2016 tepsa march/april news

Serving Texas School Leaders March/April 2016 Vol. 73, No. 2 www.tepsa.org

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors AssociationTEPSA News

New Texas Education Commissioner Mike MorathMike Morath, the new Texas Commissioner of Education appointed by Gov. Ab-bott, has been invited to share a few remarks during TEPSA’s Summer Con-

ference this June in Austin.

Prior to his appointment, Morath served on the Dallas ISD board of trustees. He graduated from Garland ISD and earned his Bach-elor of Business Administration degree, summa cum laude, from George Washington University.

In an interview with KERA News Commissioner Morath identified three priorities for his first months on the job, “supporting teachers,

implementing new accountability laws to give districts and schools ratings of A-F, and making the TEA more efficient.”

Sources: Texas Education Agency. http://tea.texas.gov/About_TEA/Leadership/Com-missioner/Commissioner_s_Biography/.

Zeeble, B. (2015‘, December 15). “All Hands On Deck: Mike Morath On Being The Next Texas Education Commissioner.” KERA News. Available at http://keranews.org/post/all-hands-deck-mike-morath-being-next-texas-education-commissioner.

Mistakes School Leaders Make with Grant Simpsonpage 7

Tech Lab with Trae Kendrickpage 16

Inside

Photo courtesy of Dallas ISD.

Vote for State Officers by 5pm March 8Please take a few minutes to cast your evote for TEPSA state of-ficers by March 8. In this election, two candidates are vying for the Secretary position.View candidate profiles at www.tepsa.org or turn to pages 10-11. An email with vot-ing link, instructions, user names and passwords was sent to active members in February. If you did not receive it, email [email protected].

T-TESS/T-PESS: Continuous Improvement

Legal Ease with Kevin Lungwitzpage 12

Best Practices with Tom W. Manypage 8

Effective educators don’t stagnate; we’re constantly looking for ways to improve. The primary purpose of appraisal is to help us accurately iden-tify what’s working, what isn’t working, and how we can grow. As pilot group principals and teachers have worked through the T-TESS and T-PESS systems, they’ve learned the system is about collaboration and professional growth. Appraisal isn’t something that’s “done” to some-one. Appraisal is a mindset of continuous improvement. It’s up to Texas principals to carry this message as the new system rolls out.

In research conducted regarding teacher development (http://tntp.org/publications/view/the-mirage-confronting-the-truth-about-our-quest-for-teacher-development), The New Teachers Project (TNTP) confirmed that in instances where teachers showed noticeable improvement across a campus or district, four things mattered most, all of them attitudinal:• Educators had to be open to feedback and not feel like they were

already finished products; ► page 5

Success Stories

mentoringminds.com

We were named as a Blue Ribbon campus this

year based on our five-year test score history.

And I credit a lot of that to the Mentoring Minds

program and what it did to push our

kids beyond just passing and on

toward excellence.”

Ronny SnowPrincipal, Malakoff Elementary School, Malakoff ISD

75% Economically Disadvantaged28% Mobility Rate12% ELL Population2015 National Blue Ribbon School (Exemplary High Performing)

RONNY SNOW, PRINCIPAL

800.585.5258

MALAKOFF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MALAKOFF ISD

Learn more at mentoringminds.com/total-motivation-story.

Teach the TEKS with

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AC

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RD

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F O R T H EC L A S S R O O M

TEPSA News www.tepsa.org 3

TEPSA President/Eddie Damian

Region Presidents Juan Garcia Harlingen (1) Annette Sanchez Beeville (2) Gabe Adamek Yoakum (3) Kathy Jahn Alief (4) Julie Gauthier Port Neches-Groves (5) Leah Russell Navasota (6) Cindy Tierney Lufkin (7) Ella Duren Detroit (8) Blake Enlow Bowie (9) Catherine Bridges Grand Prairie (10) Stacie Meadows Keller (11) Lance Malburg Killeen (12) Martha Werner Round Rock (13) Kim Jones Clyde (14) Cheri Braden San Angelo (15) Mike Word Clarendon (16) Doug Smith Frenship (17) Tanya Bell Midland (18) Michael Mackeben Clint (19) Susan Peery Alamo Heights (20)TEPSA regions coincide with regional education service center boundaries.

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

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

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

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

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

Copyright © 2016 by the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association.

ContactTEPSA 501 East 10th Street Austin, TX 78701

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

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

Standing Committee Chairs and Vice Chairs Lisa McLaughlin Advocacy Chair, Deer Park Lorena Zertuche Advocacy Vice Chair, Katy Nayeli Carriaga Membership, Marketing & PR Chair, Sharyland Stephanie Coronado Membership, Marketing & PR Vice Chair, Humble Jackie Gorena Programs & Services Chair, Irving Robin Macke Programs & Services Vice Chair, Lewisville Amanda Schmitter Special Committee on Elections, Hardin-Jefferson Scot Clayton Nominating Committee Chair, Henrietta Libby Flores Nominating Committee Vice Chair, San Benito

Texas Elementary Principals & Supervisors Association I have made my decision! Roses, zinnias and sunflowers it will be. Each year my wife and I visit a small bed and breakfast located in Kyle, Texas. A special touch of this establishment which we both genuinely enjoy, is entering our room each afternoon and seeing bouquets of fresh cut flowers beautifully displayed on tables, counters and other locations. As a result of these happy memories, last fall I decided to plant and dedicate a small flower garden to my wife, Carolina. The goal will be to cultivate a few cuttings from this garden each week and place them in small bouquets throughout our house. My hope is to replicate that weekend experience we have both come to thoroughly enjoy.

As I prepare for my horticulture experience I am reminded how closely my gardening process resembles the planning process we undergo each spring in our schools. As principals, we read, research, and/or explore new ideas that we clarify through our discussion with others. The more we talk about our ideas the clearer the vision becomes. Just as I began by having discus-sions with my wife, principals have discussions with key staff members about new ideas and how to move forward. Once decided, we then turn our focus to preparing a foundation that will offer us the most success throughout the year. This could include training, book studies or discussions at faculty meetings. Just as in gardening, laying a solid foundation is the first step in cultivating a strong product in the end. Then, throughout the year, we watch for signs that things are go-ing as planned. If so, we continue to fertilize and nurture our products to keep the momentum going. If not, we ponder, ask questions and seek the answers to reach our goals.

