigned for the kids ofdiplomats. They designed thiscurriculum to flow, so kidscould move from Beijing toAmerica and continue theireducation. Wherever there’san IB school, they can con-tinue it. The curriculum isdesigned to be international.

How are they graded?A kid who is taking this

curriculum in England willbe judged on the same crite-

All assessments in Interna-

tional Baccalaureate are

based on what they know,

not what they don’t know.

You’re looking not at the

minutia but the big picture.

ria as a kid who’s in my class-room in Wichita Falls.

At the end of their senioryear, the students take anexam that requires them towrite six essays, and theyhave to write a research paperthat’s graded by me but alsomoderated outside. Eachquestion will be sent to a dif-ferent place to be graded. Itcould be China or Thailandor Canada. They mark themaccording to a rubric. Threedifferent graders will look atit and a moderator will lookat the exam scores.

I have to send examples ofwhat I’m doing and how I’mmarking it and how I’m usingthe rubric. IB moderates meto make sure I’m doing it cor-rectly. We’re being held ac-countable every step of the way.

All assessments are based onwhat they know, not what theydon’t know. Testing kids onwhat they do know is a won-derful model to study. We’veall talked about portfolio as-sessments and rubric assess-ments. Why is it that we haveto have a multiple choice testto test what kids know? Thismodel is just good assess-ment, good teaching. You’relooking not at the minutiabut at the big picture.

Are we overtesting our kidsin America?

Yes. Tell us what you wantthe kids to know, make itmeaningful and we’ll getthem tested but we don’tneed to test, test, test. Fromthe beginning of April on,every day is a test.

I think we can have fewertests and still accomplish ourgoal of accountability. It’s justgoing to take professionals tofigure out a better way of doingit and agree on what we wantkids to know. We can do bet-ter and I think we have to.Adding another test doesn’tmean you improve excellencein any way, shape, or form, itjust means another test.

If we’re going to be held ac-countable for a test we’regoing to make sure the kidsdo well on that test, but isthat really all you want themto know? Surely we want kidsto have music appreciation.Surely we want them to bewell rounded.

What are the other magnetsat Hirschi?

We just got $8.2 millionthis fall from the federal gov-ernment to reinvigorate ourmagnet program. It allows usto extend the IB into the Mid-dle Years Program or MYP, so

we now have six magnets:Aviation, Medical, Engineer-ing, Multimedia, IB, and MYP.

All of our magnets areamazing. A kid can be an IBstudent and major in Aviationas well. They can double dip.They actually teach them tofly in that program. They gothrough ground school anddo their solo flights and bythe time they graduate theycan be winged; they will havecompleted enough successfulhours in flight.

We’re tying our magnetschools together. It starts atWashington Jackson Elemen-tary with the 6th grade pro-gram, continues at Kirby in7th and 8th grade, and fin-ishes at Hirschi. K-12 is whatwe’re ultimately trying to do.

Do you keep track of formerstudents?

Yes. I had one call me onher cell phone on electionnight. She was in Boston andshe actually made it intoKerry’s party. She said, “I justwanted to let you knowwhere I am and what I’mdoing.” Here she was in a his-tory-making situation andwho does she think to share itwith? That crazy teacher shehad back in Wichita Falls.

Last year one of my stu-

dents—whose mother doesn’tspeak any English at all, veryeconomically depressed fam-ily—this kid gets a full ride,$160,000, to go to MIT. He isabsolutely the most unbeliev-able kid and has the mostpositive attitude; you’d neverknow what he had to over-come to get a chance to go tothat university.

Those are the things youlook at and think, “See, this iswhat can happen.” You tellthe other kids, “Hey, Robertodid this and you can, too.”That’s part of the reason I putthese up here (gesturing to astring of university T-shirts,sent in by former students,that hang from the ceiling), tolet them know who came be-fore them and where they arenow. They can go anywherethey want to as well.

The equal opportunity op-pressor in this country ispoverty. Our school is a titleschool. Everything aroundthem is telling them they’renot going to make it. We haveto keep reminding them ofhow they go about achievingsuccess through education.

Sherry Lindemann is alsoTexas’ nominee for NationalTeacher of the Year.

14 TSTA ADVOCATE

Message to new educatorsThere are so many battles that one can fight in education. Fight for what is in the best interest of children. Do not letanyone force you to compromise on that issue.

Be willing to lead the charge. It can be frightening, but do not fear to take a stand on what is right for children. Youwill be surprised to find that there are many others out there who are willing to stand with you, including the students.

Know that when you are tired and you feel like nobody is listening, there are people who need you to keep striving toattain the goals that seem unattainable. Search your heart for the issues that you truly believe. Become the leader inthe class, school and community. Find the role models who can reinvigorate you when you need a boost. Howeverwhen you feel like giving in, “hang in there!” There are many people, including myself, who would love to help you.

ow approaching itsseventh year, NEA’sRead Across America

focuses the country’s atten-tion on how important it is tomotivate children to read, inaddition to helping themmaster basic skills.

Motivating children to readis an important factor in stu-dent achievement and creat-ing lifelong, successful read-ers. Research has shown thatchildren who are motivatedand spend more time readingdo better in school.

Our nationwide readingcelebration takes place eachyear on or around March 2,the birthday of beloved chil-dren’s author Dr. Seuss, whoepitomizes a love of learning.Dr. Seuss’s use of rhymemakes his books an effectivetool for teaching young chil-dren the basic skills theyneed to be successful.

NEA’s Read Across Americaalso provides NEA members,parents, caregivers, andchildren the resources andactivities they need to keepreading on the calendar 365days a year.

In cities and towns acrossthe nation, teachers,teenagers, librarians, politi-cians, actors, athletes, par-ents, grandparents, and oth-ers develop NEA’s ReadAcross America activities tobring reading excitement to

What is NEA’s ReadAcross America?

children of all ages. Governors,mayors, and other elected of-ficials recognize the role read-ing plays in their communi-ties with proclamations andfloor statements. Athletes andactors issue reading chal-lenges to young readers. Andteachers and principals seemto be more than happy to dyetheir hair green or be duct-taped to a wall if it booststheir students’ reading.

How and When DidNEA’s Read AcrossAmerica Begin?

In May 1997, a small read-ing task force at NEA cameup with a big idea. “Let’s cre-ate a day to celebrate read-ing,” the group decided. “Wehold pep rallies to get kidsexcited about football. We as-semble to remember thatCharacter Counts. Why don’twe do something to get kidsexcited about reading? We’llcall it ‘NEA’s Read AcrossAmerica’ and we’ll celebrate iton Dr. Seuss’s birthday.” Andso was born, on March 2,1998, the largest celebrationof reading this country hasever seen.

Who SponsorsNEA’s Read AcrossAmerica?

