2012
ATPE Foundation Golf Tournament raises $50K plus for public education
October 31, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Foundation welcomed its largest turnout to its third annual golf tournament on Oct. 26 at the Teravista Golf Club in Round Rock. More than 90 educators and public education advocates traveled from across the state to the Austin area to participate in this fundraising event.
State’s top teachers give public education a C
September 6, 2012: Regional Teacher of the Year honorees gathered at the Texas Regional Teacher of the Year Gathering hosted by the ATPE Foundation. The educators participated in three discussion sessions that covered teacher preparation, mentoring programs, professional development and the future of teaching.
ATPE releases statement on new education commissioner
August 27, 2012: The following is a statement by Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) President Deann Lee regarding the appointment of Michael Williams as commissioner of the Texas Education Agency.
ATPE releases statement on federal student accountability system
August 9, 2012: The following is a statement by Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) President Deann Lee regarding a Texas Education Agency announcement on less than half of Texas schools meeting yearly requirements set by the federal government under the No Child Left Behind Act.
Corpus Christi principal named Administrator Educator of the Year
July 24, 2012: South Park Middle School principal Dr. Sandra Clement was named Administrator Educator of the Year July 16 during the 2012 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet hosted by the Association of Texas Professional Educators at the Austin Convention Center. She was presented with a $1,000 check from ATPE.
Alternative school teacher wins Elementary Educator of the Year Award
July 24, 2012: Diane Pokluda, a former teacher at the Crowley Learning Center in the Crowley Independent School District, was recently honored as the Elementary Educator of the Year by the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE).
Houston area teacher named Secondary Educator of the Year
July 24, 2012: Andrea Barnes, a middle school teacher in the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District, was recently honored as the Secondary Educator of the Year by the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). The 23-year education veteran was presented with this honor and a $1,000 check during the 2012 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet July 16 at the Austin Convention Center.
Special education assistant named Associate Educator of the Year
July 24, 2012: Crystal Parks, a special education teacher assistant at Neblett Elementary School in Sherman Independent School District, was named Associate Educator of the Year July 16 during the 2012 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet hosted by the Association of Texas Professional Educators at the Austin Convention Center. She was presented with a $1,000 check from ATPE.
Education conference offers workshops, networking for school teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals
June 14, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) will celebrate public school education and educators at the 2012 ATPE Summit July 14-16 at the Austin Convention Center in downtown Austin. More than 1,000 educators are expected to attend.
Texas Regional Teacher of the Year Gathering allows educators to share best practices.
May 23, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Foundation will honor some of the best teachers in Texas at its Texas Regional Teacher of the Year Gathering scheduled for June 4-5 at The Westin Austin at the Domain. More than 20 of the 2012 Texas Regional Teachers of the Year, including the 2012 Secondary Teacher of the Year Stephanie Stoebe of Round Rock ISD and the 2012 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year Karen Morman of McKinney ISD, are planning to attend.
ATPE to honor three education news reporters
June 7, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) selected Abilene Reporter-News reporter Ethan Fowler, The Brownsville Herald reporter Gary Long and San Antonio Express-News reporter Francisco Vara-Orta to receive an award for excellent public education news coverage. Each education reporter is a 2012 winner of the Alafair Hammett Media Award.
ATPE launches new website featuring information on candidates running for state legislature, state board of education
May 7, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) recently unveiled a new advocacy website. TeachtheVote.org makes it easy for Texas voters to learn where the candidates for state Legislature and the State Board of Education stand on important public education issues.
ATPE featured in Plainview Daily Herald news article, "New ATPE website offers look at SBOE, legislative races"
May 2, 2012: The Association of Texas Professional Educators recently unveiled a new advocacy website. TeachtheVote.org makes it easy for Texas voters to learn where the candidates for state Legislature and the State Board of Education stand on important public education issues.
ATPE mentioned in Austin Chronicle story, "AISD approves employee policy"
April 24, 2012: After months of delays, changes and unnecessary ugliness, the AISD Board of Trustees has finally revised its policy dealing with employee relations.
