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Early voting starts Monday

Early voting starts Monday, Oct. 24, and ends Friday, Nov. 4, in the Nov. 8 election. Due to redistricting, every seat in the Texas House, Texas Senate and State Board of Education is on the ballot this year. Find more information about these candidates on TexasTeachersVote.org, including voting records on key education issues and which ones have support from ACT For TCTA.

Texans also will elect the governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and other statewide office holders. Look for more information about these races in a special election email on Monday, Oct. 24.

Many districts have school board seats and/or bond issues on the ballot. Check local media or vote411.org for more information about these candidates and polling places, then make a plan to vote.

Shelley Jeoffroy and Chris McLeod named 2023 Texas Teachers of the Year

Shelley Jeoffroy, a fifth-grade math teacher at Otis Brown Elementary in Irving ISD, was named 2023 Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year and will advance to represent the state in the national competition. "I'm incredibly humbled and honored to represent the state of Texas," Jeoffroy said. "With teaching, you're leaving legacies ... and that makes every hard day and every exhausting day worth it."

Chris McLeod, a rocket engineering teacher from Brazosport ISD, was named the 2023 Texas Secondary Teacher of the Year. In his first year of teaching, a co-teacher told him, "Teaching is an art, not a science." In his acceptance speech Friday, McLeod said, "He was right. Often, we wind up far from the plan, but that's where those moments of magic happen. ... Students may only remember part of the lessons we teach, but they'll always remember how we made them feel."

The winners were announced Friday during a luncheon honoring the 40 Regional Teachers of the Year, including TCTA members Maria Mascorro-Domingues, Amy Marquez, Pydi Oliver (pictured above, at right, with TCTA State President Eleanore Malone), Ryan Cosby, Patricia Villarreal, Tiffany Ryals, Brittany Wright and Marle Reynolds. Click here to read more.

TEA releases scoring guides for new STAAR question types

As it prepares for the spring administration of its redesigned STAAR tests, the Texas Education Agency has released scoring guides showing how the new reading language arts, science and social studies constructed response items will be scored. The guides include rubrics and examples of student responses. Find them on TEA's STAAR Redesign webpage, under the "Resources to Support New Question Types" heading.

Watch our STAAR Redesign webinar to learn more about the new tests.

Ask TCTA about leave policies on Nov. 1 and preview the legislative session on Dec. 6

You don't want to miss our upcoming Tuesdays with TCTA webinars.

• At 6 p.m. Nov. 1, TCTA attorneys will discuss leave and absences, reviewing state vs. local leave, including when your district can deny a leave request and when it can't. They'll also discuss the Family Medical Leave Act and other types of leave, explain the impact absences can have on your evaluation and review how accrued leave factors into retirement, before answering questions. Click here to register and submit questions.
• At 6 p.m. Dec. 6, members of TCTA's lobby team will recap the Nov. 8 election results and preview the upcoming 2023 session of the Texas Legislature, sharing TCTA's legislative priorities before answering questions. Click here to register and submit questions.

To watch replays of previous Tuesdays with TCTA webinars, click here.  Complete TEA's survey after watching and earn 1 hour of CPE credit.

Apply now for student debt relief

The Student Loan Debt Relief Application is now available. Complete it to determine whether you qualify for up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness. The application takes about five minutes to fill out and is available in English and Spanish.

Click here to learn more about the Biden administration's debt relief plan.

Educators may also qualify for debt relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Changes ending Oct. 31 provide flexibility that makes it easier to receive forgiveness. Click here to learn more and apply. 

Fired teacher sues charter school, alleging discrimination

A teacher was terminated from a charter school after he was reprimanded several times for unprofessionalism toward his students. After his termination, the teacher filed a charge of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, alleging that he had been discriminated against based on race and national origin.

The EEOC issued him a right-to-sue letter, which informed him that he had the right to file a lawsuit within 90 days from his receipt of the notice. The teacher failed to do this and instead filed a lawsuit against the school seeking monetary damages for discrimination, also naming his principal as a defendant. Click here to read more.

OTHER NEWS

NASA launches writing contest for K-12 students

NASA has launched its second Power to Explore Student Challenge, a writing competition that calls on K-12 students to learn about Radioisotope Power Systems, and envision a RPS-powered space mission that would energize their space exploration dreams.

Submissions are limited to 200 words, and three grand-prize winners (one from each grade category) will receive a trip to NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio, to learn about the people and technologies that power NASA missions. Submissions are due Jan. 17. Click here to learn more.

Save the date: TCTA's 2023 Convention is Feb. 10-11 in Round Rock

TCTA's 2023 Convention will be in person at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. Our schedule includes:

• Friday, Feb. 10: Capitol visit and Directors' Council meeting 
• Saturday, Feb. 11: Representative Assembly meeting, elections and DCC meetings 

Full details will be made available before registration opens in mid-November. Check out our convention webpage to learn more about the hotel, qualifications for statewide and district office, and delegate allocations.

State Board of Education honors 15 Heroes for Children

The State Board of Education recently selected 15 recipients for the 2022 Heroes for Children Award. This year's honorees have given a combined 233 years of service to Texas public schools. “The selfless acts of service performed by these award winners have significantly contributed to the betterment of Texas public schools,” said SBOE hairman Keven Ellis. “I know they will continue to inspire not only our students but also to inspire others to volunteer and support our public schools.” Click here to read more about this year's recipients.

Encourage your colleagues to join TCTA

Help us recruit new members through our Take 2, Make $25 program. Give colleagues your TCTA member number and ask them to include it on their application. You'll get $25 for every two eligible First-Time Active members who join TCTA by Dec. 31. If you would like brochures to share with colleagues on your campus, email membership@tcta.org or call 888-879-8282.

• Early voting in the Nov. 8 election is Oct. 24-Nov. 4.
• Oct. 28 is the deadline to request a ballot by mail in the Nov. 8 election.
• Oct. 31 is the deadline to apply for Public Service Loan Forgiveness.