Open Hearing — 9:00-10:00 a.m.

Budget Overview
Linda Estrada, TSTA Vice President, Sherra Bowers, TSTA CFO and Members of the TSTA Budget Committee
El Paso CD

Professional Development Workshops Session 1 — 9:00-10:00 a.m.

SELebrating SELves: Making the Case for SEL (CPE Credit)
Carrie Griffith, TSTA Government Relations and Policy Specialist
The majority of students, teachers and families agree: Social and emotional learning (SEL) belongs in schools. But growing demand has also created growing confusion about what SEL is and why it’s essential to every child’s education. In this session you will learn how decades of research and implementation make a clear case for SEL, how it is being challenged by fringe conspiracy theories, and your role as teacher.
Juarez Room AF

Public School Employees: Essential Rights Under Texas Law (CPE Credit)
Amanda Moore, TSTA General Counsel
In this session, we will discuss Texas laws and school board policies that directly relate to public school employment. We will examine employment issues related to contracts, state and federal law, certification, grievances, job duties, Districts of Innovation, and overall working conditions.
Juarez Room BE

Advancing Racial Justice (CPE Credit)
Alonzo Mendoza, TSTA Organizer
Participants will learn about NEA’s racial justice initiatives and examine four levels of racism that exist in our schools and society and engage in an activity to practice identifying such levels. This training will conclude with a reflective discussion on how TSTA members can integrate social justice in their locals’ unionism.
Juarez Room CD

Professional Development Workshops Session 2 — 10:15-11:45 a.m.

T-TESS (CPE Credit)
Carrie Griffith, TSTA Government Relations and Policy Specialist
The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) was established by HB3 in the 86th Legislature. This professional development session will introduce you to basics of the legislation and help you learn ways to advocate for plans that use holistic measures of student learning. TSTA Members will receive CPE credit.
Juarez Room AF

Public School Employees: Essential Rights Under Texas Law (CPE Credit)-Encore
Amanda Moore, TSTA General Counsel
In this session, we will discuss Texas laws and school board policies that directly relate to public school employment. We will examine employment issues related to contracts, state and federal law, certification, grievances, job duties, Districts of Innovation, and overall working conditions.
Juarez Room BE

How the Right Weaponized Public Education and the Fight to Save Our Schools from Vouchers! (CPE Credit)
Portia Bosse, TSTA Director of Public Affairs
The Texas Legislature conducted an almost yearlong session in 2021 with attacks on teaching honesty in education, transgender students, and suppressing our right to vote in elections. It also continued policies of unfair testing requirements, allowing districts to turn over campuses to unproven charter operators, and accountability standards that grade our schools with As and Fs, all during a pandemic which created a work environment which was unsafe for our students, employees and communities at large. This session will inform on the critical issues and attacks on public education, and why it is critical that every TSTA local has a working relationship with its school board and local legislators, how best to communicate with elected officials, and how to get involved in local and state elections.
Juarez Room CD

Messaging to Inspire Action – 10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. – Extended Session

Monica Washington, Ed.S., NNSTOY
In a time when states are enacting legislation that restricts honest education, it is important that all education stakeholders know how to leverage messaging techniques and data to inspire action. Join Voices for Honest Education Fellow and 2014 Texas Teacher of the Year Monica Washington as she shares data on the current education landscape and provides tools for advocating and speaking about honest education in various contexts.
El Paso CD

Professional Development Workshops Session 3 — 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Understanding and Achieving Equity in Education (CPE Credit)
Deshauntia Benn, TSTA Organizer; Lakeisha Patterson, Region 15
This training is an experiential learning opportunity to discuss equity. All public educators are faced with the critical responsibility of creating equitable spaces. Through sharing our stories in an immersive experience, this session establishes a foundational understanding of equity and how it affects our decision-making. This session will also provide strategies that build equity to foster environments so that all students get what they need and feel whole. Please note that this session will be recorded, and portions will be edited to produce a social media video. In addition, for attendees to fully participate, this session is limited to the first 15 participants.
Juarez Room AF

Organizing for Recruitment and Retention
Paty Torres Sauceda, TSTA OCALD Director, Sandra Salazar Organizer
This interactive session will focus on ways to engage members/potential members in issue organizing to recruit, engage, and retain members. We will also discuss how to identify new leaders through issue organizing. With public education under continued and severe attacks, it is important to understand that only through collective action can we build the power needed to make our learning and working conditions better. Let’s seize this moment to build power through local action and make a difference!
Juarez Room BE

How the Right Weaponized Public Education and the Fight to Save Our Schools from Vouchers! (CPE Credit)- Encore
Portia Bosse, TSTA Director of Public Affairs
The Texas Legislature conducted an almost yearlong session in 2021 with attacks on teaching honesty in education, transgender students, and suppressing our right to vote in elections. It also continued policies of unfair testing requirements, allowing districts to turn over campuses to unproven charter operators, and accountability standards that grade our schools with As and Fs, all during a pandemic which created a work environment which was unsafe for our students, employees and communities at large. This session will inform on the critical issues and attacks on public education, and why it is critical that every TSTA local has a working relationship with its school board and local legislators, how best to communicate with elected officials, and how to get involved in local and state elections.
Juarez Room CD

Parliamentary Procedures Workshop – 1:00-2:00 p.m.

Jeff Neurauter, Parliamentarian for TSTA’s House of Delegates
Specifically designed for new delegates, this workshop provides the basics on parliamentary procedure.
El Paso CD