At the national level, theNational Education Associa-

tion sponsors and spearheadsthe program with supportfrom 40 national nonprofitand association partners.Anyone—from schools to li-braries to community centersto churches to hospitals tobookstores—is invited to hostlocal events to celebrate andpromote children’s reading.

When Should IBegin Planning?

Start planning now! TheRead Across America website, www.nea.org/readacross,is chock full of ideas, infor-mation and inspiration.Everything you need to plana reading event, from simpleto elaborate, is there. Start atthe main page and go explor-ing. Have fun!

Are ResourcesAvailable?

The 2004-05 Resource Kit isnewly designed, featuring re-producible items from logosand certificates to reading ac-tivities and bookmarks. Youcan even order a Cat-in-the-Hat outfit. There’s a poster forteens, and a CD-ROM forNEA members. To request akit, fill out a formatwww.nea.org/readacross andcheck the web site for up-dates. And don’t forget, as ayear-round program, NEA’sRead Across America offersresources for all ages, all yearlong. Explore the web sitethoroughly for a myriad ofideas and information! Whileyou’re at the web site, sign upfor the monthly e-newsletter!

What is NEA’s ReadAcross America?

Need some reading ideas for kids? Check out the followingbook lists at www.nea.org/readacross.

➤Teachers’ Top 100 Books for Children

➤Kids’ Top 100 Books

➤Asian-American Booklist

➤Spanish/English Bilingual Booklist

➤50 Multicultural Books Every Child Should Know

➤Celebrity Book Picks

➤50 State Booklist

➤Youth Leaders for Literacy Booklist

➤Native American Booklist

➤African American Booklist

➤Authors’ Favorites Booklist

Tap Our Reading Lists fora Book-Filled Year!Tap Our Reading Lists fora Book-Filled Year!

NN

WINTER 2004 15

➤Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White(9-12 years)

➤The Polar Express by Chris VanAllsburg (4-8 years)

➤Green Eggs and Ham by Dr.Seuss (4-8 years)

➤The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss(4-8 years)

➤Where the Wild Things Are byMaurice Sendak (4-8 years)

➤Love You Forever by Robert N.Munsch (4-8 years)

➤The Giving Tree by ShelSilverstein (All ages)

➤The Very Hungry Caterpillar byEric Carle (Baby-Preschool)

➤Where the Red Fern Grows byWilson Rawls (Young Adult)

➤The Mitten by Jan Brett(4-8 years)

➤Goodnight Moon by MargaretWise Brown (Baby-Preschool)

➤Hatchet by Gary Paulsen(9-12 years)

➤The Lion, the Witch and theWardrobe by C. S. Lewis(9-12 years)

➤Where the Sidewalk Ends: thePoems and Drawing of ShelSilverstein by Shel Silverstein(All ages)

➤Bridge to Terabithia by Kather-ine Paterson (9-12 years)

its seventhyear, NEA’s

Read AcrossAmerica

focuses thecountry’s at-

tention on howimportant it is to

motivate chil-dren to read,in addition

to helping them masterbasic skills. Here is a listof teachers’ favoritebooks for kids.

Get ready for March 2,2005 and the nation’sbiggest reading celebra-tion! Now approaching

TM & (c) 1997 Dr. SuessEnterprises, L.P. Cat in thethe Hat image; TM & (c) 1997 Dr.Suess Enterprises, L.P. All rights reserved

TEXAS SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR: TSTA member Sherry Lindemann uses Dr. Seuss’ The Butter Battle Book to teach about war.

Celebrate ReCelebrate Re

➤Stellaluna by Janell Cannon(4-8 years)

➤Oh, The Places You’ll Go by Dr.Seuss (4-8 years)

➤Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola(4-8 years)

➤Alexander and the Terrible,Horrible, No Good, VeryBad Day by Judith Viorst(4-8 years)

➤Brown Bear, Brown Bear, WhatDo You See? by Bill Martin, Jr.(Baby-Preschool)

➤Charlie and the Chocolate Fac-tory by Roald Dahl (9-12 years)

➤The Velveteen Rabbit byMargery Williams (4-8 years)

➤A Wrinkle in Time by MadeleineL’Engle (9-12 years)

➤Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Nay-lor (9-12 years)

➤How the Grinch Stole Christ-mas by Dr. Seuss (4-8 years)

➤The True Story of the Three LittlePigs by Jon Scieszka (4-8 years)

➤Chicka Chicka Boom Boom byJohn Archambault (4-8 years)

➤Little House on the Prairie byLaura Ingalls Wilder (9-12 years)

➤The Secret Garden by FrancesHodgson Burnett (9-12 years)

➤The Complete Tales of Winniethe Pooh by A. A. Milne(4-8 years)

➤The Boxcar Children by GertrudeChandler Warner (9-12 years)

➤Sarah, Plain and Tall by PatriciaMacLachlan (9-12 years)

➤Indian in the Cupboard byLynne Reid Banks (9-12 years)

➤Island of the Blue Dolphins byScott O’Dell (9-12 years)

➤Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli(9-12 years)

➤The BFG by Roald Dahl(9-12 years)

➤The Giver by Lois Lowry(9-12 years)

➤If You Give a Mouse a Cookieby Laura Joffe Numeroff(4-8 years)

➤James and the Giant Peach: AChildren’s Story by Roald Dahl(9-12 years)

➤Little House in the Big Woodsby Laura Ingalls Wilder(9-12 years)

➤Roll of Thunder, Hear MyCry by Mildred D. Taylor(9-12 years)

➤The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien(Young Adult)

➤The Lorax by Dr. Seuss(4-8 years)

➤Stone Fox by John ReynoldsGardiner (9-12 years)

➤Number the Stars by LoisLowry (9-12 years)

TEXAS ELEMENTARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR: TSTA member Gloria Voutos reads to her bilingual pupils in the school library.

eading with Us!eading with Us!

How to Create a Reading EventHow to Create a Reading EventYour NEA’s Read Across

America celebration can be assimple or elaborate as timeand inclination allow.

Keep in mind the basicpremise and your event is al-most certain to be a success:On March 2, the National Ed-ucation Association is callingfor every child to be readingin the company of a caringadult. The following is a sim-ple scenario for elementary ormiddle school teachers whowant to conduct an event intheir classroom. This is by farthe most typical celebrationand can easily be adapted toother situations.

➤Consult your principal andobtain any requiredapprovals. In our experi-ence, principals love NEA’sRead Across America, andthe majority will not onlysupport your efforts, theywill become actively in-volved. In the event yourprincipal has not heard ofthe program, refer him orher to the web site,www.nea.org/readacross.

➤Look at your school’smonthly calendar and de-cide on a date to celebrate.The official day in 2005 isWednesday, March 2. If thisconflicts with an alreadyscheduled event, feel freeto choose a different day.Some schools celebrate inthe week before or after theactual date. Some schoolsexpand it to a week-longcelebration! Talk to yourprincipal and check yourschool calendar as early aspossible to avoid any last-minute problems.

