2013
ATPE State President Ginger Franks contributes an editorial on teacher pay and quality
September 18, 2013: ATPE State President Ginger Franks contributes an editorial on teacher pay and quality to the Austin American-Statesman.
State's top teachers value mentoring, training, public support
September 17, 2013: More training and support from school districts, administrators and teacher preparation programs will help retain better teachers in the classroom, according to a 2012-13 Texas Regional Teachers of the Year focus group report. The 17 teachers who participated in the focus groups recommend that every campus in the state have a teacher mentoring program, develop programs to bring the community into the classrooms and that teacher preparation programs allow student teachers more time in the classroom to observe teaching in action.
ATPE Executive Director Gary G. Godsey appears on KTBC Fox 7's Good Day Austin
August 20, 2013: ATPE Executive Director Gary G. Godsey appears on Good Day Austin (KTBC Fox 7) to discuss school funding and testing in anticipation of the 2013-14 school year.
Special education teacher is new ATPE state president
August 7, 2013: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) recently elected longtime member Ginger Franks as their state president for the 2013-14 school year. Franks, a special education teacher in the Martinsville Independent School District, will represent the association and about 100,000 Texas public school educators who are members.
Former Denton principal wins ATPE Administrator Educator of the Year Award
July 25, 2013: Denton Independent School District former assistant principal Martin H. Brumit was honored July 19 with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Administrator Educator of the Year Award. Brumit, a 19-year education veteran, was presented with the award plus a $1,000 check at the 2013 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center.
Round Rock third-grade teacher wins ATPE Elementary Educator of the Year Award
July 25, 2013: Round Rock Independent School District teacher Rachael Brunson was honored July 19 with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Elementary Educator of the Year Award. Brunson, a 16-year education veteran, was presented with the award plus a $1,000 check during the 2013 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center.
Nacogdoches high school teacher wins ATPE Secondary Educator of the Year Award
July 25, 2013: Nacogdoches Independent School District teacher Kimberly Cross was honored July 19 with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Secondary Educator of the Year Award. Cross, a 16-year education veteran, was presented with the award plus a $1,000 check during the 2013 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center.
San Antonio school assistant wins ATPE Associate Educator of the Year Award
July 25, 2013: Lackland Independent School District math and science assistant Mary H. Reyes was honored July 19 with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Associate Educator of the Year Award. Reyes, a 22-year education veteran, was presented with the award plus a $1,000 check at the 2013 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center.
Rio Hondo special education teacher wins ATPE Special Services Educator of the Year Award
July 25, 2013: Rio Hondo Independent School District teacher Susana Gonzales Andrews was honored July 19 with the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Special Services Educator of the Year Award. Andrews, a 22-year education veteran, was presented with the award plus a $1,000 check during the 2013 ATPE Summit Awards Banquet held at the Austin Convention Center.
Actor, community activist Edward James Olmos to keynote ATPE Summit
July 12, 2013: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) will kick off its annual education conference with a special keynote by Golden Globe and Emmy Award-winning actor Edward James Olmos. Olmos will speak to more than 1,000 public school employees in attendance at the 2013 ATPE Summit July 17-19 at the Austin Convention Center.
Innovative educators to share successes, challenges in public education
June 5, 2013: The ATPE Foundation will honor the accomplishments of teachers and lead guided focus groups and professional learning at the third annual Texas Regional Teacher of the Year Gathering.
ATPE announces new executive director
May 23, 2013: The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) announced today the selection of Gary G. Godsey as its new executive director. With 33 years of nonprofit management experience, Godsey has dedicated his life to the nonprofit sector and has been responsible for raising more than 700 million dollars for nonprofit organizations in health and community building.
Jourdanton Elementary School wins $1,500 literacy grant from ATPE Foundation
May 1, 2013: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Foundation board member Tina Briones made a special presentation to Jourdanton Elementary School during its April school board meeting to recognize the school for winning a $1,500 literacy grant from the foundation. Kay Longley, the school librarian, applied for the Beth Ann Rogers Literacy Initiative Grant with the hope of adding new books to a library collection that is more than 15 years old.
Tuloso-Midway Primary School wins $1,500 literacy grant from ATPE Foundation
April 22, 2013: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Foundation past president Rose Perez will make a special presentation to Tuloso-Midway Primary School during its school board meeting today to recognize the school for winning a $1,500 literacy grant from the ATPE Foundation. Sarah Walker, the school librarian, applied for the Beth Ann Rogers Literacy Initiative Grant with the hope of adding new digital books to a library collection that is more than 15 years old.
Granger Elementary wins $1,500 literacy grant from ATPE Foundation
April 3, 2013: Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Executive Director Doug Rogers will make a special presentation to Granger Elementary School during today’s Granger ISD school board meeting to recognize the school for winning a $1,500 literacy grant from the ATPE Foundation. Lisa Repa, a teacher at the school, applied for the foundation’s Beth Ann Rogers Literacy Initiative Grant with the hope of adding new physical and digital books and computer software to a library collection that is more than 20 years old.
Wichita Falls teacher wins $2,500 tech grant from ATPE Foundation
February 26, 2013: City View Elementary School teacher Keven Robertson was recently recognized by her school district for winning a $2,500 technology grant from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) Foundation. Robertson, a gifted and talented teacher and coordinator, used the grant funds to purchase 10 Nexus tablets for student use.
San Antonio teacher wins $2,500 grant from ATPE
February 26, 2013: The ATPE Foundation recently recognized Northside ISD teacher Karen Dunlap for winning a $2,500 technology at the school district’s February board meeting in San Antonio. Evers, a campus instructional technologist at Christian Evers Elementary School, used the grant funds to purchase Mobis, interactive whiteboards for teacher and student use.
Hundreds of educators to lobby at State Capitol
February 5, 2013: Approximately 400 educators are expected to meet with state legislators to discuss key public education issues during ATPE Lobby Day Feb. 11 at the Texas State Capitol.
School finance lawsuit decision proves system is broken and harming students
February 4, 2013: State district Judge John Dietz ruled today that Texas’ system of funding schools is not adequately funded or efficient. The following is a statement from the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) State President Deann Lee regarding this ruling.
Denton ISD teacher wins $1,000 grant from ATPE
January 22, 2013: Denton Independent School District second grade teacher Jeanetta Byrd 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). Byrd teaches at Savannah Elementary School in Denton.
Houston ISD teacher wins $1,000 grant from ATPE
January 22, 2013: Houston Independent School District English teacher Stephanie Moreno 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). Moreno teaches at Waltrip High School in Houston.
ATPE leader says educators carrying guns could be devastating to school district liability
January 11, 2013: Following comments from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst today on allowing state-funded, specialized firearms training for teachers and administrators, Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) State President Deann Lee said she would not want to be the educator nominated to carry a weapon in her school district to protect against school shootings.
Comptroller’s revenue estimates show funding can be restored to public education
January 7, 2013: The following is a statement from Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) State President Deann Lee regarding the Biennial Revenue Estimate report released today by Texas Comptroller Susan Combs. The report reveals that money is available to restore funding to public education. According to the report, the state will have a balance of $8.8 billion at the end of the current budget cycle. During the 2011 legislative session, the legislature cut $5.4 billion from public education. Because of an $8.8 billion balance this biennium, the legislature could have prevented those cuts and still had money left over.