ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
May 10, 2017
ESC TODAY is published twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays throughout the school year except during holidays and summer break.
Retiring Superintendents Recognized
LAST CALL: Deadline Extended to Enter Real Video Challenge
The deadline for submitting videos to our Real Teaching Video Library has been extended to May 17. We have received many awesome examples of high-impact strategies but would love to see what is happening in more classrooms. Any teacher who submits a video (even if it’s not selected for the library) will receive two free CPE hours for each video submitted, a t-shirt, and a chance to win a variety of prizes, including an ESC Region 11 coaching contract for the school.
Teachers don’t need any special equipment or editing skills; it is simple to create a 4-5 minute video from a phone or tablet.
More information is available on the Real Video Challenge website.
Summer Digital Math Academy: K-8 Teachers
STAARting with the TEKS: Math for the Digital Age will be held this summer in three cohorts based on counties. Join us at a location near you for one of three face-to-face sessions in June and July. K-8 teachers completing 18 CPE hours of face-to-face collaboration and six CPE hours of blended learning through Canvas will receive a $150 stipend. Space is limited, so please visit the Math website for more information and registration details.
Charter School Summer Summit - June 28-30
Charter school staff, please make plans to attend the Charter School Network’s fourth annual Charter School Summer Summit, June 28-30, featuring two New York Times best-selling authors as keynote speakers, 40 breakout sessions, and many networking opportunities.
Visit the Texas Charter Network website for more details, and take a look at the video below to get an idea of what you can expect at the conference.
Connect2Texas: What Are Teachers Looking For?
Please take a moment to give us your input about Connect2Texas programming and services. Throughout the year, we strive to meet teachers' curriculum and student achievement needs, and your responses will help our Connect2Texas providers develop programs and improve their current scheduling practices. Everyone who completes the survey will be entered to win a FREE program from the Amon Carter Museum of American Art. Take the quick evaluation here.
We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you with new-and-improved content enhancement programs for the 2017-2018 school year.
Connect2Texas providers help educators enhance classroom content, provide access to resources and customized topics, and work with special scheduling needs. We hope you will utilize these Texas-based providers and their TEKS-aligned program opportunities. Questions? Contact Lori Hamm-Neckar, (817) 740-7516.
News For and About Schools
HEB ISD Student Earns Second Place in Citizen Bee
The Texas Citizen Bee is a statewide civic education program and competition open to students in grades 9-12. Contestants at both the regional and state levels participate in written and oral rounds, with questions about the U.S. Constitution, important documents, civic values and skills, current events, landmark Supreme Court cases, and the Bill of Rights. The Texas Citizen Bee is sponsored by the Bill of Rights Institute and Law-Related Education.
Birdville ISD Teams Earns Recognition in National Competition for Deaf, Hard of Hearing
Five students from Birdville ISD, Birdville Regional Day School Program for the Deaf, placed among the top four teams in the nation in the Battle of the Books Competition, and won the Green Team Best Sportsmanship Award. The team competed against 26 other middle school teams at Gallaudet University, a university in Washington, D.C., that is designed for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. Team member Amy Nguyen was named Green Team MVP.
Shown from left to right, teacher Christine Gaston, Eduardo Bustillos, Nate Coats, Destiny Chavana, Amy Nguyen, Max Ridgway, teacher Teresa Fuller, and Smithfield Middle School Assistant Principal Jason Turner.
Library Leaders Meeting Features State Library Speaker
Literacy Team Prepares for Lone Star Literacy Academy
Weatherford Student Wins Optimist Scholarship for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students
Tammy Wilson, a junior from Weatherford High School and a student of the Brazos River Regional Day School Program for the Deaf (RDSPD), won a $2,500 scholarship in the Optimist Communication Competition for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. The Weatherford Optimist club sponsored Brazos River RDSPD students in the competition, and three finalists advanced to the district-level competition hosted at Texas Tech University on May 6. Shown in the photo are the three finalists, (left to right) Jodi Oesterle, Crockett Elementary; Madison Birchell, Hall Middle School; and Tammy Wilson, Weatherford High School.
TEA: Agreement Affirms Key Components of Teacher Evaluations in Texas
All major components of the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) will remain in place following a legal agreement with various teacher organizations in the state. Student growth will remain part of statutorily-required teacher appraisal systems in either the state-recommended system or a locally developed system a school district may wish to adopt.
Read more about the agreement on the TEA website.
Math4Texas.org Provides Parent-Friendly Help for Math Concepts
Math4Texas.org is a FREE K-8 website that provides parent-friendly explanations, example problems, digital tools, and videos by grade level to help parents understand the math concepts and skills that their children are learning.
Please add the Math4Texas.org link to your website and include it in communications to parents.
Write4Texas Summer Conference for Secondary Content-area Teachers
2017 TEKS Resource System Conference
The 2017 TEKS Resource System Curriculum Conference, August 1-3, is the premier professional development venue for Texas. Whether you're a teacher or an administrator, this conference has something for everyone. Attendees will experience a variety of sessions related to academic content, leadership, assessment, differentiation, and instructional coaching. The keynote speaker is Aric Bostick.
Registration details are available on the TEKS Resource System Conference website.
Uplifting Educator Stories: Share Your Education Success Story with TEA
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has launched a statewide social media campaign to tell the remarkable stories of Texas educators. Uplifting Educator Stories are those that demonstrate rigorous and rewarding classroom experiences, student achievement, and student human interest going beyond success in a typical class or on a test.
If you have ideas for this project, email the story and photo to Lauren Callahan. A new story will be selected each week and shared statewide via TEA social media accounts using the hashtag #IAmTxEd.
More information is available on TEA's #IamTXEd website.
Join Our Social Community
Stay connected to ESC Region 11 through our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, as well as our blogs, and email lists/listservs. Join the ESC Region 11 pages, and/or find the specific group that meets your needs. Browse through the list and click on the one you are interested in joining.
Would You Like to Receive This Newsletter?
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