➤Please read about our copy-

right and licensing arrange-ments with Dr. Seuss En-terprises on the web site.It’s important that wehonor these agreements inorder to maintain our veryspecial relationship.

➤Consult with your schoollibrarian. It is likely that heor she is familiar withNEA’s Read Across Americaand may have ideas and re-sources to offer. If possible,reserve copies of books inadvance; as March 2 drawsnear there may be a run onDr. Seuss books!

➤Find out if other teachers atyour school are makingplans. Perhaps you can co-ordinate your efforts for aschool-wide event.

➤Invite “guest readers” tocome to your class onMarch 2 (or the date youhave chosen) and read toyour students. This is themost popular of all activi-ties. There is somethingpowerful about a local po-liceman, firefighter, mayor,radio personality, pastor,high school quarterback, orgrandmother sitting downand sharing their love forreading with your students.Be sure to ask your gueststo talk about why readingis important in their per-sonal and professionallives, and about their fa-vorite books when theywere kids. After your eventis over, you might haveyour students write thank-you letters.

➤If resources allow, makearrangements for a birth-day cake. You might wantto have it decorated with

the words, “Happy Birth-day Dr. Seuss.” If funds arein short supply, find out ifany of your parents are en-thusiastic bakers. Easy al-ternatives are cupcakes orcookies. Add fruit punch orjuice for a beverage.

➤Everybody wants to wearthe famous Cat in the Hatstriped hat. You can buyhats from our Cat-alog on-line, or you can make yourown from red and whiteconstruction paper. A 39oz. coffee can is a good di-ameter to serve as a patternfor the crown, and you cantrace around a large dinnerplate for the brim. Thismakes a fun class project.

➤Make a certificate of partic-ipation for every student.Children appreciate tangi-ble acknowledgements fortheir efforts. Visit our on-line Resources area todownload a pre-designedcertificate and see a list ofavailable items.

➤Send information home toparents ahead of time, alongwith parent reading tips

from our Resource Kit. Somemay offer to help out, and afew parents may even volun-teer to be guest readers.

➤Let the world know aboutyour plans by pledging toparticipate. We’ll post yourpledge on the page for yourparticular state.

➤If you are an NEA member,let your local associationknow about your plans.They may be able to offerideas and support.

➤There is a lot of informa-tion on the Read Acrossweb site. If you want toexpand on the “basics,”you’ll find a ton of ideasand resources. Read about“100 Great Read AcrossAmerica Events” that wereheld last year; check outthe games and activities atwww.seussville.com.

➤On the Big Day: put on yourhats. Enjoy your guest read-ers. (Did you make hats forthem, too?) Eat birthdaycake, drink punch, anddon’t forget to sing “HappyBirthday” to Dr. Seuss. Read,read, read. Have FUN!

NEA’s Health Information Network is one of three charities thatwill benefit from sales of a recently released Arthur CD. Cele-brity readers, including Clay Aiken, Kevin Bacon, and DaisyFuentes, deliver lively and amusing performances as theyread nine Arthur stories. In addition to the stories you canhear on your audio CD player, this enhanced CD also includesgames, activities and educational materials you can access byinserting the CD into your computer’s CD-ROM drive.

A majority of the proceeds from this first installment in a series—Stories for Heroes—will benefit three charities: the NationalEducation Association’s Health Information Network (NEAHIN), the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, andThe Bubel/Aiken Foundation. Visit www.storiesforheroes.comfor more information and to find out how to get your copy.

18 TSTA ADVOCATE

CD Features Celebrities ReadingCD Features Celebrities Reading

WINTER 2004 19

Check out the redesigned www.neamb.com Web Site today. Now it’s easier to find out about allof the great products and services, giveaways, and information available to NEA members.

Log on to the Site today for:• Faster and easier navigation with better access to information• Tools & Tips section with many different financial calculators and a wealth

of consumer information developed exclusively for members• Enhanced pages for Insurance, Financial Services and Member Discount Programs • Expanded Free for Members section featuring the popular monthly giveaway

and other free member-only offers • Online account access, online quotes and more

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(Plus, enter to win our FREE giveaway to boot.)

Helping make members’ lives betterFor more information, call 1-800-637-4636 Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. (or Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) ET

WS481204

ver the last decade, the

Texas public schools

have made tremendous

progress. We have recodified

the education code, restruc-

tured Texas schools and re-

vamped educational programs

to better prepare students for

college, the job market, and

O

20 TSTA ADVOCATE

The 79th Session of the Legislature—

Trouble Ahead?The 79th Session of the Legislature—

Trouble Ahead?life in the 21st century.

The Texas Education

Agency (TEA) reports a

steady improvement in student

test scores on increasingly rig-

orous standardized tests. Test

scores are up, and the most

dramatic gains have been for

minority and economically

disadvantaged students.

Now is not the time to re-

treat from the gains that have

been made. Even in light of

the financial constraints that

the Legislature will face this

year, TSTA and the public

agree that legislators should

continue to support the edu-

Legislators should continue

to support the educational

needs of the children who

represent the future of our

state and the people who

teach them.

O

WINTER 2004 21

cational needs of the childrenwho represent the future ofour state and the people whoteach them.

As we move into the era ofTexas Assessment of Knowl-edge and Skills (TAKS), thestate budget crisis could havea dramatic effect on the threemajor areas that must be ad-dressed to continue suchprogress. The new TAKS testis much harder than its pre-decessor, the Texas Assess-ment of Academic Skills(TAAS); students will betested on more subjects andin greater depth than beforeand there will be a more rig-orous graduation standard.We must have the best pre-pared teaching force in thehistory of the state if ourschools—and students—aregoing to succeed.

We enter this period of cri-sis with a devastating short-age of certified teachers inTexas. According to the latestdata from the State Board forEducator Certification, thereare 56,551 classrooms in thestate staffed by teachers whoare not certified to teach theclasses they have been as-signed to teach. For the firsttime in history, more newteachers are coming fromalternative certification pro-grams than from traditionalcertification programs. Wewitnessed an unprecedented45% increase in retirementsat the end of the 2003-2004schoolyear primarily due toa change in the Social Secu-rity law. Too many minorityand economically disadvan-taged children have inappro-priately certified teachersteaching them for a majorityof the day.

The first order of business

for the legislature this yearshould be to take the neces-sary steps to end the teachershortage.

The average teacher salaryin Texas is more than $6,000below the national average.We must have a significantacross-the-board pass-through pay raise. Attemptsto pit teachers against eachother through merit or incen-tive pay schemes must be de-feated. We can’t go anothertwo years without an across-the-board state pay raise.

