The ATPE Podcast

atpe
The ATPE Podcast

Founded by educators for educators, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) is the leading educators’ association in Texas and the largest independent educators’ association in the United States. ATPE exists to serve the needs of Texas teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and all public education employees and fights for our schools on the local, state and national levels. The ATPE philosophy is simple. We believe it takes everyone working together to improve Texas public schools. We work with all stakeholders in public education, regardless of political party or platform. We work collaboratively with all sides of any debate to find the best solution. And we represent the priorities defined by our members—working educators who are passionate about Texas public schools.

  1. 30 ОКТ.

    The ATPE Podcast: Parental Access to Education in Texas—What You Should Know

    Understanding parental access to a child’s education in Texas is essential for public educators as it shapes how you engage with families and navigate the legal landscape surrounding education. Although parental involvement is encouraged, educators should be aware of important legal limitations and protocols regarding access to records and classroom visitation. Parents have a fundamental right to access their children’s educational records, which include grades, assessments, and disciplinary records. This right is guaranteed under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law designed to protect the privacy of student education records. Under FERPA, parents can review and request copies of their child’s records, ensuring they stay informed about their child’s academic progress and any concerns that may arise. With this in mind, it is important that educators understand that everything they communicate through email, in reports, in evaluations, in referrals, and perhaps even in text messages with other staff, can very likely be reviewed by the parent. So how can educators protect themselves, and what are the legal limits to what records parents can access? Additionally, parents may be allowed to observe a classroom, but they don’t have the legal right to do so, and the school district may set parameters. But what happens when parental visits become disruptive to your classroom? And do stepparents and grandparents also have access? In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Staff Attorney Martha Moring explains what you should know about Texas parents’ rights to access their children’s education, including the limitations, confidentiality of records, and classroom visitation.   The legal information provided here is accurate as of the date of publication. It is provided here for informative purposes only. Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers needing individual legal advice should consult directly with an attorney. Please note: Rights based on the Texas Education Code may not apply to all. Many Texas Education Code provisions do not apply to public charter schools, and public school districts may have opted out of individual provisions through a District of Innovation plan. Eligible ATPE members may contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department.

    23 мин.
  2. 4 ОКТ.

    Power in Numbers: How Voting in the General Election Benefits Public Education

    Whether you're a teacher, an administrator, a student, or a parent, your voice matters, and this upcoming election is not just about picking a new president; it’s also about making decisions that affect our education system, funding for schools, teacher salaries, and essential programs. While Texas educators help to shape the future of Texas, our elected officials, primarily the Legislature, help to shape the present and future of the Texas education system. The policies and budget that lawmakers pass affect almost every part of the school system, and districts all over the state need more resources to serve student populations, fund essential programs, and provide better benefits and pay for teachers. History tells us that a large turnout in voting among parents and educators in a pro-public education fashion can make a huge impact on education policy in Texas. After a rough 2017 legislative session for public education, the 2018 election saw a huge turnout among educators and public education allies. This show of force set up a much more successful legislative session in 2019, when lawmakers passed a historic school finance bill as part of an $11.6 billion school finance measure. So how can you make sure you’re registered to vote in the county where you live? And how can you as an educator and voter identify candidates who prioritize public education issues? In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter discusses the importance of registering to vote and showing up to the polls in the November general election.

    24 мин.
  3. 9 АВГ.

    The State of Education Policy

    It came as no surprise that the voucher conversation dominated the last legislative session, and as such much of our communications to members over that time frame was dedicated to fighting that battle. In addition to the long regular session, the entirety of the summer and fall felt like all vouchers all the time. At the end of the day, we were able to hold off vouchers, and that's certainly a positive. Since then, unfortunately, the voucher issue has anything but subsided. Although passing vouchers has become Governor Abbot’s primary, if not only, education policy goal, it is certainly not the only concern out there for public educators. There is no denying the teaching profession has become embroiled within culture wars in a way that it has never been before. However, many of these false flag issues that have created so much controversy are being ginned up for no other reason than to drive a wedge in support for public education and breaking the blockade against vouchers. While the privatizers and voucher pushers continue to do their best to manufacture hate, outside the culture war trenches, there are plenty of non-voucher or voucher linked issues that public educators legitimately need to be focusing on. These issues have nothing to do with privatization, and they're real issues that need to be addressed within the public school system. So which issues are we focused on right now and what are we doing to engage the broader community for support? And outside of voting, what tools can educators use to communicate with their elected representatives, expand the public education conversation, and make their voice heard on these issues? In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE Governmental Relations Director Monty Exter explains how together we can impact Texas education policy beyond just the threat of vouchers.

