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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday, June 2, 2008

CONTACT: Kristina Tirloni, (512) 289-4914

AUSTIN — Jan Pate, an art teacher at Slaton High School, will take office on June 1 as president of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association (TCTA), an independent, nonunion association for Texas teaching professionals. Founded in 1927, TCTA serves 50,000 members across the state.

Pate won election as president-elect in March 2007, at TCTA’s annual convention in Austin, and began serving her one-year term as president-elect on June 1, 2007. In the positions of president-elect and president, Pate helps guide the Association’s efforts as it works to enhance the teaching profession and provides a full array of services and advocacy to members.

A member of TCTA for nearly 30 years, Pate has served at the statewide level as chair of the Legislation committee, district 17 director, vice-chair of the Teacher Personal Services committee and member of the Act For TCTA political action committee. She also is very active on the local level, serving the Slaton Classroom Teachers Association as president, secretary and faculty representative and as a member of various committees. She received her bachelor of fine arts degree from Texas Tech University.

Pate also has served on the ESC Region 17 Media Technology Advisory Council and as Teacher of the Year judge on the regional level.

Pate is a member of the Texas Art Educators Association and the South Plains Art Educators Association. She was chosen as Teacher of the Year for Morton High School, J.R.O.T.C. Cadets’ choice for Teacher of the Year three times, and nominee for Texas Teacher of the Year.

The 2008-09 TCTA Board of Directors also will include Ann Brackeen of Lubbock, statewide chair of the Curriculum & Instruction committee; Mandy Haire of Slaton, statewide chair of the Governance committee; and Suzanne Garcia of Slaton, Rosemary Cardenas of Lubbock and Cristal Isaacks of Levelland, serving as district 17 directors. District 17 covers 20 counties in the Texas Panhandle area.

TCTA is the only statewide teachers association that limits active-level membership to those directly involved in classroom teaching or teaching support.

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Reviewed: 07/02/08