The Scoop
Special Services Update - July 31, 2023
Communication, The Scoop & You!
Hello TISD Special Services #ShiningStars!!! We have the roles of a lifetime to make a difference in so many lives... I can't wait to see how your story plays out and and to see you #shine in your roles this school year!
For those of you who are new to our department, we will send out the SCOOP newsletter every week on Monday mornings to keep you informed of all the latest updates, news, celebrations, etc.
The Scoop is a place for you to make sure you are in the know and have all the information you need. You are responsible for the information in the SCOOP. If you need clarification, please reach out to your Student Support Specialist or me.
We are all so excited to see everyone together at Convocation on Monday, August 7th!
~Keri
NEW TEACHER BREAKFAST
We would like to welcome all of our new employees on August 2nd at Tomball High School located 30330 Quinn Road in Tomball, TX 77375.
Breakfast will start at 7:30am in the cafeteria and welcome and introductions begin shortly after 8:00. There will be festivities and training and it will finish around noon to head to lunch and then back to your building or campus.
If you are a new employee to Tomball Diagnostician, Speech Language Pathologist or School Psychologist, please sit with one of your assigned campuses. This will be a great time to introduce yourself to your campus principal if you have not already met. all other Special Services new staff will sit at a designated Special Services Table. I hope all check in to say hi at that table, even if you are sitting with a campus! We are excited to see everyone!
The rest of the week:
8/3- All new staff needs to attend EITHER the morning or the afternoon session for the technology presentation at Tomball Junior High. You are not expected to attend the TTESS training.
8/4- Attendance is NOT required for new special services' staff at Tomball Junior High on this day. You may work with your lead or on your campus.
Regular Hours Start Back This Week
This week starts Monday through Friday, regular hours. What this means for you is, IF you are starting this week:
Diagnosticians, School Psychs and secondary SLP hours are: 7:30 - 3:30
Elementary SLP, OT/PT, Teachers of VI, APE Teachers, etc.: 8:00 - 4:00
Assistant Director, Student Support Specialists: 8:00 - 4:30
If there are concerns with the schedules, please reach out to Audra Arnold or me to assist.
New TEA Resource Webpage Coming Soon!
TEA is launching a new website that will house resources to help make things easier to find! Here is the link to the announcement/preview of the website.
Handbook & Notice of Procedural Safeguards Update
The Dispute Resolution Handbook and the Notice of Procedural Safeguards (NPS) have been updated to correct the timeline by which a request for an independent IEP facilitator, provided through the state IEP facilitation program, must be submitted. The current state rule regarding the statewide facilitated IEP program at 19 TAC ยง89.1197(e)(3) references a 10 calendar day timeline, rather than the five days that was previously listed in these documents. See the State IEP Facilitation section of the NPS and Question 7 in Part 1 (Individualized Education Program Facilitation) of the Dispute Resolution Handbook.
The SPEDTex website will be updating all translations of the NPS. The TEA will not be reprinting the updated NPS. All edits will need to be made locally.
TEA Contact: Department of Special Education
Upcoming Events
Let's Get the Word Out for our Upcoming Job Fair!
We are also still looking for a great leader for our Program Specialist for Assessment role, a Speech Language Pathologist and a few behavior coaches in our great district! Applicants are more than welcome to come to the job fair if interested and apply online.
Upcoming Dates:
- August 2-4 - All new special services staff (employees, not contract) will attend portions of the new teacher institute See Section Above
- August 7 - All SLP's, Teachers for the Visually Impaired, Adapted PE Teachers, PEIMS clerks and Behavior Coaches report to work.
- August 7 - CONVOCATION - This is the day we will all gather together as a district for Convocation. It is a Hollywood STARS theme. It is the expectation that we ride the district buses to the convocation. More information on this will be coming soon. We will all sit together with Curriculum and Instruction. We will likely have buses take us from the Innovation Center on 2920 to the site for convocation early that morning (typically it has been BEFORE 8:00 am). We will have shirts to give you to wear. Be on the look out for an email with more details to you as soon as we receive them! This is always a FUN morning and a great start to the year!
- Check HERE for the rest of the year meetings for Special Services
Shout Outs
Social Media: Twitter
More Information
Be sure and check out and read the other Smore Newsletters being produced by Student Support Staff Soon (links are to end of year last year, but will update once school year starts):