ESC TODAY
Timely Information and Resources for Region 11 Schools
April 4, 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.
Creating Pathways to Employment For Students with Disabilities
This summer, students with disabilities will have the opportunity to participate in paid work experience through an initiative of the Texas Workforce Commission. Students will receive workplace readiness training, and paid experience to build skills and identify future career goals. For more information, download this flyer or contact Tabitha Smith, Programs Oversight Manager, Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, 817-413-2802.
North Texas High School Student Teams Can Now Attend National Leadership Conference
Teachers, administrators, and high school student leaders have an unprecedented opportunity to hear nine world-renowned speakers at the largest one-day leadership event in the world – and all without leaving the DFW area. On May 4, Leadercast 2018 will be broadcast live from Atlanta to ESC Region 11, one of 700 host sites for the simulcast. Speakers, several of whom are best-selling authors, include:
- an astronaut/engineer/physician who was the first woman of color to go into space;
- the first female F-14 pilot in the U.S. Navy;
- an acrobat/aerialist who turned what might have been a life a hardship into a destiny of success;
- the president (and branding innovator) of a global corporation whose brands include Schlotzsky’s, Auntie Anne’s, McAllister’s Deli, and Cinnabon;
- a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame who currently serves as a liaison between the commissioner of baseball and the managers of 30 major league clubs;
- a world-renowned sports psychologist who works with professional athletes, law enforcement, the U.S. Army, and Fortune 100 executives;
- a psychotherapist who hosts the popular podcast Typology; and
- the founder of a leadership development firm that specializes in transformative live events.
Each speaker will spark creativity and empower attendees, provide them with useful takeaways, including digital summaries, and inspire the leader within. This ticket for becoming the best leader is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, whether someone is beginning his or her leadership journey or is seeking to connect with leaders who will make them aspire to higher levels of leadership.
Event Pricing and Registration
$100 for adults - Adult registration Non-educator registration (leader in any organization, business, government)
$50 for students - Student registration (High School)
Be a leader worth following. Attend the event that Forbes Magazine has named “A Leadership Conference You Don’t Want to Miss.”
Texas Social Media Conference - April 17
Are you a social media novice, social media pro, or somewhere in between? The 6th annual Texas Social Media Conference on April 17 is a day of professional and personal learning and networking that is sure to benefit attendees at all levels of social media use. The conference, sponsored by ESC Region 11 and Tarleton State University's Texas Social Media Research Institute (TSMRI), will be held at ESC Region 11.
This event is for anyone working in K-12, higher ed, non-profit, business, and municipalities. Sessions will include a variety of social media-related topics, including marketing and branding, digital citizenship, networking, leadership, the essentials, research, and social media in the learning environment. Read more about the conference and the presenters.
View our Facebook Photo Gallery of all the presenters and topics.
Administrative Assistants/Secretaries Conference - May 7
- It's a full day of professional growth tailored just for you.
- Sessions will include professional and personal topics to help you meet the growing expectations of your job.
- You'll learn new skills, but there will also be fun, food, and relaxation (massage chairs!).
- There will be a keynote speaker, vendors, breakout sessions, and lunch.
If you are in an administrative assistant or secretarial role, THIS IS your conference (so don't miss it). Come with your friends and coworkers; it will be a fun day with plenty of takeaways.
School Safety Conferences
ESC Region 6 School Security and Safety Conference
Education Service Center Region 6 is hosting a School Security and Safety Conference on April 30. Participants will learn about topics involving safe and secure schools, receive training on ACTIVE Shooter, meet vendors who provide safety resources for schools, and network with colleagues on ways to improve school safety.
Contact Mark Ybarra, 936-435-8245 for details. Download the flyer.
2018 Texas School Safety Conference
June 10-14, Corpus Christi
Register before May 11 for special conference rates.
Book rooms before May 14 to receive group rate (rooms are limited).
Save $300 by registering 90 days in advance of the conference. Register Now
ESC Represented on State Task Force for Higher Education
Experts say that in 12 years 60 percent of Texans will need a professional certification or college degree in order for the state to stay competitive in the global economy. That is why Texas adopted the 60x30TX plan.
We are excited that one of our ESC staff is on the 60x30TX Task Force working to make Texas one of the highest-achieving states in the country.
Dr. Matt Joiner, third from the right, administrator coach, is shown here with the other members of the task force, whose goals include not only increasing higher education opportunities and completions, but also addressing student debt.
DFW Summer Workshops Offered by Texas Wildlife Association
Safety News: Lead Testing in Schools
Lead Testing in Schools on April 24, 9-11:30 a.m., is offered free by The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and is for school officials responsible for the maintenance and/or safety of schools' drinking water. The training will introduce the Environmental Protection Agency's 3Ts for Reducing Lead in Drinking Water in Schools, which includes a training, testing, and telling approach. Register here.