ATPE Foundation featured in Weatherford Democrat news article, "Curtis receives literacy grant"
April 18, 2012: Since she started as the librarian at Curtis Elementary during the summer, Shawna Ford has been doing whatever it takes to revamp the literary resources. From weeding out books and chopping off too-tall shelves, Ford has done her best to turn the library into a modern source of research.
ATPE mentioned in NBC5 Dallas-Fort Worth news article, "Teacher group slams Princeton ISD’s recording policy"
April 17, 2012: A teacher group is criticizing a Princeton school district policy that allows students to record their classes with cellphones.
ATPE candidate forum featured on KLTV Channel 7 News in Tyler
April 11, 2012: East Texas candidates running for office this election season heard from teachers Tuesday night at an education forum.
ATPE mentioned in Austin Chronicle article, "AISD inches toward consultation deal"
April 6, 2012: Austin ISD is getting closer to settling its seemingly never-ending fight over employee consultation. On March 30 the administration finally released its latest draft policy, replacing the old exclusive consultation agent policy with a new inclusive/exclusive model - one that would leave Education Austin as the prime negotiating partner but formalize its outreach to nonmembers.
ATPE mentioned in The American Prospect article, "It takes an election: Rallies can energize supporters of a cause, but rarely do they change policy"
March 30, 2012: Last year, Save Texas Schools held a rally that wowed most of us covering it. Around 10,000 people came from across the state, traveling hours on buses to demand lawmakers prioritize education funding, and forego the unprecedented cuts the initial budget had proposed. In a state with little history of organization and few structures for bringing people together, the rally was an impressive success.
ATPE Grant for Teaching Excellence winner Lauri Peters featured in San Antonio Express-News article, "Providing food for thought at the 'Reading Restaurant'"
March 18, 2012: Peters recently won a $1,000 grant from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) to fund the restaurant.
San Antonio teacher wins $1,000 grant from ATPE
March 2, 2012: East Central Independent School District Dyslexia Specialist Lauri Peters was selected as the recipient of a $1,000 Grant for Teaching Excellence award in the elementary category from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). Peters teaches at Pecan Valley Elementary School in San Antonio.
Paris teacher wins $1,000 grant from ATPE
March 2, 2012: Paris Independent School District science teacher Jodi Andoe was selected as the recipient of a $1,000 Grant for Teaching Excellence award in the secondary category from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE). Andoe teaches eighth grade science at Paris Junior High School.
ATPE mentioned in Austin Chronicle article, "AISD versus representative democracy"
February 27, 2012: AISD Versus Representative Democracy - Board to push back union representation deal another two months.
ATPE mentioned in Austin Chronicle article, "AISD board postpones union vote"
February 24, 2012: The Austin ISD board of trustees may have a hundred million reasons to continue its exclusive consultation agreement with Education Austin after board trustee Annette LoVoi listed the savings for the district from working with the union. Having already delayed the vote for three months, on Feb. 20 the board penciled in another extension on its discussion of which organization will represent staff.
ATPE mentioned in KUT news article, "Austin school board examines contract with union tonight"
February 20, 2012: With 3,000 members, Education Austin may have the most to lose when the Austin school board revisits its labor relations policy later this month.
ATPE mentioned in PolitiFact article
February 17, 2012: Paul Sadler says he and others gave Texas teachers three pay raises and health insurance.
ATPE mentioned in Austin Chronicle article, "Austin Education vs. Education Austin"
February 27, 2012: School district suddenly goes wobbly on longstanding relationship with faculty-staff union.
ATPE Foundation featured in The Pasadena Citizen news article, "Pasadena High athletic trainer receives $2,500 grant from ATPE"
January 25, 2012: Pasadena High athletic trainer receives $2,500 grant from ATPE.
ATPE mentioned in Victoria Advocate news article, "Collective bargaining could lead to strikes, divisiveness in schools"
January 9, 2012: The Wisconsin protests that led to canceled classes is exactly the situation the Association of Texas Professional Educators wants to avoid.
Literacy grant open to Texas public school libraries
January 4, 2012: The literacy initiative grant provides funds to Texas public school libraries for the modernization of literacy materials and resources. The deadline to apply for the grant is Feb. 1.