Although many analogies can be linked between gardening and school leadership, I find the ability to remain focused while enjoying the process is paramount to our long term success. It’s got to be fun and fulfilling. As you begin to plan for the upcom-ing school year, be strategic in your planning and processes. Lay a solid foundation and be prepared to nurture what you sow. Above all, enjoy the journey.

Happy planting to you all!

4 www.tepsa.org March/April 2016

News Briefs

According to a recent Center on Budget and Policy Priorities re-port, state spending on K-12 education has not recovered in the eight years since the 2008 recession. Findings show:• At least 31 states provided less state funding per student in the

2013-2014 school year than in the 2007-2008 school year. • For fiscal years 2008-2014, in at least 15 states the percent

change (adjusted for inflation) in total state funding per stu-dent exceeded 10 percent. In Texas, the difference in total state funding per student was 11 percent.

• On average in the last year, most states increased funding, but only four states raised funding enough to offset earlier cuts.

In other news, for fiscal year 2016, the U.S. Department of Edu-cation’s budget will see a total increase of about 2 percent, up to about $68 billion.

Sources: Camera, L. (2015, December 10). “State education funding hasn’t recovered from recession.” U.S. News: Data Mine - Numbers You Can Use Blog. Available at http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2015/12/10/state-education-funding-hasnt-recovered-from-recession.

Ujifusa, A. (2016, January 5). “Education department gets slight boost in FY 2016 deal.” Education Week. Available at http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2016/01/06/education-department-gets-slight-boost-in-fy.html.

State Spending on K-12 Education DeclinesNational Blue Ribbon NomineesTwenty-six Texas public schools have been nominated for the national 2016 Blue Ribbon Schools recognition. Founded in 1982, Blue Ribbon Schools is a U.S. Department of Education program that recognizes public and private elementary, middle and high schools where students perform at very high levels. View a list of nominees at http://www.tepsa.org/news/269872/26-Schools-Nominated-for-National-Blue-Ribbon-Honors.htm.

Interactive Math GlossaryTEA’s Interactive Math Glossary, designed to help teachers explore and understand mathematics vocabulary used in the K–8 Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), is available for download at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/interactive-math-glossary/id1051404376?mt=8.

Source: Texas Education Agency

Texas Education Agency Updates


Help your students and teachers choose courage and kindness when it comes to bullying. Share the videos and resources in Edutopia’s “Five-Minute Film Festival: Turning Bystanders Into Upstanders Against Bullying” including:•Bystander Revolution: A parent-built organization that offers

kids practical advice to help defuse bullying via a library of more than 300 crowd-sourced videos.

•Stand Up, Stand Strong - The Consequence of Words: A pow-erful student-produced video illustrates the power of words to make a difference.

•The Importance of Kindness: Animated adaptation of a speech by George Saunders on the repercussion of standing by and do-ing nothing, when you could have extended a hand in kindness.

Access videos at http://www.edutopia.org/blog/film-festival-bullying-prevention-upstanders. Additional resources at http://www.edutopia.org/blogs/tag/bullying-prevention.

Source: eduotopia

Bullying: From Bystanders to Upstanders

► T-TESS and T-PESS continued from page 1

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• Rating alignment existed, as in a teacher’s self-assessment generally aligned with the observation ratings;

• Educators had to have a collegial relationship and/or trust the appraiser and the appraiser’s perception of good teaching; and

• Educators had to feel the appraisal and development systems in their school were valid, objective and well-implemented.

Culture, attitudes and perceptions will dictate whether T-TESS and T-PESS are successful in your district. As principals, it’s important to welcome the opportunity to have collaborative conversations with teachers to ensure data and feedback become action and improvement. As you work through the T-PESS process, your credibility with teachers will depend on your at-titude toward self-improvement. These systems will allow you to work side-by-side with staff to meet goals and improve student achievement.

Learn more about T-TESS in the April 6 Lunch & Learn: Moving From Evaluation to Empowerment. Educator Bobby Moore will share the vital skills for principal success in implementing a new evaluation system. You’ll explore how to communicate the pur-pose and possibilities for an effective system, facilitate engaging coaching and feedback conversations and help your staff build a deep understanding of the appraisal process. Lunch & Learn is an exclusive benefit for TEPSA members.

Additional T-TESS and T-PESS resources available at:http://www.tepsa.org/?principalteachereval


Current ResearchDiscriminatory Discipline Practices and the Suspension of PreschoolersThe alarming racial and gender disparities in the administration of discipline practices across schools in the U.S. has not only garnered its share of head-lines, the issue is also getting more attention from parents, educators and legislators. In the last issue of the TEPSA News (http://issuu.com/tepsanews/docs/janfeb2016) we included a blurb about the high discipline rates of black students in Texas elementary schools. Recently, high numbers of suspensions as they relate to preschoolers, have been explored in several publications. Research shows youth with a history of suspensions are more likely to dropout and at a higher risk of entering the juvenile justice system.

According to “The Preschool-to-Prison Pipeline” by the Center for American Progress, preschoolers are expelled at a weighted rate of more than three times that of K-12 students. Additionally:• Black children, who make up 18 percent of pre-

school enrollment, account for 42 percent of pre-school suspensions.

• Non-Hispanic white preschoolers, who make up 43 percent of enrollment, account for 28 percent of preschool suspensions.

The suspension of young children is counterproduc-tive and negatively impacts a critical time when young children are forming their academic foundation. A few recommendations from “The Preschool-to-Prison Pipeline” include:•Prohibit suspensions and expulsions across early

childhood settings• Improve teacher preparation and education

(cultural responsiveness and racial equity)•Expand access to in-school behavioral and emo-

tional support services, including early childhood mental health consultation

Sources: Adamu, M. & Hogan, L. (2015, October 8). “The Pre-school-to-Prison Pipeline.” Center for American Progress.” Avail-able at https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/early-childhood/report/2015/10/08/122867/point-of-entry/.

