ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
WELCOME TO THE 2016-2017 SCHOOL YEAR!
August 17, 2016
ESC TODAY is published twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays throughout the school year.
Northwest, Lake Dallas teachers named Regional Teachers of the Year
In addition, 12 teachers were recognized for having written outstanding essays as part of the Teacher of the Year application process.
Arlington leader named Regional Superintendent of the Year
As the Region 11 winner, Cavazos will move on to the state level of the competition. The state selection committee will interview all regional winners on August 26-27 and choose five finalists. The finalists will be called to participate in a second interview by the state selection committee on September 23. The state winner will then be announced at the Texas Association of School Administrators/Texas Association of School Boards (TASA/TASB) joint annual convention later that day.
Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD wins Regional School Board Award
EMS ISD’s application will now be forwarded to TASA in Austin to be considered for the state award. During the month of August, the TASA selection committee will review all 20 regionalentries and announce five finalists, which are designated as “Honor Boards.” These honor boards should be named no later than August 25. Each of the five honor boards will then be interviewed by the state selection committee and the state winner will be named the “Texas Outstanding School Board” for 2016. All five boards will be recognized at the TASA/TASB Convention on September 24, 2016.
Former Birdville ISD administrator named to ESC Region 11 Board of Directors
Celebrating ESC staff for successful year of training for new evaluation system (photo above)
Other News Around the Region
Jasmine Saavedra, Slidell ISD, won third place in her division in the State School Bus Safety Poster Contest. The winners were named during the Texas Association for Pupil Transportation conference. Jasmine had already won $25 for winning at the regional level, and she will receive an additional award of $50 for her state win. The top three posters (including Jasmine's) will be displayed at the Texas State Capitol in October.
Katie Hernandez, Trinity Basin Preparatory School in Fort Worth, was among the top three candidates for the 2015-2016 Intern of the Year award sponsored by the Texas Alternative Certification Association (TACA). Hernandez completed her alternative certification training through ESC Region 11's Teacher Preparation Program. There were 41 nominees from throughout the state.
Digital Learning
New ESC student advisory board members begin the year at the PRIME Digital Learning Conference
Students serving on this year's ESC Region 11 Digital Learning Student Ambassador Board (SABre) had an opportunity to meet each other and share ideas with educators at the PRIME Digital Learning Conference on August. 4. From Region 11 districts, the students were nominated, submitted applications, and were selected to SABre. During the PRIME conference, they served as co-keynote speakers. They were also tasked with creating a product that conveyed what school should look and feel like to best meet the needs of today’s students. We look forward to hearing more from SABre in the 2016-17 school year!
View the video below of the students as they experienced the PRIME conference.
Distance Learning - Bring Unique Learning Experiences to Students without Leaving the Classroom
It is an exciting time in distance learning as the former barriers of equipment cost, connectivity, and ease-of-use have all but disappeared! The Connect2Texas distance learning programs provide many student benefits including:
- educational experiences outside of the classroom
- stimulates deeper understanding & curiosity
- increases critical-thinking skills
- enhances retention of important academic detail
- delivers lesson reinforcement
- creates opportunities for access and engagement with content experts
- highlights artifacts, historical documents, works of art, technology, and other resources
- introduces students to various careers/professions
- fosters cultural enrichment
- exposes underserved, high risk and rural students to unique learning experiences
- inspires on-site visits to a variety of institutions (museums, zoos, etc.)
Connect2Texas offers numerous topics aligned to state and national standards for the K-12 curriculum. To see available programs go to www.Connect2Texas.net. Flexible scheduling available upon request.
Instructional Math Coaches, Teachers (3rd & 4th Grade)
Looking for practical ideas for your Mathematics Interactive Notebook? Join this innovative online course to get notebook inspiration that aligns to your grade’s TEKS!
The course will provide materials with mathematical concepts that you can use to design journal entries for your class. Once a month, participants will have an opportunity to video chat with peers about implementation tips and techniques.
More information
Secondary Teachers, Reading Coaches, Administrators
In June, nearly 100 teachers attended the Write for Texas Summer Institute where sessions focused on literacy across the curriculum. A Canvas blended-learning course will continue to support teachers during this upcoming school year. Check out the photos from the institute here.
The Write for Texas initiative was created to promote reading and writing across content areas in secondary schools. Write for Texas uses proven, research-based strategies to teach students the thinking skills and processes that go into writing effectively.
ESC Region 11 currently has two Write for Texas coaches who will be working with several secondary schools this school year. For more information on the initiative, please check out the website at www.writefortexas.org where you can access guiding principles of effective writing instruction, professional development resources, and teacher videos modeling instructional practices.
ESC Region 11’s Write for Texas coaches are Dr. Cheryl Hunt and Kathy Meek. Please contact Tammera Moss, program assistant, at (817) 740-3644 with any questions about Write for Texas.
TEA releases 2016 accountability ratings
Read more and find your district, charter or campus on the TEA website.
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ESC Region 11
Email: communications@esc11.net
Website: esc11.net
Location: 1451 Cherry Lane, White Settlement, TX 76108, United States
Phone: (817)740-3600
Facebook: facebook.com/ESCRegion11
Twitter: @ESCRegion11