We must restore the $500that we lost from the healthinsurance stipend in the lastsession and move towardhealth insurance benefits forall educational employeesthat are at least comparable tothose provided to stateemployees.

Teachers need to have ameaningful voice in the im-portant decisions that aremade at the campus and dis-trict level. Legislation thatstrengthens the site-based de-cision making process at thecampus level and mandatesconsultation at the districtlevel is essential to givingteachers a professional role inthe decision making process.

This year, the state will pay

less than 40% of the cost forcurrent education programs,an all-time low. With morethan half of the school dis-tricts in the state at the maxi-mum tax rate, the legislaturemust act immediately to putmore money into public edu-cation. Otherwise, school dis-tricts across the state willhave to drastically cut ser-vices and programs for stu-dents in order to balancetheir budgets.

We must have a stable, eq-uitable, adequate funding sys-tem that can grow as our stu-dent population increases.

Funding based on incen-tives for performance will notaddress the fact that we arenot adequately funding ourschools. We need a substan-tial increase in state fundingfor all schools.

Any new funding planmust provide equitable fund-ing for all students.

Programs designed to di-vert public tax dollars to pri-vate religious schools must bedefeated.

With the reforms of HB 72in 1984 and SB1 in 1995, thestate legislature adopted min-imum standards that guaran-teed certain programs wouldbe in place in all local school

districts. Prior to the adop-tion of those two landmarkpieces of legislation, localschool districts were allowedflexibility in what they did ordid not provide to studentsand educational employees.

The dramatic increase inour test scores highlights thesuccess of those reforms. How-ever, school boards and super-intendents immediately begana crusade to rid themselves ofminimum state standards bydeclaring them unfundedmandates and demanding areturn to the “good old days”of local control. In Texas’shared state/local-fundingsystem, it is impossible to de-fine an unfunded mandate.

We cannot afford to grantlocal school districts addi-tional flexibility in a way thatdiminishes standards.

The legislature has a consti-tutional responsibility to pro-vide a quality public educa-tion system for all Texasschoolchildren — a responsi-bility that can’t be different ineach of the 1,100 school dis-tricts. We must defeat any at-tempt by the legislature toroll back the current stan-dards that protect teachers’working conditions and stu-dents’ learning conditions.

Get ready to rumbleTSTA will be filing legislation and working with legislators to advance a pro-public

education agenda in January, but we won’t be successful without your help. If

you haven’t signed up for the Briefing, please go to www.tsta.org and do so. We

will be sending legislative alerts during the session when key issues are coming

up for a vote.

We also need your correct phone number and address. You can update that in-

formation on our website. Most of all, we need you to take the time to stay in-

formed and call your elected officials at critical times during the session.

22 TSTA ADVOCATE

com

ing

up

Ambassador Academy:the fourth class is forming!

Twenty-eight enthusiastic TSTA members who are ready to be more involved in the Association metin Austin last summer for the third annual TSTA/NEA Ambassador Academy. You can be part of thefourth graduating class!

If you want to gain knowledgeof the Association, discover

more about yourself as an in-dividual, learn problem-solvingskills, then utilize those skillsin your local, apply to go tothe fourth annual TSTA/NEAAmbassador Academy!

The Ambassador Academy,which is tentatively set forJune 6-10 this year, is in-tended to attract membersinto active Association leader-ship roles. You must haveworked in the public schoolsystem less than 10 years andbe willing to become an ac-tive leader. The Academy isintended for up-and-comingnew leaders.

NEA and TSTA trainers willprovide the weeklong train-ing. NEA will provide train-ing in Personal AssessmentLeadership Skills (PALS). Par-ticipants will focus on com-munication, decision-makingand Association structure.TSTA will give the partici-pants an opportunity to expe-rience the inner workings ofthe state Association and achance to meet the staff atTSTA Headquarters.

You will develop a plan ofaction, which will enable youto use your skills in yourlocal association and employ-ment. This academy will giveyou an opportunity to buildrelationships as a Ambassadorby networking with Ambassa-dors from across the state. Ul-timately, you will be expectedto become an active leader inyour local association and

implement the goals youdevelop during the Academy.

You can download an ap-plication at www.tsta.orgin the Upcoming Eventssection or, if you would likethe application mailed toyour home, call TSTA andask for Rosie Castillo. Pleaseemail (rosiec@tsta.org), fax(512-486-7043), or mail(Ambassador Academy,TSTA, 316 West 12thStreet, Austin, TX 78701)the application, commit-ment contract and letters ofrecommendation to TSTAby April 25, 2005.

The Ambassador Com-mittee will review all appli-cations, and notificationletters will be sent on May4, 2005. If you have anyquestions, please contactMel Stubblefield or RosieCastillo at 877-275-8782.

Ambassador Academy ReunionFebruary 4-5, 2005 in Austin

Call 877-ASK-TSTA

Check box beside office this nomination is for: TSTA-Retired President TSTA-Retired Vice President

QUALIFICATIONS: Must be an active member of TSTA-Retired and NEA-RetiredNominee’s name____________________________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________________________State___________Zip___________

Home phone _________________________________Work phone____________________________________

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the above information is true and correct.

Nominee’s Signature ________________________________________________________________________

Nominator’s name __________________________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________________________________________State___________Zip___________

Home phone _________________________________Work phone____________________________________

I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the above information is true and correct.

Nominator’s Signature_______________________________________________________________________

Completed forms must be received by 5:00 p.m., January 14, 2005, at TSTA-Retired,316 West 12th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

T S TA - R N O M I N AT I O N F O R M

WINTER 2004 23

TSTA-RETIRED HOLDSOFFICER ELECTIONS

The positions of presidentand vice president of TSTA-Retired are open for nomina-tions. This is for a two-year pe-riod, beginning with the2005-06 term.

Members may nominatethemselves or other membersby filling out the nominationform at right and returning it toTSTA-Retired, 316 West 12thStreet, Austin 78701. Com-pleted forms must be receivedby 5 p.m., January 14, 2005.Feel free to make additionalcopies of the form to nominatefor more than one office. Pleaseremember that you must ob-tain written permission fromyour nominee (see form).