    13 мин.
  4. 10 ИЮН.

    Recruiting and Retaining Teachers

    As teacher recruitment and retention issues continue in districts all over Texas, the teacher preparation landscape has changed significantly in response. Many new teachers are transitioning from other careers, and we have seen numerous pathways for certification evolve to better fill growing vacancies. In turn, the rush to certify educators—and do so quickly—has created a bit of a gap between what early educators need and what they are getting. If we want new educators to succeed and see the teaching profession as a sustainable career, perhaps the answer lies less in recruiting and more in retention. As the leading educator association in Texas, ATPE advocates for teachers both at the Capitol in August and in Washington, D.C., as well as with state agencies and regulatory boards such as the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC). As a founding member of the Texas Coalition for Educator Preparation (TCEP), we are working to ensure that teacher candidates coming through the pipeline are being assessed fairly across the board. Research shows that engagement with professional organizations is key for retaining quality teachers, but what exactly do new teachers want and need from an educator association? And what support and/or resources does ATPE provide to address both the changes to the teacher preparation landscape and the issue of growing vacancies across the state?  In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, three ATPE staff members who are all former educators—Engagement & Learning Specialist Andrea Hutlock, Lobbyist Tricia Cave, and Membership Specialist Dr. Cynthia Villalovos—discuss the role of professional educator associations in addressing recruitment and retention issues in Texas.

    30 мин.
  5. 19 АПР.

    Upcoming School Board and Bond Elections

    You might be asking yourself, “Didn’t I just vote in March?” Well, we hope the answer to that question is yes, but public education is always on the ballot, and there are two more elections in the month of May that are just as important for Texas educators. Early voting for the May 4 election runs from April 22–30, and depending on where you live, you might have a school board trustee, bond, and/or an appraisal district board election on your ballot. Bond dollars finance maintenance, new buildings, sports stadiums, technology, and more. This can be especially important for school staff, too, because you don’t want to work in a building without proper air conditioning or heat. Contrary to popular belief, bond money does not pay teacher salaries, but school board trustees do make decisions regarding teacher pay, as well as approving curriculum and district policy. Some of you will also have a primary runoff election May 28, and early voting for this will run May 20–24. And in this race, many of our pro-public education legislators will need your support. With the huge impact that bond, appraisal, and school board trustee elections can have on our public schools, what more do you need to know, and what resources are available to prepare you for these elections? In this episode of The ATPE Podcast, ATPE’s newest lobbyist Heather Sheffield discusses the upcoming May elections—specifically, the difference between school board and bond elections and why they matter for Texas educators.

    18 мин.

Оценки и отзывы

5
из 5
Оценок: 7

Об этом подкасте

Founded by educators for educators, the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) is the leading educators’ association in Texas and the largest independent educators’ association in the United States. ATPE exists to serve the needs of Texas teachers, paraprofessionals, administrators and all public education employees and fights for our schools on the local, state and national levels. The ATPE philosophy is simple. We believe it takes everyone working together to improve Texas public schools. We work with all stakeholders in public education, regardless of political party or platform. We work collaboratively with all sides of any debate to find the best solution. And we represent the priorities defined by our members—working educators who are passionate about Texas public schools.

Вам может также понравиться

Чтобы прослушивать выпуски с ненормативным контентом, войдите в систему.

Следите за новостями подкаста

Войдите в систему или зарегистрируйтесь, чтобы следить за подкастами, сохранять выпуски и получать последние обновления.

Выберите страну или регион

Африка, Ближний Восток и Индия

Азиатско-Тихоокеанский регион

Европа

Латинская Америка и страны Карибского бассейна

США и Канада