If you didn’t make it to the Members’ Rights Workshop, you missed out! Deshaunta Kearns, our new TSTA Staff Member, presented information about what rights teachers have. Issues we talked about:

• Can a principal order me to make a grade change?
• Can the principal make us meet during our planning period?
• I don’t have a duty-free 30 minute lunch.
• Are there limits to the amount of paperwork required?
• What can I do if there is a student is is abusive or seriously disrupts my classroom?
• Am I required to work overtime?
• What about compensation?
• What can I do about a bad appraisal?
• And much, much more!

If you weren’t able to make it, we have actually videotaped the presentation! Check your e-mail to see when this will be available and how you can view it. If you have these (or other) questions, please feel free to talk to your campus AR (Association Representative) or come to one of the monthly AR meetings.

If you want to get Klein TSTA announcements sent directly to your cell phone (meetings, board meeting information, political updates, and other important information), then please text “follow kleintsta” to 40404.

http://twitter.com/kleintsta

ESP Conference is Sept. 25 at Cy-fair

The Address for the ESP Conference in Houston is: Cy-Ridge High School, 7900 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX 77041. A second conference will be held later in the year in Dallas. Click here for the registration card.

Agenda:

8:30-9:00am -Registration

9:00-9:30am -Welcome, Opening by TSTA President

9:30-11:30am -Concurrent Workshops

11:45-1:00pm -Lunch and Paula Monroe, Keynote Speaker

1:00-3:00pm -Concurrent Workshops

3:00-3:30pm – Closing by TSTA President

TSTA Houston ESP Conference Workshops:

Organizing in the Digital Age – A discussion-based workshop with samples from various media sources used in association with organizing (excel, group e-mail, texting). An introduction on how basic communication tools are used on a daily basis by our union members to quickly spread information to other members and worksites.

Working with Children of Diverse Backgrounds: The ESP Role – ESP’s interact with children on a daily basis; whether that is in the classroom, on the bus, in the cafeteria, classroom or office. Their role is key to the overall education process since they oftentimes get to know students personally. This training will focus on obtaining insight into tapping into the student’s personality and learning to use their strengths to enhance greater achievement in a variety of school settings.

Essential Rights that Public School Employees Should Know – Understanding your rights as an educational support professional -Discussion format with Help Center Staff. Topics to include Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), Board Policies, State laws that impact the workplace.

NEA-Training: ESP Leadership and Assertiveness Workshop – Understanding the behaviors needed to be more assertive as a leader. Communications styles and leadership skill training for educational support professionals. This workshop is designed to help the ESP learn how to become more assertive and recognize the true asset they are in the public school setting and in their community.

Join TSTA and Sherri Matula for a presentation on the new science curriculum!

Here is a short breakdown on what will be covered:

part 1:  the basics – how the curriculum is set up with a Q/A time
part 2: the curriculum – possible stacking of curriculum K-12 into strands for understanding before and after concepts
part 3: the vocabulary – working with vocabulary and how to plan out year in 2-3 week blocks to complement district curriculum
part 4: the lesson plan: – Planning out a lesson or unit study using 5E
part 5: Q/A and wrap up

This event will take place on Saturday, September 18th at the Cy-Creek EMS – 7111 Five Forks, Spring, TX 77379 (map can be found here).