Upcoming TSTA/NEA EventsJANUARY

7-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “I Can Do It” training, Austin

8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Legislative & Political Advocacy Committee, TSTAHeadquarters

13-14 . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEA Western Region Minority Leadership Train-ing Seminar, Denver, CO

14-16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEA Western Regional Leadership Conference,Denver, CO

22 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Constitution, Bylaws and Elections Committee,TSTA Headquarters

28-30 . . . . . . . . . . . . . TSTA Board of Directors, TSTA Headquarters

31 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TSTA School Bell Award Nominations Deadline

FEBRUARY

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deadline for Professional, Human and Civil Rights Awards

1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Deadline for Ermalee Boice Instructional Advocacy/NEA TeachingExcellence Award

4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas Future Teachers of America Convention, Radisson Hotel, Austin

4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TSTA-Student Program Fall Meeting, Radisson Hotel, Austin

4-5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ambassador Academy Reunion

MARCH

2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEA’s Read Across America

4-6 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEA Higher Education Conference, San Antonio

10-11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . TSTA-Retired State Convention, La Quinta Airport, Austin

11-13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . NEA ESP Conference, San Diego, CA

24 TSTA ADVOCATE

The 2005 TSTA AnnualConvention will be held at

the Renaissance Austin Hotel(Arboretum area—NorthwestAustin) on April 14-17, 2005.The TSTA Board of Directorswill meet on April 14. Allevents will take place at thehotel with the House of Dele-gates meeting being held in theGrand Ballroom (Atrium levelof the hotel) on April 15-16.

If you are interested in be-ing a delegate, please contactyour local president to get de-

tails on when and howdelegates are elected inyour local. Regionalpresidents may clustermembers without alocal or in small localsthat choose not toelect a delegate.

Call the Center forExecutive and Gover-nance (800-324-5355or 877-ASK-TSTA, ex-tension 1510 or 1514)if you have questions

about the House of Dele-gates/Convention and/oritems in this article. Infor-mation about TSTA’s StateConvention meeting will belocated in the UpcomingEvents section of TSTA’s website at www.tsta.org.

We will be sending detailedinformation about the sched-ule, transportation, and lodg-ing at a later date, but someitems need to be touched onin this article, even thoughthe convention is still monthsaway. One important item isthe housing form. While wecan mail a packet to folksafter they are elected coveringmost information, the onlyway we have to get the HotelReservation Form to dele-gates in time for them to meetthe deadline is to include it inthis article. If you are plan-ning on being a delegate (orthink you might be), pleaseread the following paragraphcarefully and use the form at

the end of this article to makeyour reservation.

HousingA room block is being held

at the Renaissance AustinHotel. Reservations are to bemade directly with the hotel.Please complete the lodgingform found at the end of thisarticle. March 25 is the dead-line for hotel reservations.After that date, rooms not re-served in the TSTA block willbe released and reservationswill be processed upon avail-ability. Please note: The hotelDOES NOT have to honorthe convention rate afterMarch 25, 2005.

RegistrationRegistration and certifica-

tion of delegates will occur onthe Atrium level of the hotelon April 15-16. Exact timesfor registration will be postedon the TSTA web site closerto the Convention and will bemailed to delegates. While

Regional andCaucus MeetingsRegions and Caucuses that

choose to use the hotel

meeting space to conduct

business/meetings need to

make arrangements through

the Organizing Center for

Executive and Governance.

gove

rnan

ce

126th Annual TSTA ConventionApril 14-17, 2005 • Renaissance Austin Hotel • Austin

WINTER 2004 25

any member is welcome to at-tend the HoD and Conven-tion, only those delegateswith proper badges are al-lowed in the designateddelegate section and votingarea. If you are an alternatedelegate moving to delegatestatus, you will need to getthe card mailed to the dele-gate you are replacing andbring it with you to theregistration desk. The card

must be signed by your local

president.

Professional DevelopmentWorkshops

Several workshops, includ-

ing professional development

workshops with continuing

education credits, are being

planned and will be offered

during the convention on ed-

ucational and association is-

sues. These workshops will

be offered on Friday, April 15.

Open HearingsOpen hearings will be con-

ducted Friday, April 15, on:Proposed 2005-06 TSTA Bud-get; Proposed Bylaws Amend-ments; Proposed LegislativeProgram; and Proposed NEAResolutions. Other topicsmay be scheduled as well.

Ground TransportationThe airport is 17.1 miles

from the hotel. Ground trans-portation is available viaSuperShuttle van service orvia taxicab. Detailed informa-tion will be provided to thedelegates, along with infor-mation on discounted carrentals available throughTSTA/NEA Member Benefits.The Renaissance Austin Hotelprovides complimentary self-parking. Valet parking is avail-able at the cost of $12 a day.

H O T E L R E S E R VAT I O N F O R M

TSTA 126th Annual State ConventionApril 14-17, 2005 • Renaissance Austin Hotel • Austin

PLEASE COMPLETE ALL REQUESTED INFORMATION AND RETURN TO THE HOTEL BY MARCH 25, 2005. Check-in time for the hotel is 3:00 p.m. and check-out time is 1:00 p.m.

RENAISSANCE AUSTIN HOTEL Room Rate

(TSTA Headquarters Hotel) ____Single room (1 person—1 bed)............................................$129.00

9721 Arboretum Blvd., Austin, TX 78759 ____Double room (2 people—___1 bed, ___2 beds) .....................$129.00

Telephone: 512-343-2626 or 800-228-9290 ____Triple room (3 people—2 beds) ...........................................$149.00

FAX: 512-343-6364 ____Quad room (4 people—2 beds)............................................$149.00

Cut-off date for ALL rooms and room rates is March 25, 2005. All rooms are subject to a 15% room tax.

I will arrive April ____________________, 2005 at __________________ (a.m./p.m.) and will depart April ___________________, 2005.

Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing address: _____________________________________________________________________________________________________

City: _________________________________________________________________________State:_______________Zip:_______________

Day phone: ____________________________________________ Evening phone:________________________________________________

Email:________________________________________________ Fax:__________________________________________________________

LIST ALL INDIVIDUALS PER ROOM (ONE NAME PER LINE) AND ACCOMMODATIONS DESIRED: Circle Room No. 1 Circle Room No. 2Room Type Room Type

Single 1. ____________________________________________ Single 1.____________________________________________

Double 2. ____________________________________________ Double 2.____________________________________________

Triple 3. ____________________________________________ Triple 3.____________________________________________

Quad 4. ____________________________________________ Quad 4.____________________________________________

A deposit equal to the first night’s room rate per room is due three (3) weeks prior to arrival. Room deposit can be made by major credit cards orcheck and is refundable up to 48 hours prior to arrival. This will assure your reservation. Should cancellation be necessary, you must advisethe hotel 48 hours prior to your arrival date. If the hotel is not advised, you will be responsible to pay for space held.

Approved major credit card:________________________________Credit card #: ________________________________________________

Exp. date:______________________ Name in which credit card is issued: ____________________________________________________

Make plans to attend the Summit for Local Presidents on Sunday, April 17, 9:00 a.m.

26 TSTA ADVOCATE

One of the “core values” forTSTA is that certain groups(minorities and ESPs) shouldbe insured an appropriate voicein the organization, while othergroups (administrators) shouldnot be allowed to have influ-ence beyond their numbers.TSTA has adopted Bylaws andpolicies to insure that the orga-nization operates in a way thatreflects this value.

