Meet the candidates for statewide office in 2022

Join us Feb. 26 for TCTA's 2022 Annual Meeting

The TCTA Representative Assembly will convene on Saturday, Feb. 26, during the 2022 Virtual Annual Meeting, so no one needs to request time off to attend this year.

We’ll have more details in mid-January and links to registration at tcta.org/convention.

Delegates to the Representative Assembly will elect statewide officers for 2022 during the meeting. Positions on the ballot this year include President-Elect, Budget Committee chair, Curriculum & Instruction Committee chair and Teacher Personal Services Committee chair.

Even-numbered districts also will elect directors to two-year terms beginning June 1. TCTA may also need to elect directors-at-large to one-year terms to ensure the Directors’ Council holds minority representation that is equal to TCTA’s full membership.

The following candidates declared their intent to run by Nov. 28, and their names will appear on the ballot. Additional nominations for write-in candidates may be made from the floor during the first business meeting on Feb. 26.

NYDIA ALVAREZ-ALONZO | PRESIDENT-ELECT

TCTA member for 19 years

Current Job: First-grade teacher, Leo Marcell Elementary, Mission CISD

Education: Bachelor of Business Administration-Management from The University of Texas-Pan American; certification in Elementary Bilingual/ESL 1-6.

Previous TCTA Leadership: Teacher Personal Services Committee Chair, Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee member, District 1 director, District 1 Coordinating Council vice president, Mission CTA president and faculty representative

Other Education Leadership: TEA’s Proclamation 2014 State Committee, TEA Roundtable Discussion: Educating Children of Poverty, TEA Bilingual Educator Certification and Assessment Committee, TEA Science STAAR Assessment Review Committee; in Mission CISD — Campus Grade Level Leader, Campus Site-Based Decision-Making Committee, District Scholarship Committee, Districtwide Educational Improvement Council, Superintendents’ Breakfast Meeting representative, Mission CISD Leadership Definition Committee; Community Beautification-Annual Trash Bash Campus Organizer, Jr. Master Gardener campus leader; curriculum co-writer for Mission CISD FARMERS program.

Awards/Honors: 2020 Beautify Texas Community Awards Judge; 2019 honored as founding member of Mission Community Night Out; 2013, 2015, 2017 regional organizer for Save Our Schools Rally to the State Capitol; 2003 proclamation from the Texas House of Representatives designating chips and salsa as the state snack of Texas (with second-grade students); 2003 and 2001 Campus Teacher of the Year

Candidate statement: I have been a TCTA member for 19 years and proudly served in a number of local and regional positions. I humbly ask for your support for the office of President-Elect. I am confident that the positions I have held and the mentoring I have received have prepared me to make a positive impact as your President-Elect. My local CTA has been recognized for going the extra mile to develop and highlight teacher services. Mission CTA has an exemplary reputation as reflected in our local’s growth. As local president, I take great pride in serving our members and community. As a District 1 officer, I have had the privilege to be a part of a tradition of strong regional leadership. Monthly meetings, even throughout the pandemic, have given us the opportunity to collaborate and strengthen District 1. At the state level, I have served as District 1 director and Teacher Personal Services Committee chair. This has given me the opportunity to work closely with staff at headquarters. I have witnessed first-hand how this group of people work tirelessly, in conjunction with the Executive Board members, to serve our members.
I now ask for your support as it would be an honor to serve an organization that has provided so much support for myself and others. I am prepared to contribute to the continued success of TCTA. My goal as President-Elect is to advocate for educators and our students. We have been through so much together and together we will overcome!

VIVIAN BURLESON | BUDGET

TCTA member for 15 years

Current Job: Gifted and talented/enrichment specialist at Fernandez Elementary, Northside ISD

Education: Master of Education from Our Lady of the Lake University; Bachelor of Arts in Performance Studies from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor; certifications in EC-4 Generalist, 4-8 Science, and supplemental EC-8 Gifted and Talented.

Previous TCTA Leadership: District 20 director, faculty representative for Northside CTA.\

Other Education Leadership: Campus team leader, teacher mentor, and district GT curriculum writing committee member.

Awards/Honors: Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Science and Math Education award in 2015

Candidate statement: I am running for Budget Committee chair because I believe that staying active in supporting TCTA is important. The work that TCTA does on behalf of educators is critical, and I feel called to help that work in any way possible. As your Budget Committee chair, I would work with staff to ensure that your TCTA funds are managed responsibly. I would promote transparency by communicating to members how funds are utilized through the annual budget committee report, and I plan to help analyze current budgeting practices in order to maintain and improve alignment with TCTA’s organizational objectives. I believe in TCTA’s vision for Texas educators, and would be honored to help make that vision a reality by serving as your Budget Committee chair.

MELODY YOUNG | CURRICULUM & INSTRUCTION

TCTA member for 24 years

Current Job: AP Statistics, Honors Precalculus, and Honors Algebra 2 at Sherman High School, Sherman ISD

Education: Masters in Education (Gifted Education) from Southeastern Oklahoma State University; Bachelor of Science in Education (Secondary Math) from the University of Central Oklahoma; certifications in Secondary Math, Gifted Education and ESL.

Previous TCTA Leadership: Budget Committee chair, District 10 director, Sherman CTA president

Other Education Leadership: Math department chair, UIL academic coordinator, Sherman ISD District of Innovation Committee, Sherman ISD Teacher Incentive Allotment Committee, TEA Assessment Advisory Committee and New Item Type Subcommittee.

Candidate statement: I am running for the chair of Curriculum and Instruction because I feel that C&I is extremely important. The curriculum that we are given and the best practices for instruction are what make up the majority of a teacher’s job. I hope to help our lobby team define our goals for curriculum and instruction. I wish to continue serving TCTA and its members. I have been a teacher in Texas for 24 years and have been a member of TCTA all that time. I have a total of 35 years teaching experience. I feel that I can bring a wide range of knowledge to the position.

MELANIE LOVE | TEACHER PERSONAL SERVICES

TCTA member for 21 years

Current Job: Second-grade teacher at Pottsboro Elementary, Pottsboro ISD

Education: Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Southeastern Oklahoma State University; certifications in Early Childhood, ESL EC-4, Gifted and Talented, Elementary English, Elementary Math, Elementary Life-Earth Science, Elementary Social Studies 1-8, Art Education EC-12, Elementary Self-Contained EC-4, Generalist EC-4.

Previous TCTA Leadership: District 10 director; president, vice president and treasurer of Pottsboro CTA, faculty representative.

Other Education Leadership: Served on various district committees, including District Budget Committee, District Calendar Committee, District Site-Based Decision-Making Committee; served on various campus committees, including Campus Site-Based Decision-Making Committee & Team Lead Committee; served as grade level team lead for kindergarten.

Awards/Honors: Won “Teacher of the Month” for KMADD and KATY Country in November 2015; named “Teacher of the Year” at Pottsboro VFW in 2002; October 2018 Teacher of the Month, Pottsboro Elementary; October 2021 Teacher of the Month, Pottsboro Elementary.

Candidate statement: As a longtime TCTA member, I greatly value the benefits package that is available to me, especially the peace of mind of a liability insurance policy. While that’s one of the most important aspects of membership in TCTA for me, I also appreciate the added perks of having access to TCTA’s cost-saving programs. If elected to Teacher Personal Services Committee chair, I hope to amplify the fun benefits so that all members can get the most out of their membership.