The thousands of ATPE volunteers across Texas are the backbone of this association. Their hard work and dedication allow ATPE to serve the state’s largest community of educators. In this ongoing ATPE News series, we spotlight volunteers who set a great example of service for their fellow educators. NEXT UP: Christy Skinner, who works as a high school English teacher in Lumberton ISD, serves as the Region 5 ATPE director, and was a finalist for ATPE’s 2022-23 Campus Rep of the Year for local units with 1–200 members.

The Best Way to Get Involved with ATPE

Like many educators, Skinner initially joined ATPE because of the professional legal resources* provided through insured-category membership. She first began volunteering for ATPE by working as a campus representative. This position allowed her an easy way to start her volunteer journey.

“I started as a campus representative, and that job allowed me to find out more about ATPE,” Skinner recalls. “I got to see what the organization was about without making a huge time commitment. I was collecting applications and talking about ATPE with people on my campus. I also saw all the great people who are a part of ATPE. Being around this community of people, their enthusiasm and sense of service to the community is contagious.”

ATPE Gives a Voice to Educators

Skinner was driven to take a more involved role with ATPE because she wanted to take part in the organization’s advocacy efforts.

“The longer I stayed in ATPE, the more I understood the power of the organization and how it gives teachers a voice,” Skinner explains. “ATPE’s advocacy doesn’t just benefit teachers.

We’re fighting for excellence in education that benefits students.”

Skinner attended ATPE at the Capitol in 2023. She describes the event as an enjoyable experience that allowed her to speak her mind and convey her expertise.

“I’m a rhetoric teacher, so I really enjoy being able to advocate for causes that I love,” Skinner says. “And there’s nothing that I love more than the cause of education. For me, it was exhilarating to be able to go and speak on an issue that I have a lot of experience in and where my opinion was valued. Also, I was happy to be able to speak up on behalf of other teachers who maybe don’t get that chance to speak with lawmakers.”

Skinner also advocates for educators at the local level in her school district. Along with other ATPE members, she helped organize a liaison committee that meets directly with school board members to address issues affecting educators in the district.

“We accomplished a great deal in those meetings,” Skinner says. “I feel like we not only strengthen our relationship with our local school board members, but also we gain ground for educators. We won better working conditions and even received a raise.

“Most importantly, we influenced the perspective of our school board members. We helped them understand we were not simply complaining. We were able to show them, for example, that we didn’t have enough time to do our jobs and break it down for them. It’s very encouraging to me that they wanted to listen, and they actually wanted to do something about it and make positive changes.”

Interested in becoming an ATPE volunteer? Reach out to ATPE’s Volunteer Program Coordinator at volunteer@atpe.org.