Anderson, M. D. (2015, December 7). “Why Are So Many Pre-schoolers Getting Suspended?” The Atlantic. Available at http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/12/why-are-so-many-preschoolers-getting-suspended/418932/.

Becker, S. (2015, December 7). “Houston ISD shouldn’t kick little kids out of school. For children under 7, suspension does far more damage than good.” Houston Chronicle. Available at http://www.houstonchronicle.com/local/gray-matters/article/Houston-ISD-shouldn-t-kick-little-kids-out-of-6681654.php.

Conscious Discipline Three-Part Webinar SeriesRecordings Available for Purchasepresented by Dr. Becky Bailey, childhood education expert and developmental psychology

Are you looking for new ways to address student behavior in 2016? Conscious Discipline is the only program that integrates brain science with classroom management and social-emotional learning! Gain new tools and strategies to create an environment where staff and students resolve conflict in a way that creates stronger relationships.

Learn more and purchase at www.tepsa.org

andLearnLunch Grab your lunch and join us for online

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

Upcoming Webinars: March 2 - You Choose2MatterYou Matter. We take these two words seriously. When people know they matter and understand their ac-tions count, lives, learning and worlds change. Join Angela Maiers in her profound movement, the mis-sion IS mattering.

April 6 - Moving From Evaluation to Empowerment What are the important characteristics needed for implementation with fidelity of a new evaluation system like T-TESS? Hear from Bobby Moore, who has supported other state leaders in this process, what the vital skills for principal success are. Explore how to communicate the purpose and possibilities for an effec-tive system, facilitate engaging coaching and feedback conversations and help your staff build a deep under-standing of the appraisal process.


Mistakes School Leaders Make/Grant Simpson, PhD

honoring all the requests was impossible, the belea-guered group lowered their heads and submitted their recommendations within the designated time-line. Significantly, the minor changes made were not about personalities, but rather proximity for different teams, bringing them closer together. They informed their wise principal that they had learned a lot and wished to return that decision to her judgment. Their look “behind the curtain” built a new appreciation for both her skill and diplomacy.

Similarly, at a very large campus, the accomplished school improvement team indicated dissatisfaction with the current schedule. They asserted their wish to revise it for the next semester. The administrators honored this request and provided a timeline requisite to the large, complicated task. The team shouted their newfound power to the rooftops, which opened the floodgates of input. At their next joint meeting, they admitted to being overwhelmed by the scope of the project, the conflicting needs of so many stakeholders, and the time required for completion. They wanted out!

Having anticipated this reaction, the administrators countered with a detailed plan for a collaborative approach to this challenge. They juggled resources to create internal time that freed the team up during the day to learn the processes and the software support-ing them. At the end of the semester, they presented to the faculty a new fall schedule that was a group effort. They clustered faculty input into priorities and underscored how that impacted the plan. Their product was well received by many,

Shared Governance Snafu #2

The balance of power inherent in shared governance is dicey ground. Mistakes happen on both ends.

Managers fearful of losing control go through the motions but bring only safe, “meatless” decisions to the table. Collaborative leaders forget the simple step of making boundaries clear, i.e., required elements for a successful result. Excited and thirsty subordi-nates are impatient when the struggles come. Over-zealous participants sometimes ask for the wrong thing. The leadership challenge is to train, guide, and protect the process…maybe even when things go wrong. We live in a democratic society. We value the freedom of choice. Year after year, we also witness legislation that does not yield the desired outcome, and we’re left with the unintended consequences. Thus, part of the learning in shared governance can come from choosing the wrong issue. Let’s look at the journeys of two groups.

Wanting to empower her leadership team, a principal asked them to generate a “wish list” of things that they would like to address. The surprising issue that arose and gained momentum was room assignments. The seasoned leader knew full well the politics and bear traps relating to “turf,” but decided the learn-ing gained from this would outweigh the predictable conflict and discomfort ahead. Soon everybody on the large campus with 10 portables knew who was in charge of decisions for the following year. Naturally, the team got a barrage of input from every corner of the building plus a litany of sad stories, complaints, pointed lobbying, and blatant attempts to cash in on favors or relationships. Now acutely aware that ► page 16


Best Practices/Tom Many, EdD

A traditional pre-assessment consists of a handful of tasks—usually problems, prompts or activities similar to those students will engage in during the unit—students respond to before instruction begins. The purpose of a pre-assessment is to determine what students know before a unit is taught.

Despite an overwhelming consensus that pre-assess-ments can be an effective tool to improve student learning, many teachers are reluctant to expand their use in the classroom. According to teachers, the typical outcome of a pre-assessment is that the majority of students fail the pretest, and because of this, pre-assessments generate little information that can be used when planning the upcoming unit. Unfortunately, most teachers view traditional pre-assessments as a waste of time and energy.

“It’s no surprise that pre-assessments have gotten a bad rap because they’re seen by teachers as tests implemented before the lesson begins which raises the anxiety of learners” -Byrd, I. 2011

So, how can principals generate more support for the use of pre-assessments? One strategy principals should consider is shifting the purpose of pre-assessments from the narrow goal of identifying what students

know and don’t know to the broader goal of informing a teacher’s instructional practice, assessing a student’s readiness to learn, and identifying which students have mastered which aspects of the new material.

Done well, pre-assessments will certainly identify what students already know about the upcoming unit of instruction, but they can also detect any gaps in a student’s prior knowledge, guide the creation of flexible groups, and provide insight into the most effective teaching strategies, methods and materials to help students learn. Pre-assessments can be a terrific way for teachers to gather more information about each learner in the classroom.

Pre-assessments can also be beneficial to students. A well-designed pre-assessment can give students a pre-view of the content that will be covered in the upcoming unit but it can also help students understand what they need to learn, where they currently are in the learning progression, and what they need to do to close the gap between where they are and where they need to be.

