2021 TCTA Convention delegates elect statewide officers in virtual session

Instead of traveling to Austin, delegates logged on to Zoom to attend TCTA’s 2021 Virtual Convention on Feb. 26-27. State President Twila Read of Grand Prairie presided over the meeting as delegates elected statewide officers and authorized TCTA staff to begin the process of reviewing and updating TCTA’s governance documents.

The following members were elected to two-year terms on TCTA's Executive Board:

• Eleanore Malone of Tyler, president-elect
• Jennifer Hutchinson of Hays Cons., Governance Committee chair
• Cristal Isaacks of Levelland, Legislation Committee chair
• Debra Helbert of Lamar Cons., Membership Committee chair
• Sharron Wood of Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Professional Rights & Responsibilities Committee chair
• Joyce McCurdy of Wichita Falls was elected to a one-year term as Curriculum & Instruction Committee chair to fill a vacancy.

New terms begin June 1 when Sherry Miller of Killeen takes office as state president for 2021-22.

Several District Coordinating Councils also elected district directors:

• District 1: Carmen Garza of Pharr-San Juan-Alamo
• District 3: James Garcia of Victoria
• District 4: Dawn Hopkins of Lamar Cons.
• District 9: Holly Lucas of Wichita Falls
• District 13: Natalie Tatsch of Gonzales
• District 15: Brec Espinoza of Brownwood
• District 16: Christina Johnson of Amarillo
• District 17: Sandi Hansen of Lubbock
• District 19: Scott Berkenpas of Socorro

Ruben Chavez of Edcouch-Elsa and Stephanie Granado of McAllen were elected during the convention as Directors-At-Large for one-year terms beginning June 1.

CPE Session Rewind

Convention delegates also earned continuing professional education credit hours by attending six CPE sessions on Feb. 27 and March 6.

• Monica Martinez shared a variety of online tools and tips to help educators “Design and Plan for Hybrid Learning.” She also demonstrated how cloud-based collaborative work can help reduce teacher workloads.
• In “Inspired Educator, Engaged and Connected Learner,” Jen Stanchfield offered ideas to enliven hybrid, remote and in-person classes with social-emotional content. She demonstrated active, learner-centered engagement techniques to enhance involvement, reflection and retention.
• Pitting “Hollywood vs. Science,” TCTA member Joy Lin demonstrated how to use superheroes to teach students about scientific principles. The dynamic presentation includes clips from Marvel’s “Ant-Man” and Lin’s superhero series produced for TED Ed.
• TCTA member David Walker shared his experience in “National Board Certification Recognition and Compensation.” His insights into the process will help others seeking certification to earn funds for their campuses as more districts implement the Teacher Incentive Allotment program. (Read more here.)
• Members of TCTA’s lobby team — Holly Eaton, Ann Fickel, Pamela McPeters and Paige Williams — shared a “Legislative and Current Events Update,” focusing on key education issues and TCTA’s priorities for the current session. (Read more here.)
• Dohn Larson, TCTA’s Director of Legal Services, and staff attorneys Michael Currie, Gerald Franciso and Julie Leahy provided an update on COVID-19’s impact on student performance and employee rights. The presentation focused on health guidance, seeking accommodations, COVID leave and vaccination requirements. (Read more here.)

LOG IN AND WATCH NOW

All six videos are available for on-demand viewing in the CPE Online Video tab at members.tcta.org. You’ll also find links to resources, such as websites, slides and other handouts, under the video player. Log in to watch them and print/save your certificates. Be sure to record your session using the link under “Available Actions” before you watch to ensure you get credit. Then check out the other videos in our collection. Members can access over 70 hours of video on various topics.

Have a topic you’d like addressed in a future CPE session? Email communications@tcta.org to let us know.