ATPE News Summer 2016
In this issue of ATPE News, we take a look inside a UIL robotics program and showcase an innovative high school that provides a new path to graduation for nontraditional Texas students.
Robotics in the Classroom
Imagine a high school gym filled with cheering parents and fans. A contingent of the school’s marching band plays the fight song while the cheerleaders and school mascot lead the crowd in cheers.
Different by Design
Success High School Principal Thomasine Stewart does not give up on students, and she doesn’t allow students to give up on themselves. “Failing a course is not an option,” says Stewart. “If they hit a road block, we don’t keep proceeding. We look at re-teaching, additional support, tutorials, whatever they need.” Students at Success High School in Round Rock, Texas, are not allowed to fail a course and move forward.” Stewart says, “These are different people, taking different subjects, so we re-teach in many different ways.”
Know your Contract Rights
What happens if you are offered a job at another district after the school year has begun–can you give two-weeks’ notice and take it? What if you are reassigned to a position that you did not want; can you quit rather than accept it? The answer to these questions depends on whether or not you have an employment contract.
Serving as Your Voice
While planning a presentation for the 2016 Summit, ATPE’s lobbyists discussed how our presentations are called “legislative updates,” even during years that the Texas legislature does not convene. Advocating for ATPE involves more than shaping legislation and showing up for legislative sessions. Our lobbyists work in diverse ways, even during so-called interim years.