If a shift similar to what was described above took place and the traditional purpose of pre-assessments was expanded, the use of pre-assessments would also expand. Using pre-assessments to identify which stu-

Shifting the Purpose of Pre-AssessmentsProviding Evidence to Inform a Teacher’s Instructional Practice


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

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

dents were proficient barely scratches the surface of what they can do to help students learn. Ideally, pre-assessments should inform our instructional practice.

“Your pre-assessment should do more than separate the class into two groups: mastery and non-mastery. It should inform your lessons.” -Byrd, I. (2011).

A pre-assessment designed to inform a teacher’s instructional practice would check on the acquisi-tion of pre-requisite skills; teachers need to know that their students are ready to learn. For students, perhaps the only thing more frustrating than sitting through lessons based on content they have already mastered would be sitting through lessons where they’re ex-pected to learn new material but lack the pre-requisite knowledge, skills and dispositions to be successful.

Students’ readiness to learn is compromised when they have gaps or holes in their prior knowledge, misconceptions around important concepts or simply lack the pre-requisite skills necessary to master new material. Pre-assessments give teachers important information about their students’ readiness to learn while providing opportunities to re-teach the missing skills before beginning to teach. A pre-assessment with a more comprehensive purpose would also verify that students have a solid grasp of important vocabulary and key terminology. Teachers need to know whether students are able to access the academic language necessary to be success-ful in the upcoming unit.

For example, the fourth grade curriculum requires students to identify, add and subtract equivalent fractions, thus to be successful, fourth grade students must understand the meaning of “equivalent.” It’s rare however, to hear students ask for an “equivalent” turn in the foursquare game during recess! Likewise, asking middle or high school students to demonstrate ‘voice’ in their writing requires that students under-stand the nuanced definition of ‘voice’ as a liter-ary term. If a solid grasp of the academic language necessary for success in the upcoming unit is lacking, students will struggle with new material.

Finally, if the goal of a pre-assessment shifted from iden-tifying a student’s level of mastery to one of informing teachers’ practice, teachers would need to know more than just who was and was not proficient. Teachers also need to know who was proficient on which aspects

of the new material. Using pre-assessments for this purpose requires that teachers go beyond averages and look at each student’s performance on each individual learning target. Once teachers have identified the most essential learning targets for a unit, they can use pre-assessment results to understand what aspects of the upcoming unit need to be emphasized.

Rather than announcing that only two students were proficient, teams using pre-assessments to inform their practice might engage in a conversation that went something like, “Even though two students demon-strated proficiency on the pre-assessment, no one got all the questions right and everyone missed questions one and three. Were there any patterns in the students’ mistakes? Why did the students struggle with these particular concepts?” Having this kind of conversation about pre-assessment results would provide valuable insight into how to teach the upcoming unit.

“Pre-assessments are most useful when they seek to discover what students do know rather than confirming what they don’t.” -Juliet Bustos, (2015)

While pre-assessments will certainly identify those students that have and have not already mastered the content, if the goal of a pre-assessment was to inform a teacher’s instructional practice, there would be other priorities as well. Teams would design their pre-assessments to check a student’s readiness to learn, verify their understanding of important academic language, and identify which aspects of the unit need more time and attention.

ResourcesBustos, J. (2015, May 8). Pre-Assessments in

the classroom; A quick overview of what pre-assessment should look like. Retrieved from youtube.com. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJSppChW9n8.

Byrd, I. (2011). Six traits of quality pre-assessments. Retrieved from http://www.byrdseed.com/six-traits-of-quality-pre-assessments.


Election Information - TEPSA State OfficeVotes must be cast electronically at www.tepsa.org by 5 pm (Central) March 8.

Candidates for state office must: have served on a TEPSA Standing Committee or as a regional president; have been a TEPSA member in good standing for at least three years; and be supported by his or her TEPSA Region Executive Committee and superintendent.

Nancy Tovar Manuel Gonzales Yolanda Delaney El Paso ISD, Region 19 Frisco ISD, Region 10 Canyon ISD, Region 16 President President-Elect First Vice President Continued Term Uncontested Uncontested

Stacy Davis Eddie Damian Vic Eugenio Frenship ISD, Region 17 Fort Bend ISD, Region 4 Mansfield ISD, Region 11 Second Vice President Past President NAESP Representative Uncontested Continued Term Unopposed

Office of Secretary - ContestedAnnette SanchezPresent Position: Principal, Thomas Jeffer-son Intermediate School 5-6, Beeville ISD, Beeville, TX, Region 2

Formal Education:• Ed.D. Educational Administration, Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX• M.Ed., Educational Administration, Texas

A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX•B.S., Interdisciplinary Studies, Texas A&M University, Kingsville, TX•Elementary Self-Contained (Grades 1-8)•Elementary Reading Education (Grades 1-8)•Superintendent (Grades EC-12)

Educational Leadership:•District Educational Improvement Council Member•District and Campus Staff Development Presenter•Schlechty Center Coach/Trainer (Marilyn Hohmann Principal’s Academy)•District and Campus Curriculum Writer•Beeville I.S.D. Substitute Teacher Trainer •Facilitator for Beeville I.S.D. Crisis Action Plan•Summer School Coordinator, (2004-2012)•Professional Development Summer Planning Academy Facilitator

Nickolas SmithPresent Position: Principal, Woodgate Intermediate School, Grade 5-6, Midway ISD, Waco, TX, Region 12

Formal Education: • Presently working on Ed.D. in Educational Administration, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX

•M.Ed., Educational Administration, Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX•B.S., Elementary Education, Baylor University, Waco, TX•Elementary Self-Contained (Grades 1-8)•Social Studies Endorsement

Educational Leadership:•Striving for excellence with students, staff and community through supportive and productive relationships, respectful and intentional communication, and professional and instructional collaboration•Midway ISD Academic Strategic Team Member, 2009-present•Midway ISD Education Foundation Grant Winner, Color Poster Maker, 2014 and the Woodgate Fit Games Community Event, 2015•Emergency Operations Plan, Campus Leader, 2009-present•Organized a unified vertical science instruction plan for Wood-gate Intermediate and feeder elementary campuses•Established the Watch D.O.G.S. program to increase commu-