Under the policies, we do acalculation each year to deter-mine what proportion of ourmembership is in each of thosethree (3) categories, based onthe May 31 membership num-bers. TSTA membership shows23.09% of our members as eth-nic minorities, 14.3% as ESPsand 3.49% as supervisory. Witha Board of 25 (President, VicePresident, Regional Presidents,NEA Directors from Texas), thatmeans TSTA must have at leastsix (6) minorities and four (4)ESPs, and one (1) supervisor.

TSTA will not know untilafter the regions complete theirelections at the regional housesof delegates whether or notTSTA will need to have at-largeelections for minority and/orESP Board members. However,in order to be prepared, TSTAmust seek nominations now.The elections (if necessary) willbe held at the 2005 House ofDelegates on April 16. The per-sons elected will serve July 15,2005 through July 14, 2007.

TSTA currently has two (2)ESP at-large Board members andone (1) ESP serving as a regionalpresident; all three (3) of thoseterms expire. If no ESP iselected as a regional president,then TSTA would have to electfour (4) at-large ESP members.If four (4) or more ESPs areelected as regional presidents,then there would be no needfor an ESP at-large election. Atthis point, there are four (4)minority Board members whoseterms continue for anotheryear; so we would need two (2)

minorities to be elected as re-gional presidents. Candidateswill be notified prior to theState House of Delegates of theat-large positions to be filled.

The TSTA Board of DirectorsPolicy EP-6 stipulates that allnomination forms must bemailed to TSTA by CERTI-FIED MAIL WITH RETURNRECEIPT REQUESTED,FAXED, OR DELIVERED INPERSON WITH A RECEIPTISSUED BY TSTA BY THEDEADLINE ESTABLISHEDEACH YEAR IN THE ELEC-TION TIMELINE ADOPTEDBY THE BOARD OF DIREC-TORS as stated below. Nomi-nation forms that are receivedthrough the regular mail willnot be accepted and will be re-turned to the sender.

Based on TSTA’s Bylaws,TSTA will mail a packet detail-ing the responsibilities of aBoard member to each personwho files a nomination form.The packet also will contain aform the candidate must signand return stating the candi-date has read the packet andwill accept the responsibilitiesif elected. The candidate state-ment form does not have to be

returned with the nominationform, but must be signed andreturned before ballots are dis-tributed and within the time-line as stated in this article.

Please make sure that theNOMINATION FORM with thisArticle is COMPLETELY filledout and SIGNED by the nomi-nee. In order to comply withthe approved election timeline,candidates will need to complywith the following timeline:➤March 29 (Tuesday)—Nom-ination Form postmark dead-line if mailed by certified mailwith return receipt requested➤March 31 (Thursday)—Nomination Form receiptdeadline of 4:45 p.m. CST forfiling by fax or in person ➤April 6 (Wednesday)—Deadline for receipt of flyers tobe included in delegate packets➤April 8 (Friday)—4:45 p.m.CDT deadline for receipt ofsigned statement by candidate➤April 16 (Saturday)—Elec-tion to be held at the TSTAState House of Delegates➤April 16 (Saturday)—RunoffElection (if necessary) at theTSTA State House of Delegates

Qualifications:➤Be actively engaged in the

education profession withinthe state at the time of election➤Have held Active, TSTA-R,ESP, TFA, or any combinationof Active, ESP, TSTA-R andTFA or life membership inTSTA for at least three (3) con-secutive years preceding election➤Be actively employed as anon-supervisory member and,for the ESP position, be amember in the ESP category➤Maintain membership statusand educational position inTSTA during term of office ➤Sign and return the form ac-cepting the responsibilities of aBoard member

If mailing a nomination form,send by certified mail with re-turn receipt to TSTA's Center forExecutive and Governance, 316West 12th Street, Austin, Texas78701 or fax to 512-486-7053.Hand delivered nominationforms must be received by theCenter for Executive and Gov-ernance with a hand written re-ceipt being issued. Questionsregarding the election are to bedirected to the Center for Exec-utive and Governance by call-ing 877-ASK-TSTA, ext. 1514or 1510, or emailing sandras@tsta.org or connier@tsta.org.

Election of TSTA At-Large Board of Directors Members

TTSSTTAA BBooaarrdd ooff DDiirreeccttoorrss EEtthhnniicc MMiinnoorriittyy oorr EEdduuccaattiioonnaall SSuuppppoorrtt AAtt--LLaarrggee PPoossiittiioonnI am applying for an ethnic minority position and certify that I am a non-supervisory member of TSTA.I am applying for an educational support position and certify that I am a non-supervisory member of TSTA.

(Circle One: Mr. Ms.) Name ______________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________________

City _____________________________________________________ State______________ Zip______________

Home Phone___________________________________ Day Phone _______________________________________

Email _______________________________________Social Security No.__________________________________

Local Association________________________________TSTA Region______ Work Site _________________________

Position ______________________________________ School District____________________________________

ETHNIC GROUP: (Please Check)American Indian/Alaska Native Black Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Multiple EthnicAsian Hispanic Caucasian (not of Spanish Origin) Minority GroupsOther Ethnic Minority Group (please specify) _________________________________________________________

When mailing by certified mail, the nomination form must be postmarked on or before MMaarrcchh 2299 with return receipt requested. Mail to: TSTA, Center forExecutive and Governance, 316 West 12th Street, Suite 510, Austin, Texas 78701

If faxing or delivering in person, the nomination form must be received on MMaarrcchh 3311 bbyy 44::4455 pp..mm.. CCSSTT by TSTA’s Center for Executive and Governance with areturn receipt being issued. Fax to 512-486-7053 or hand deliver to Suite 510 at TSTA Headquarters, 316 West 12th Street in Austin.

Signature of Nominee ___________________________________________________________________________

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Visit www.collettevacations.com/tsta/ or call 1-800-940-5990 and mention promotion code W005-AW-3324.*Offer valid for new bookings only and cannot be used for group travel. TSTA Special Savings are available only through website or by calling 1-800-940-5990. Other restrictions may apply.

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TTSSTTAA aanndd MMeemmbbeerrss AAuuttoo SSeerrvviicceess PPrreeffeerrrreeddAAuuttoo BBuuyyiinngg PPrrooggrraamm AAnnnnoouunnccee aann EExxcciittiinngg

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Visit the contact person at any one of

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sonal advisor to assist you in locating

a great deal on a new or preowned vehicle.

