ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
February 8, 2018
ESC TODAY is published twice a month on the first and third Wednesdays throughout the school year except during holiday breaks and summer break.
Spring Conference-Style Opportunities
- February 28, 2018 - STAART Your Engines! Rev Up for a Winning Assessment Season
- March 28, 2018 - Assistant Principals and Counselors: Managing the Present - Shaping the Future
- April 18, 2018 - From Primer to Promise: Laying the Foundation for Literacy in the Early Grades
- May 7, 2018 - 8th Annual Administrative Assistants/Secretaries Conference
Download the Save the Date flyer for additional information.
Region 11 Technology Staff Receives Award for Transforming Learning
Texas K-12 CTO Council presented the TEAM award to ESC Region 11's technology team for utilizing a unique collaborative consortium approach in the construction of our FIBER11 network, and for the far-reaching impact this will have on teaching and learning in Texas. Rory Peacock, center left, and Juan Escobar, center right, accepted the award at the Texas Association of School Administrators (TASA) Mid-Winter Conference this week.
The ESC Region 11 Consortium is comprised of districts and charter schools in our region that have collaborated to gain competitive pricing and construction discounts from the FCC and the state of Texas. Those benefits allow us to provide ultra high-speed services at a very low cost, and districts will be able to collaborate with one another without being limited by speed and bandwidth. The FIBER11 network provides adequate bandwidth for the increasing technology needs in classrooms.
ESC Region 11 is the first education service center to receive the TEAM award and now qualifies for the national TEAM award given in March by the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN).
The Texas K-12 CTO Council Team Award is open to a school district, consortium of school districts and education agencies, or state education network whose impact on technology's role in transforming learning has been significant.
Leadercast 2018 - ESC Region 11 is Hosting Simulcast
We're bringing Leadercast 2018 to north Texas on May 4! Leadercast is a one-day simulcast event broadcast live from Atlanta to ESC Region 11 in White Settlement, Texas. This event is tailored for anyone in any walk of life - the business world, non-profit organizations, education field, religious organizations, self-employed, or employed by municipalities. The speakers are nationally-known and respected leaders.
Two speakers recently added are Dr. Mae Jemison and Jen Bricker. Dr. Jemison became the first woman of color in the world to go to space when she flew aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992. Jen Bricker is an author, aerialist, and speaker whose amazing personal story is sure to inspire the audience. Born without legs, she will share her story and the lessons she learned along the way when she eliminated the words "I can't" from her vocabulary. View other speakers.
Texas Social Media Conference - April 17
The 6th annual Texas Social Media Conference will be held at ESC Region 11 on April 17. This event is for anyone in K-12, higher ed, non-profit, businesses, and municipalities. In previous years, Tarleton State University's Texas Social Media Research Institute (TSMRI) has hosted this event, and this year we are partnering with them to promote it to K-12 teachers, instructional coaches, administrators, communications staff, or anyone else who uses social media. Sessions will include marketing and branding, digital citizenship, networking, leadership, the essentials, research, and social media in the learning environment.
We still need people to share their social media knowledge, so please complete the call for proposals form if you are interested.
Behavior Conference Scheduled for October
Behavior: Beyond Management, a two-day conference, will be held October 18-19 at ESC Region 11.
We're excited to present this conference with many highly informative and interactive sessions aligned to the three dimensions of T-TESS Domain 3: Learning Environment.
Certification Information Meetings: Prinicipals, Superintendents
Interested in getting your principal or superintendent certification? These free meetings will provide you with an overview of the ESC Region 11 Certification programs, along with an opportunity for questions and answers. Applications are being accepted for the fall cohorts.
Principal Certification Information Meeting
Feb. 8, 6-7:30 p.m., at ESC Region 11
Superintendent Certification Information Meeting
Feb. 19, 6-7:30 p.m., at ESC Region 11
Charter School Roundtables
Connect2Texas: Students Utilizing What They Learned
Last fall, a 5th-grade class participated in two distance learning programs from the National Archives. Those programs were The Constitution at Work: Elementary Edition focusing on how the Constitution is relevant to the daily lives of students, and Superhero Bill of Rights highlighting the five freedoms granted to Americans by the First Amendment.