TEKS Resource System – TEKSCon 2018
The 2018 TEKS Resource Systems Summer Conference brings thousands of Texas educators together for three days of collaboration, innovation, and learning. The annual conference will showcase national guest speakers, informative sessions, and hands-on workshops. Texas teachers and administrators will learn best practices and discover new ways to spark change and enhance curriculum.We look forward to our 2018 State Conference and want YOU to attend! Visit the conference website for more information and registration.
Connect2Texas: 5th Grade Science STAAR
Let Connect2Texas providers help prepare your students for their upcoming STAAR tests via distance learning. The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History offers the following programs which support concepts tested on the 5th-grade science STAAR in May.
- Reporting Category 1: Matter and Energy
All About Matter (TEKS covered: 5.5A, 5.5B, 3.5C) - Reporting Category 2: Force, Motion and Energy
STEM in Action: Scribblebots (TEKS covered: 5.6B and 3.6B) - Reporting Category 3: Earth and Space
Investigations in Weathering, Erosion, and Deposition (TEKS covered: 5.7B, 3.7B) - Reporting Category 4: Organisms and Environments
Adaptation Exploration: Owls (TEKS covered: 5.10A and 5.10B)
Adaptation Exploration: Eggs Everywhere (TEKS covered: 5.9A, 5.10A, 5.10B)
Program descriptions and other details available at Connect2Texas. Contact the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History to request programs on specific dates and times to meet your scheduling needs.
Early Childhood Team Invites You to May 10th Meeting
Save the Date!
Calling all Early Childhood Education leaders for students age 3 through grade 2)! Come meet our Region 11 Early Childhood Team, and network with your colleagues in other districts on May 10, 9-11:30 a.m.
Now Available on the Texas Gateway: TEA Prekindergarten Enrollment Toolkit
Did you know there are about 225,000 eligible three-year-olds and 50,000 eligible four-year-olds in Texas who are not attending free public prekindergarten? The TEA Prekindergarten Enrollment Toolkit is available on the Texas Gateway and ready to be used to support enrollment efforts. The toolkit contains resources for these five categories: Outreach, Registration, Family Education, Expanding Access, and Community Empowerment. Ready-made flyers, sample talking points, social media language, and packets with everything to host a prekindergarten fair are just a few examples of what is available. Please contact Alycia Winton or Lynn Sullivan with any questions.
ESC Region 11 LIbrary Cooperative: Let us Help Your School Maximize Its Library Potential
Times are definitely changing for libraries, and a certified librarian can be a HUGE help in keeping up with those changes. We at ESC Region 11 understand that sometimes it is not possible to have the library professional you need on your staff. That is where we can help!
We can provide a certified librarian to help your paraprofessional get the library up to standard by developing the print and digital collection and resources, building reading program incentives, removing older dated materials, ordering materials that support the curriculum, and providing professional development to teachers on how to utilize these resources. We can help you maximize your library's potential!
Consider joining your ESC Region 11 Library Cooperative. We can help you maximize your library's potential! More Information
Transportation News
This very popular course is back on April 7, 8 a.m.-4 p.m., at Weatherford ISD. Transportation directors, transportation safety trainers, superintendents, principals, and others (must hold a CDL, have a DOT physical, and a bus driver certificate) are invited to attend this new course, which is designed to equip someone with the curriculum and strategies to oversee and train others who are in need of passing the CDL test.
Download a flyer with more information.
Register for the class as soon as possible, as space is limited.
Will You Host a Bus Driver Certification Course in 2018?
It’s time to start scheduling Texas School Bus Driver Certification Training Courses for the 2018-2019 school year. If your district is willing to host a class, please click on the link below for additional information about each one. Drivers may recertify up to six months in advance of their expiration date.
- Request to Host 20-Hour Certification Class
- Request to Host 8-Hour Recertification Class
ELAR Spring Advisory Meeting on May 1
English Language Arts/Reading (ELAR) coordinators and district curriculum personnel are invited to join us on May 1, 9-11 a.m., for an opportunity to exchange ideas and learn as a community. Updates about the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and legislative issues will be given, but the majority of the time will be devoted to discussion about literacy technology, TEKS rollout, and networking. Please register on the ESC Region11 website (sign-in with your ESC account). For more information, visit the ELAR webpage.
ESC Region 11 MIgrant Education
Families enrolled in the Migrant Education Program (MEP) are invited to attend the MEP Parent Advisory Council meeting on Saturday, April 21, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., at ESC Region 11, 1451 S. Cherry Lane, White Settlement, Texas. They will learn about summer literacy programs in their area as well as join other parents to discuss issues related to achieving success for their migratory children. Anyone else interested in helping migratory farm workers are invited to attend. Please help us spread the word about this meeting to those families who are in the program.
Public Charter Schools Teacher Academy on July 16
Looking for free summer professional development for your teachers? The Public Charter School Teacher Academy on July 16 will provide teachers with strategies and resources needed to increase student learning. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required.
Upcoming Learning Opportunities
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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