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AMARILLOStreet Toyota806-355-9846Mike Goode

AUSTINCharles Maund Toyota512-458-2222Bill Kipferbillkipfer@hotmail.com

David McDavid Acura of Austin888- 4 My AcuraDoug Abramsdabrams@mcdavid.com

ARLINGTONBinder’s Motorplex817-277-7707Tom Binderbmisales@swbell.net

Hiley Mazda VW817-575-6000Brad Nutt (VW), Hurdie Burk (M)bradnutt@hileyvw.comhurdieburk@hileymazda.com

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATIONTom Light Chevrolet979-776-7000Bubba Dicksonbdickson@tomlight.com

CORPUS CHRISTIEH Green Motors: Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep361-368-3511Ed Green

DALLASAutoflex Leasing972-234-1234Hubert Lit tle (Dallas)hlit tle@autoflex.comJohn Housel (Tarrant)jhousel@autoflex.com

Crest Cadillac, Infiniti, Isuzu, Oldsmobile972-578-7511Rob Laughonrlaughon@vtaig.com

Friendly Chevrolet214-920-1900Bud HeldendrandRodney Alexanderdheldenbrand@friendlychevy.com

North Texas Motorcars Sales214-398-1902Greg Parksgreg@northtexasmotorcars.comJohnny Romerojohnny@northtexasmotorcars.com

Park Place: Mercedes, Porsche888-837-6089Steve LagerstromDirect 214-443-8223steve_lagerstrom@parkplacetexas.com

Subaru of Dallas214-526-5555Dave Thomasdthomas@subaruofdallas.com

Toyota of Irving972-258-1200Bill Vaughn, Mike Barnhartfleet@toyota-irving.com

Volvo of Dallas972-428-1200Ned Fardeeceyned.fardeecey@volvoofdallas.com

DAYTONLiberty Dayton-Chrysler936-336-8841, 1-800-833-8841David Leonarddavid@libertydaytonchrysler.com

EL PASOCrawford Imports: Suzuki, Subaru915-595-1777Randy Smithrsmith@crawfordimportcenter.com

Crawford Auto Plaza: Buick, GMC,Pontiac915-778-7781Agustin Vasquezavasquez@crawfordautoplaza.com

FORT WORTHFive Star Ford817-498-8838David Deger, Reid Harmondavid@5starford.comreid@5starford.com

Frank Kent: Cadillac, GMC, Honda,Hummer, Oldsmobile, Pontiac817-696-4000Bill Barnes, Joe Snelus, Roger Doylefleetsales@frankkentcars.com

Park Place: Lexus - Grapevine817-416-3100Dorian Jimenez, Tripp Steeledorian_jimenez@parkplacetexas.com tripp_steele@parkplacetexas.com

Thornhill Nissan817-560-9000Gary Harrellgary@thornhillnissan.com

Vandergriff Honda817-275-3371John Shumaker, Mike Allensales@vandergriff.dealerspace.com

HARLINGENBert Ogden Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth956-423-5555Ray Crumrayc@bertogdenonline.com

HILLSBOROHillsboro Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler,Dodge, Jeep254-582-2525Bruce Glascockbruceg@hillsboroautomall.com

HOUSTONChastang’s Bayou City Ford713-678-5045Patrick Chastangpchastang@bayoucityford.com

Courtesy Chevrolet

713-686-7777Kerry Marshkmarsh@courtesychevy.com

Davis Chevrolet713-291-3678Larry Davis, Al Floresldavis@davischevrolet.comaflores@davischevrolet.com

Fincher’s Texas Best Auto & Truck Sales281-931-3900Brad Waltersrileyww@aol.com

Fred Haas Toyota Country281-357-4000Buddy Hadley832-282-9976 Cellbuddy_hadley@fredhaastoyotacountry.com

Goodson Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Jeep832-601-4000David Froeschldfroeschl@unitedauto.com

JASPERAllison Chevrolet409-384-4693Russell Duplantisrussell@allisonchevrolet.net

Jasper Ford Lincoln Mercury409-384-3411Joe Griggsjoe@jasperford.net

KILLEENPatriot: Pontiac, Buick, GMC254-690-7000Rodney Truett, Andrea Womackrtruett@patriotcars.comandreaw@patriotcars.com

LAKE JACKSONGulf Coast Nissan-Toyota713-422-7200Corry Peacockcpeacock@gulfcoastautopark.com

LEWISVILLEFord Country of Lewisville972-221-2900Bill Lettsbilllet ts@fordcountry.net

Lewisville VW972-538-0700Kevin Bedfordsales@vwautoteam.com

LUBBOCKGene Messer Toyota806-748-4800Charlie Hopkinsinternet@genemessertoyota.com

MCALLENBert Ogden: BMW, Nissan956-631-6666David Floresteetered@hotmail.com

PLANOPark Place: Lexus972-407-7000Troy Tucker, Tim Tolson

ttucker@parkplacetexas.com ttolson@parkplacetexas.com

SAN ANTONIOCavender Toyota210-681-6601Jim Dames, Gary Holdgraf, Mike Buffbargerinternet@cavendertoyota.com

Enterprise Car Sales210-646-0673 Ernesto Cantu, Milan Hulek, Jaime McCordernesto.cantu@erac.commhulek@erac.comjaime.mccord@erac.com

Koepp Chevrolet830-252-8000Tim Hicksjerald1@wireweb.net

The Dodge Superstore210-253-3030Scot Carl, Alan Gwinscarl@saauto.com

SAN MARCOSCecil Atkission GMC, Pontiac512-392-4300Kevin Lutzkevinsmc03@yahoo.com

SHERMAN/DENISONHoliday Chevrolet903-564-3551Ronny Gregoryronny@holidaychevy.com

SULPHUR SPRINGSGober Merrell: Chevrolet, Buick, GMC,Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep903-885-9521Terry Blountterryblount@hotmail.com

SWEETWATERToliver Auto: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet,GMC, Pontiac915-235-4384George Walkertoliverap@hotmail.com

TERRELL-KAUFMANRandall Noe: Ford, Dodge, Chrysler, Jeep,Plymouth, Mercury972-524-3775Craig Bakerrnoe@earthlink.net

Randall Noe: Chevrolet, Pontiac, Oldsmobile972-932-2195Faron Youngmoney@nuwavenet.com

Wylie Musser: Buick, Pontiac, GMC Trucks972-524-7827Perry Stovallwyliemusser@aol.com

VICTORIAAtzenhoffer: Cadillac, Chevrolet, Mazda,Mitsubishi361-578-0181Leesa Brownnewcar@atzenhoffer.com

30 TSTA ADVOCATE

Nominate your mediafor a School Bell Award!

Communityunderstanding

and sup-port for

public edu-cation have been significantlyadvanced by Texas newspa-pers and local radio and tele-vision stations through their

interpretation of issues af-fecting public schools inour state.

TSTA takes pride insponsoring the annual TexasSchool Bell Awards compe-tition to recognize theseoutstanding contributions.

Local associations will

receive forms and instruc-tions to submit entries in thevarious classifications andcategories listed below.

Entries must have beenaired or published Jan. 1through Dec. 31, 2004 andmust be received no laterthan midnight, Jan. 31, 2005

at the TSTA Organizing Cen-ter for Communications andPublic Relations, 316 West12th Street, Austin, Texas78701. First place winners ineach category will receiveprestigious School Bell tro-phies to be awarded at the2005 TSTA convention.