Annette Sanchez continued Nickolas Smith continued•Principal Intern Supervisor (2013-present)•Supervising teacher for student teachers (1999-2001)•Interim Superintendent (2013)•Built first School Website for Beeville Independent School District•T.C.E.A. Presenter•Professional Development Presenter for Technology, 2000-2001

TEPSA Leadership/Involvement/Awards:•TEPSA member, 1998-present•TEPSA, Board of Directors, 2014-present•TEPSA Assistant Principal Finalist (Region 2)•TEPSAN of the Year (Region 2), 2014-2015•TEPSA Summer Conference Presenter

School Honors/Accomplishments:•TEA Met Standard School, 2013, 2014, 2015•Award for Dedication to and Supervision of Principalship Interns-Texas A&M Corpus Christi (2015)•Beeville I.S.D. Support Staff of the Year 2010-2011•MidLink Magazine Award •TEA Exemplary School•ESC 2 ED Prep Advisory Committee

Community Involvement:•Junior Service League President•Junior Service League Treasurer•Junior Service League Member•Altar Society Secretary (2013-2015)•Relay for Life Team Leader •Breast Cancer Pink-Out Game Organizer, 2015•Bee County Winter Coat Drive, 2011•Diez Y Seis 5K Run Coordinator•Christus Spohn Hospital Beeville Ladies Night Out Donor Recog-nition, 2013•Food Bank of Corpus Christi Volunteer•Beeville Main Street Advisory Board Member (2014-present)

Other Professional Networks:•National Association of Elementary School Principals (2014-present)•Delta Kappa Gamma Member

Platform: My educational leadership philosophy comes from a long line of teachers and principals that made a difference in my life. I believe it is not only what we say, but what we do that matters. As a teacher, I admired my principal leaders and was inspired by their leadership effectiveness. They were fellow TEPSANs who were willing to help in all educational endeavors, grow great leaders, and welcome incoming administrators. I joined TEPSA as an aspiring administrator in 1998 and it has made all the difference. Today, I have become one of those amazing TEPSANs that I have always admired. Every day is a great adventure. My goal is to live by my word and grow great leaders in my school, my community and within TEPSA. It would be an honor and a privilege to serve as your TEPSA state officer and represent a phenomenal group of life changing TEPSANs. Together we can do something great.

nity support and parental involvement•Implemented student clubs and organizations to enhance cam-pus culture and student participation•Student club sponsor, Running Club, Fit Club, Homework Club•Campus Advisory Committee Leader, 2009-present•Facilitated campus implementation of district iPad 1:1 initiative

TEPSA Leadership/Involvement/Awards:•TEPSA Member, 2005-present•TEPSA Board of Directors, 2014-present•TEPSA Membership, Marketing & PR Committee, 2014-present•TEPSA AP of the Year Nominating Committee, 2014-2015•TEPSA Region 12 President-Elect, 2015-present•TEPSA Region 12 Treasurer, 2014-2015•TEPSA National Distinguished Principal Finalist, 2014

School Honors/Accomplishments:•TEA Distinction Earned, Top 25 Percent Student Progress, 2013, 2015•TEA Distinction Earned, Top 25 Percent Closing Performance Gaps, 2015•TEA Distinction Earned, Academic Achievement in Reading/ELA, 2013, 2014, 2015•TEA Distinction Earned, Academic Achievement in Math, 2013•TEA Distinction Earned, Academic Achievement in Science, 2014, 2015•2015 Niche Survey, Top 100 Middle & Intermediate Schools in Texas - #98

Community Involvement:•Chairman for the McLennan Community College Alternative Education Advisory Board, 2013-present•Chairman for the Woodway First United Methodist Church: Staff, Parish Relations Committee, 2014-present•Pennies for Pasta, 2013•Caritas Food for Families Drive, 2009-present•Collections for Philippines Tsunami Relief, 2013•Miracle Match Marathon Relay Participant, 2014•Organized Woodgate Intermediate staff volunteer day at World Hunger Relief Farm, 2011

Platform: The motto at the middle school I attended in my youth was Excel-lence in all Endeavors. Now, twenty five years later it is a phrase that still impacts my leadership, my daily walk and my interactions with others. My leadership is built on the philosophy that quality education can be achieved in spite of any obstacles in our path as long as we continue to strive for excellence for our students. My goal as an educational leader is to inspire those around me with a quick smile, a vision for success and a heart for helping students and teachers reach their full potential. During my time in TEPSA, I have consistently marveled at the work ethic and servant leadership demonstrated by so many of our TEPSA leaders and members. I have always been able to call on TEPSA team members and staff who are ready and willing to lend a helping hand. It is my goal to carry on this wonderful tradition of support. It would be my great honor to serve as your TEPSA state officer and I would appreciate your vote. Together we can continue to strive for excellence as we advocate for our students and teachers.

February 23-March 8


Legal Ease/Kevin Lungwitz

What Kind of Contract Am I Owed?You are an administrator. That much is settled. But are you entitled to a contract? If so, what kind? When can the school district change your contract? Consider these common scenarios:

I am a principal (or assistant principal). Am I entitled to a contract? You are indeed entitled to a Chapter 21 contract. Chapter 21 of the Texas Education Code governs contracts for certified school employees. Chapter 21 provides contractual protections such as due process termination hearings and quasi-due-process nonrenewal hearings. This is what we mean when we refer to a “Chapter 21 contract.” It’s usually best if you can get one of these.