These students took their recently acquired knowledge and applied it in the real world. After learning about the Bill of Rights, three of the students decided to exercise their rights by petitioning the school administration about a rule they believed was unfair. A new school policy was implemented at the beginning of the school year that required assigned seating in the school cafeteria during lunch. Students thought they should have the opportunity to choose where they wanted to sit during their social time.
The students presented a collaboratively-written essay that included their main points and justification for the petition to the school’s assistant principal. They successfully collected more than 100 student signatures as well as 15 adult school staff members’ signatures.
The National Archives has been a Connect2Texas provider since 2007. Its educational content enhancement programs are FREE and feature primary sources from the holdings of the Archives, including historical documents, photographs, maps, posters, and more. If you would like your students to learn more about the Constitution or Bill of Rights, email distancelearning@nara.gov to schedule a program. For program details, descriptions, grade levels and standards visit Connect2Texas. Let Connect2Texas programs inspire you and your students!
Disproportionality in School Discipline Webinar - April 3
How likely it is that some of your subgroups receive behavior referrals more than other groups? The Disproportionality in School Discipline Webinar, April 3, 9-10:30 a.m., will provide participants with a basic understanding about the importance disproportionality as it pertains to school discipline. Participants will learn about the use of a metric to measure and monitor these discipline disparities. PBIS Apps.org: School-Wide Information System (SWIS).
All registered participants will receive an email the morning of the session with the webinar link; if you cannot attend but wish to receive a recording, please make sure you are registered.
NOTE: The session will not be an in-depth look at Positive Behavior Interventions and Support (PBIS) or the SWIS tools. If you are interested in that information, please contact Elizabeth Schrader for a customized meeting.
e-Merge Digital Learning Vendor Fair
ESC Region 11 is merging two popular events into an amazing day of learning on March 21. e-Merge, the one-day event for digital learning specialists, and the Digital Learning Vendor Fair will be combined into e-Merge Digital Learning Vendor Fair, a one-day expo featuring innovative learning sessions led by rock-star digital learning specialists, along with booths and presentations from vendors showcasing the latest and greatest digital learning solutions. Register today!
Do you have a success story or amazing lesson to share in an hour-long session? We would love to learn from you! Please complete the session proposal form linked below. Don't be shy; what's obvious to you is A-MAZ-ing to someone else! Session Proposals
More information about vendors and sessions will be available soon.
In the News
Christine Belle Cumberledge of Central Junior High, HEB ISD, has been named the 2017 Music Educator of the Year by Music & Arts, one of the nation's largest school music retailers and lesson providers. Cumberledge was selected from approximately 1,500 nominees nationwide. Harwood Jr. High's Doyle Bellville also was recognized as a national semi-finalist.
Granbury High School's Lone Star Team - 1st Place
Granbury High School's Torrent Team - 2nd Place
Canvas Mini-Conference in June; Reserve the Date
Take your Canvas training experience to the next level and attend Leveraging Canvas, our first Canvas mini-conference on June 14 (#leveragingcanvas).
Leveraging Canvas is designed to provide hands-on opportunities for teachers to meet and support district instructional goals through innovative applications of technologies in Canvas.
Call for proposals
Interested in presenting? Leveraging Canvas is also a great opportunity for you to share your expertise and experiences with your peers. Submit your proposal today.
TEA Early Childhood Educator Meeting on Feb. 22
TEA Parent Focus Group Meetings - Feb. 23
Read the Corrective Action Draft Plan here.
Three meeting times are available, and parents MUST REGISTER to attend.
Texas Lesson Study State Initiative Expands
Texas Lesson Study is expanding in Denton ISD. Hodge Elementary and Pecan Creek Elementary now have two teacher-led teams and two groups led by ESC Lesson Study facilitator, Tenille Shade, instructional content coach. In Boyd ISD, several returning teachers were hungry to master and perfect the art of lesson design, and they’ve jumped right back into the work of curating, researching, designing, and preparing exemplar lessons. Keep an eye on the Texas Gateway for the live lessons that are coming soon. This new state initiative is designed to elevate and celebrate the teaching profession as educators become researchers of their own practice.
Texas Lesson Study will be a featured session at SXSW on March 8. To learn more about the event click HERE!
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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