C A T E G O R I E S

C L A S S I F I C A T I O N S

NEWSPAPERSA. Dailies

1.Circulation..............................................over 100,0002.Circulation ..........................................99,999-50,0003.Circulation ..........................................49,999-25,0004.Circulation .............................................under 25,000

__ Metro or Suburban Market __ Medium or Small Market5.Political Cartoon

B. Semiweekly1.Metropolitan or Suburban Market2.Medium or Small Market

C. Weekly1.Metropolitan or Suburban Market2.Medium or Small Market

D. Magazine1. Monthly2. Weekly

RADIOA. County population ......................................over 100,000B. County population ...................................99,999-25,000C. County population ...................................24,999-10,000D. County population ......................................under 10,000

TELEVISIONA. Metropolitan MarketB. Other: _____________________________________________

C. Special Consideration

NOTE: Television Metropolitan Market includes Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso, Austin and Corpus Christi. All otherstations will compete in the second classification.

PRINT MEDIA1. Outstanding continuous coverage of education news,

increasing public understanding of school achievements,problems and programs

2. Outstanding feature story interpreting school programs andeducation issues

3. Outstanding collection of feature stories or a single topicinterpreting school programs and education issues

4. Outstanding feature series interpreting school programs andeducation issues

5. Outstanding editorial interpreting school achievements,issues, and needs

6. Outstanding collection of editorials interpreting schoolachievements, issues, and needs

7. Outstanding continuing column interpreting school pro-grams and education issues

8. Outstanding special supplement featuring special eventsand educational programs

9. Outstanding regular supplement featuring special eventsand educational programs

10. Outstanding magazine article featuring stories interpretingschool programs and education issues

11. Outstanding political cartoon12. Special consideration

Description:________________________________________

RADIO TELEVISION

1. Outstanding continuous coverage of education issues andevents

2. Outstanding locally produced single program interpretingschool programs or education issues

3. Outstanding locally produced program series interpretingschool programs or education issues

4. Outstanding station editorial interpreting school achieve-ments, issues and needs

5. Outstanding collection of station editorials interpretingschool achievements, issues and needs

6. Special considerationDescription__________________________________________

WINTER 2004 31

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

AREA CODE HOME PHONE

METHOD OF PAYMENT_____1 Cash/Check _____ 2 Payroll Deduction Authorization (below)

I hereby authorize the______________________________________________ SchoolDistrict to deduct the total amount of the annual obligation as set by the appropri-ate Association governance bodies in _________ equal payments in order to paymy dues to the professional associations and organizations listed and for politicalaction contributions indicated. The authorization will continue in effect for thisschool year and future years, including any increase that may occur, until I givewritten notice to the local by September 15 to revoke. I further authorize any un-paid annual balance to be deducted from my final check. The Local Associationwill notify School District officials of the annual dues amounts for all levels of theAssociation each year.

LOCAL ASSOCIATION HIRE DATE

NAME OF ISD

DATE OF BIRTH

American Indian/Alaska Native AsianNative Hawaiian/Pacific IslanderBlack

Ethnicity information is optional and failure to provide it will in no way affect your membership status,rights or benefits in NEA, TSTA or any of their affiliates.This information will be kept confidential.

HispanicCaucasian (not of Spanish Origin)Unknown AREA CODE WORK PHONE

CAMPUS/WORKSITE

POSITION (I.E. CLASSROOM TEACHER, LIBRARIAN, BUS DRIVER, ETC.)

NAME

ADDRESS

CITY STATE ZIP

EMAIL AT HOME

EMAIL AT WORK

ANNUAL DUES AND CONTRIBUTIONS AMOUNT

1. Professional Dues—TSTA/NEA (Active) $377.00Professional Dues—New to the profession $257.00

2. Substitute Dues—Full-time $278.25Substitute Dues—Part-time $135.00

3. Educational Support Dues—Full-time $196.50Educational Support Dues—Part-time $101.00

4. NEA Fund for Children and Public Education(suggested amount $15.00)

5. TSTA-PAC (see disclaimer below) $ 9.00

6. Region Dues

7. Local Association Dues

TOTAL

✔

DISCLAIMER: The TSTA Political Action Committee (TSTA-PAC) and National Education Association Fund for Children and Public Education collect voluntary contributions from Association members anduse these contributions for political purposes, including, but not limited to, making contributions to and expenditures on behalf of friends of public education who are candidates for federal office. Contribu-tions to TSTA-PAC and The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education are voluntary; making a contribution is neither a condition of employment nor membership in the Association, and members havethe right to refuse to contribute without suffering any reprisal. Although the NEA Fund for Children and Public Education requests an annual contribution of $15, this is only a suggestion. A member maycontribute more or less than the suggested amount, or may contribute nothing at all, without it affecting his or her membership status, rights, or benefits in NEA or any of its affiliates.

Contributions or gifts to The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education, TSTA-PAC and local PACs are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Federal law requires political committees to report the name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer for each individual whose contributions aggregate in excess of $200 in a calendar year.

Federal law prohibits The NEA Fund for Children and Public Education from receiving donations from persons other than members of NEA and its affiliates, and their immediate families. All donations frompersons other than members of NEA and its affiliates, and their immediate families, will be returned forthwith.

MEMBER SIGNATURE DATE

“I decline to contribute to TSTA-PAC and I understand this will not in any way affect my membership status or rights.” _______________INITIAL

Former student member?______YES ______ NO

Annual membership dues to NEA include $4.55 for NEA Today, $2.50 for NEA-Retired and/or $17.00 for the Higher Education publications. The NEA publication(s) receivedby members are based on membership category. Annual membership dues to TSTA include subscription to the TSTA Advocate. Membership is open only to those whoagree to subscribe to the goals and objectives of the Association and to abide by its constitution and bylaws.

LOCAL ASSOCIATION REPRESENTATIVE

_____ Please check if you would like to receive TSTA’s electronic newsletter, theTSTA Briefing, which is distributed by email at least once a week.Send to: home email address work email address

ETHNICITY

Please return this completed form to your Association Representative or mail to TSTA Membership Department,316 West 12th Street, Austin, Texas 78701-9516. If you have questions, call 877-ASK-TSTA or email asktsta.org.

TSTA/NEATexas State Teachers Association/National Education Association

877-ASK-TSTA • www.tsta.org

2004-05 ENROLLMENT FORM

Congratulations!

Please share this copy of the Advocate with othersTexas State Teachers Association316 West 12th StreetAustin, Texas 78701

Nonprofit Org.U.S. Postage

PPAAIIDDTexas State

Teachers Assoc.

Congratulations!

TSTA Member Sherry LindemannTSTA Member Gloria Voutos