Within Chapter 21, Texas Education Code §21.002(a) says, “A school district shall employ each classroom teacher, principal, librarian, nurse, or school counselor” under a contract. Section 21.002 is a little confusing in its omission of assistant principals. But Texas Education Code §21.101 and §21.201 require that the following list of employees receive a Chapter 21 contract: A superintendent, principal, supervisor, classroom teacher, counselor, or other full-time professional employee who is required to hold a certificate…or a nurse. An assistant principal is required by law to be certified; thus, an assistant principal is entitled to a contract.1

What kind of contract am I entitled to?There are three kinds of contracts: Probationary, Term and Continuing. Let’s address probationary contracts because that is where most contractual relationships begin, and it is the most confusing. A school district may, but is not required to employ a principal or assistant principal under a probationary contract in any of the following scenarios: 1. The employee is new to the district; 2. The employee has not been employed by the district

for at least two consecutive school years since 1967; 3. The employee returns to the district after at least

a two-year lapse in employment;4. The employee changes from one professional

capacity to another capacity which requires a different certificate, e.g., from term contract teacher to probationary contract assistant principal. Note: In this example, if the administrator agrees to return to teaching in the district, the employee would be entitled to a term contract, not a probationary contract.2

How can I avoid the probationary period? A school district may completely waive the probationary contract period all together if you have experience in another public school district for the job you are seeking.3 If you are a desirable candidate, the district may hire you directly on a term contract even if you have never worked there before. You should definitely make this part of your negotiations in the prospective district. Ask them, “Considering my experience as a principal (or assistant principal) in another public school district, will you hire me under a term contract?” If not, then you must consider the pros and cons of changing jobs.

How long is the probationary period?A probationary contract may only be for one year at a time. The probationary period may last a total of three consecutive school years.4 There is an important exception to this rule: The probationary period may only last one year for an employee who has been employed as a professional certified employee in public education for at least five out of the last eight years preceding employment in the district. This is the five-of-eight rule.

I was hired in January as a probationary contract principal. Does the period from January to June count as one year toward my probationary period? Excellent question. It sure seems like it should, especially if the partial year was more than half a school year and enough to earn retirement credit. But the commissioner of education disagrees. A teacher had the same question, arguing that a year means at least half of a school year. The commissioner ruled that a probationary year means a full school year of probationary status.5 If the law provides that you must serve one year of probation, and you are hired in January 2016, the 2015-16 school year doesn’t even count toward that requirement. You must stay on probation through the 2016-17 school year. Tie goes to the district.

What if I was placed on a probationary contract when I should have been placed on a term contract? File a grievance. Immediately. If you don’t, you might waive your contract rights. Let’s say you have been employed pursuant to a professional contract in public education for five out of the last eight years. You are then hired by a school district as a principal or assistant principal. Despite your best negotiating efforts they place you on a probationary contract. Remember that your probationary period should only last one school


legal easeWebinars with Kevin Lungwitz

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

Upcoming Webinars:March 3: Administrator to Administrator Conflict: Creative Solutions and Exit StrategiesSometimes the most challenging school relations occur between a principal and an assistant principal or between a principal and a central office administrator. In these tenuous situations, creative solutions and exit strategies are essential to salvage professional careers and good employment references. Kevin consults this month on conflict between administrators.

April 7: School Law Case UpdateStaying abreast of court decisions impacting schools is challenging even for full-time attorneys. Don’t miss the important legal update!

Kevin Lungwitz is TEPSA’s Outside General Counsel.

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

year per the five-of-eight rule. However, in the second, full school year of employment, the district issues you another probationary contract. Whether mistaken or intentional, it is in violation of the law. What if at the end of the second school year, the district decides they want to terminate you as a probationary employee. Can they? That is the situation an assistant principal recently found herself in.

In that case, the assistant principal did not object to the second probationary contract until she was terminated. Then she filed a grievance and appealed to the commissioner. The commissioner held that she should have filed her grievance (pursuant to the 15-day timeline in policy DGBA local) from the day she received her illegal probationary contract—over a year ago. By waiting until she was terminated to file a grievance, the assistant principal had waived her right to object, so the commissioner held.6 Although that case was reversed and is on appeal, make it easy on yourself. If you suspect that you have been issued the wrong contract, call TEPSA immediately and seek another opinion.

What’s so bad about being on a probationary contract?There is less job protection. You may be terminated at the end of the contract with no reasons, and no opportunity for a due process or quasi-due-process (nonrenewal) hearing. At the end of the probationary contract term, you are basically an at-will employee.

I’ve been promoted to the director of elementary education. Am I entitled to a contract? What kind?Yes. If your district requires that you hold an educator certificate or if you supervise other employees who must be certified (e.g., teachers, counselors, principals, librarians) then you are required to be employed under a Chapter 21 contract. There are many other administrator classes that do not fall under this rule, such as Human Resources Director, Transportation

Director, Textbook Director and the like. However, the commissioner has said that although a Chapter 21 contract is not required by law for such positions, the district may create one.7

ConclusionIf you are promoted you might have to sign a new probationary contract, that being the price of the higher paying job. You might also get promoted completely out of a Chapter 21 contract, if for instance, you leave your principal job for the bright lights of human resources. You might also get demoted from principal to textbook director. Whether you are entitled to a Chapter 21 contract, whether the law allows you to be employed under a probationary contract, or whether an involuntary reassignment is legal, depends upon the facts. When in doubt, do not sign a contract without immediately seeking assistance from TEPSA.

Endnotes119 Tex. Admin. Code §241.1; §241.25.2Tex. Educ. Code §21.102 (a) (a-1)3Tex. Educ. Code §21.202 (b).4Tex. Educ. Code §21.102 (b). A fourth probationary year is allowed, but those are rare, and not worth analyzing here. Suffice it to say if you are headed toward a fourth probationary year in the same district, there are problems and you should seek counsel and higher ground.

5 Young v. Lipan Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 102-R1-496 (Comm’r Educ. 1996)

6 Gonzalez v. Edcouch-Elsa Indep., Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 042-R10-02-2014 (Comm’r 2014) The case was reversed by a Travis County District Court judge, and is on appeal at the Texas Third Court of Appeals.

7Harris v. Royse City Indep. Sch. Dist., TEA Docket No. 057-R1-0506 (Comm’r Educ. 2009).


“Thank you for providing meaningful sessions that bolstered my spirit and impacted my performance!”

-2015 Conference Attendee

We know it’s a busy time of year on your campus, but we

hope you are making plans to attend Summer Conference

for three days of learning and networking that will change

the way you learn, lead and succeed! This event is the an-

nual gathering of the year for Texas PreK-8 school leaders.

Your school’s success begins with YOU! Don’t miss:

• 100+ learning sessions featuring innovative state and

national experts and practicing principals sharing rel-

evant topics for beginning and veteran school leaders.

• 100+ vendors offering hands-on experience and infor-

mation on the newest educational tools and products.

• Tons of opportunities to share ideas, connect, celebrate

and recharge!

Plus: Scholastic Book Store featuring professional and chil-

dren’s titles, Updates from TEA and the Capitol, Awards

Reception, Annual Golf Tournament and much more!

Vision, Mindset, GritScott BurrowsThe true mea-sure of success is how well you adapt to change, doubt,

uncertainty and fear—and the belief system you employ must be powerful enough to conquer those challenges. Scott’s riveting story of overcoming incredible chal-lenges through sheer determina-tion, will power and goal setting will encourage you to stand up to your own challenges regardless of circumstances.Sponsored by Mentoring Minds.

The Power of OneManny ScottThrough hard work and with the help of others, Manny went

from being an “unreachable” and “unteachable” student to becom-ing a successful student, husband, father, entrepreneur, and public servant. As one of the original Freedom Writers, he will inspire you to become a change agent— a Page Turner—who helps others write new, more fulfilling chapters in their lives.

The Innovator’s MindsetGeorge CourosLearning is not only consump-tion, but more importantly, it is what we

create with the knowledge we have. Discover the idea and characteris-tics of the “Innovator’s Mindset”, and how these can make a signifi-cant impact on learning for you, and ultimately your students.

Harness Your Inner Power to Achieve Maximum Impact: Keynote Presenters

Hello, You!

YouYouThe Power of

Summer Conference

June 15-17, 2016

Austin Renaissance Hotel

www.tepsa.org

☛

You

☛


Power Up New Ideas With InDepth Learning + Free Book: Master ClassesSeparate fee applies. Fee includes a book which you will receive at the conference. Descriptions available in the Summer Conference section at www.tepsa.org.

A. A Leader’s Guide to Excellence in Every Classroom with John WinkBook: Excellence in Every Classroom by John Wink B. Follow Me with Steve GillilandBook: Making a Difference by Steve Gilliland C. Implementing Genius: A Leader’s Guide to Genius Hour with Angela MaiersBook: The Passion-Driven Classroom: A Framework for Teaching & Learning by Angela Maiers and Amy Sandovold D. Beyond Difficult: Dealing with Truly Toxic People with Adam SáenzBook: Relationships That Work: Four Ways to Con-nect (and Set Boundaries) with Colleagues, Students, and Parents by Dr. Adam Sáenz and Jeremy Dew

E. Voice and Choice: Fostering Reading Ownership with Donalyn MillerBook: Independent Reading Toolkit including Reading in the Wild with campus facilitation guide by Donalyn Miller F. Instructional Strategies that Impact Student Achieve-ment with Barbara BlackburnBook: Classroom Instruction from A to Z (2nd edition) by Barbara Blackburn G. From Evaluation to Empowerment with Bobby MooreBook: Evaluators Toolkit H. [re]imagining special education with Ervin KnezekBook: [re]imagining special education – a campus leader’s field guide by Ervin Knezek

Celebrate Your ProfessionTuesday, June 14, 1:30pm

Forest Creek Golf Club, www.forestcreek.comTee off with fellow educators at the Annual Golf Tournament:• $46 - Includes green fee, shared cart rental, range balls,

two drinks of your choice and tournament services• Four-person scramble, register a team (or if a single

we will assign you to a team)Contact: Keith Smith, 936-348-0778

Wednesday, June 15, 5:30pm

Awards ReceptionSteve Gilliland will emcee this casual celebration honoring outstanding school leaders in our state!

Register By May 17 and Save!Fee includes:•Accessto50hoursofrecordedsessionsperfectfor

staff development! •AdmissiontotheAwardsReception

Member - $394 (Register by May 17- $344)Nonmember - $633 (Register by May 17 - $583)

Hotel Block InformationReserve your room. Space fills fast! Visit www.tepsa.org for hotels in the TEPSA block.

Parking at the Renaissance is limited. Complimentary round-trip shuttle service is provided from all hotels in the TEPSA block to the Renaissance Hotel.

Register online at www.tepsa.org.

YouHorace Mann finds another way to partner with you

No one loves to form partnerships with educators more than Horace Mann. It’s why so many school districts welcome our agents into their buildings and why so many teachers take advantage of our insurance and retirement planning expertise.

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

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

Contact your local agent today or visit horacemann.com

Thank

☛Learn From and Connect with Some of Your Favorite PresentersFeatured speakers include Amelia Van Name Larson, Michelle Borba, Kevin Tutt & Michael Daggs, Jim Walsh, and many more!

☛


Tech Lab/Trae Kendrick, EdD

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

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

With an abundance of information and creative writ-ing just a click away, students are often easily enticed to “borrow” someone else’s words or ideas and then fail to give proper credit when submitting writing or some other assignment. Teachers are then left with the time-consuming job of checking for plagiarism. Here are a few tools that should prove helpful with this onerous task:

Plagiarisma (http://plagiarisma.net) allows you to copy and paste, upload or type the suspected text into their software and then Google performs a search for matching text. This site is helpful because it allows a number of ways to enter the suspected text, but introduce this tool to students with caution because it also contains an article rewriter which actually seems to support plagiarism.

PlagScan (www.plagscan.com) works in a simi-lar fashion returning not only the URLs of exact matches, but also URLs containing similar text. One limitation that should be noted is the ability to scan no more than 1,000 words at a time.

Plagiarism Software (www.plagiarismsoftware.net) is slightly more advanced in that it allows for parsing

of text into phrases and then determines if the phrase has been plagiarized. It also has multiple options for inputting text and produces quick results. It has a similar 1,000 words per search limit.

Plagium (www.plagium.com) limits you to copying and pasting text (unless you want to pay), but they have a 5,000 words per search limit.

PaperRater (www.paperrater.com) is one step up from the others in that it offers spelling and grammar checks, word choice and style analysis, and vocabulary appro-priateness based on the given grade level of the author. However, the free option only allows for copy-and-paste text, and it does not provide printable reports.

Each of the tools above offers some free services; however, they all have paid service options available which extend capabilities. One completely free op-tion is Quetext (www.quetext.com); however, it finds only exact matches.

Who Said That? Plagiarism Tools for Teachers

disappointing to some, and still “not good enough” for the CAVE people (Citizens Against Virtually Every-thing). Such is life in complex organizations. However, from the systemic view, this school greatly improved their functioning capability by making the hard deci-sions and finding resources necessary to enable teacher leaders. Time, money and energy well spent.

In both these scenarios, the school leaders foresaw the pain and struggle to come and let it happen. Would it have been easier and maybe more efficient to reclaim the problem and fix it? Perhaps, but both groups would have missed key learning opportuni-ties. Because group one experienced little satisfaction

in determining room assignments, they refocused their energy on the instructional budget. Because new learning was facilitated, group two took their task to closure and expanded their awareness past individual wants to the needs of the whole organization. Both struggled; both grew; both schools profited.

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

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

► Shared Governance continued from page 7


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TEPSA Region Meetings

Special thanks to TEPSA’s Standing Committees for their work and dedication! The committees met earlier this year to help plan future member programs and services. Visit TEPSA’s Facebook page for additional photos.

March02 Region 9 Meeting: 9-10:30am @ Region 9 ESC, Wichita Falls Information: Blake Enlow, [email protected]

See the complete TEPSA Calendar at www.tepsa.org.

April06 Region 16 Meeting: 9am - NooN @ Region 16 ESC, Amarillo Information: Mike Word, [email protected]

07 Region 10 Meeting: 11am - 1pm @ Hackberry Creek Country Club, Irving Information: Catherine Bridges, [email protected]

08 Region 20 Meeting: 11am - 1pm @ Alamo Café, San Antonio Information: Susan Peery, [email protected]

12 Region 2 Meeting: NooN - 1pm @ Harrison’s Landing, Corpus Christi Information: Annette Sanchez, [email protected]

20 Region 6 Meeting: 10:30am @ TBD Information: Leah Russell, [email protected]

21 Region 17 Meeting: 11:30am -1pm @ Lakeridge Country Club, Lubbock Information: Doug Smith, [email protected]

27 Region 4 Meeting: TBD Information:KathyJahn,[email protected]

Region 8 Meeting: 11am @ Herschel’s, Mount Pleasant Information: Ella Duren, [email protected]

Region 11 Meeting: 11am - 1pm @ Joe T Garcia’s, Fort Worth Information: Stacie Meadows, [email protected]

28 Region 3 Meeting: 11:30am - 1pm @ Colony Creek Country Club, Victoria Information: Gabe Adamek, [email protected]

Are your teachers questioning their career choice?With financial pressures of student loans, concerns about achieving financial goals and the stress of

uncertain education funding, some teachers are considering leaving the career they love.

How can you retain your staff when budgets are already tight? Consider partnering with businesses to add employee programs. Horace Mann can provide quality financial education workshops, explain

proven ways to secure classroom funding and offer extras like a teacher recognition program.

For more information visit horacemann.com or contact your local agent

501 East 10th StAustin, TX 78701800-252-3621www.tepsa.org

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDAustin, TX

Permit No. 127

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)Additional information available at www.tepsa.org or 800-252-3621.

Calendar/Deadlines

•TEPSA State Officer Election ends March 8. See pages 10-11. Please vote!

•TEPSA Region Meetings - Connect with local peers and get important up-dates at your spring region meeting.

• Summer Conference is June 15-17.Hotelblockfillsfast-reserveearly!Visit the Summer Conference page at www.tepsa.org for hotels in the TEPSA block. See page 14. Register now!

• K-2 Learning Conference: April 12, Irving Convention Center.

• Recognizeoutstanding school leaders in your TEPSA Region. Plan to attend the Awards Reception, Wednes-day, June 15. Admission included with Summer Conference registration.

•Webinarrecordingsavailableforpur-chase - perfect for staff training! ▶ Conscious Discipline Webinar Series ▶ STAAR Writing: Something NEW to Write Home About ▶ Mastering Math: Navigating the New TEKS

TEPSA Highlights

New Education Law Resources and Tools to Stay Informed

Please recycle your TEPSA News copy.

Please vote for State Officers by

March 8! See pages 10-11.

As schools, districts and states work to transition from No Child Left Behind (NCLB) to the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), there are many resources and tools online to help you stay abreast and informed of upcoming changes. States will have to have their new ESSA plans in place by the 2017-2018 school year.

U.S. Department of Education• Sign up for news, email updates, read “Dear Colleague Letter on the

Transition to ESSA” and other resources at http://www.ed.gov/ESSA.

National Association of Elementary School Resources (NAESP)• Summary available at https://www.naesp.org/communicator-december-2015/

advocacy-update-essa-signed-law-what-now.

National School Boards Association (NSBA)• View Transition Timetable and FAQs at https://cdn-files.nsba.org/

s3fs-public/reports/120215_NSBA_ESSA_Timetable_FAQ.pdf?wOL5.uiDOjnNn5i_Bywna2anjt7wg17A

Education Week• The Every Student Succeeds Act: Explained is an easy-to-read overview of

highlights as they pertain to key issues, including accountability; low per-forming schools; teachers, and much more. Visit http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/12/07/the-every-student-succeeds-act-explained.html?r=296702749&intc=highsearch&preview=1.

Sources: U.S. Department of Education, NAESP, NSBA and Education Week.

2016 tepsa march/april news

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