Your ATPE

Congrats to These Classroom Makeover Contest Winners! A $500 shopping spree for your classroom sounds pretty good, right? For two lucky ATPE members, that dream became a reality when they each received $500 as part of ATPE’s classroom makeover contest. Congratulations are in order to Kirstin Dietel of Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD (pictured bottom right) and Yessica Segura of San Perlita ISD (pictured top right). The contest was open to 2018-19 student teacher members who renewed as 2019-20 first-time professional members.

Want to Be in This Magazine? ATPE Marketing & Communications publishes ATPE News four times a year, and we’re always looking for member-written content, thoughts, and ideas! Whether you instituted something innovative in your district or want to speak on the importance of a topic dear to your heart, we would love to hear from you. Please email ATPE News Editor Sarah Gray at sgray@atpe.org.

ATPE knows many educators are looking for ways to expand their leadership skills—and has plenty of opportunities for educators to do just that! ATPE is accepting nominations for state officer positions until March 15. ATPE’s state officers are ATPE members just like you. If you think you’ve got what it takes to lead our members, then we want to hear from you. Contact staff liaison Bret Messer at bmesser@atpe.org to find out more about qualifications and how to run for office. Then, we’ll see you at the House of Delegates in July for the election!

OFFICIAL NOTICE OF THE 40th Annual Meeting of the ATPE House of Delegates The ATPE House of Delegates (HOD) will meet during the 2020 ATPE Summit this July 9–11 at the JW Marriott in Austin. HOD proceedings, including state officer elections, will occur July 10. Please visit atpesummit.org for more information about the summit and HOD, including delegate certification information. The wording of any proposed bylaws changes will be published in the Summer 2020 ATPE News and made available at atpesummit.org at least 45 days prior to the HOD meeting. This notice is published pursuant to Article IX, Section 4, of the ATPE State Bylaws.

Get Your ATPE Questions Answered Mark your calendar and get your questions ready. Each quarter, your ATPE State President Tonja Gray hosts a call to recap the most recent ATPE Board of Directors meeting, discuss association issues, and answer members’ questions. The next call will take place via Zoom at 7:30 p.m. CST February 27. Visit atpe.org/talk-with-tonja to find dial-in information. A recording of the call will also be made available to members for viewing on demand.

First-Year Teacher Wins $3,000 to Help Pay for Student Loans W e know first-year teachers have enough things to worry about in their new roles in the classroom. That’s why this year ATPE wanted to help one lucky educator by paying off up to $3,000 in student loans. A huge congratulations are in order to Jordan Bush, Venus ISD, who was drawn from the pool of 2018-19 student teacher members who renewed as 2019-20 first-time professional members. Jordan Bush and ATPE Regional Membership Specialist Diane Pokluda >>

ATPE’s eight dedicated regional membership specialists support ATPE's recruitment and retention efforts in their communities across the state. Not sure what region you're in? Enter your ISD in the map at atpe.org to find out.

ROGER GUTIERREZ

CYNTHIA VILLALOVOS

Regions 1 & 2 rgutierrez@atpe.org

Regions 3 & 4 cvillalovos@atpe.org

GINGER FRANKS

Regions 5–7 gfranks@atpe.org

DIANE POKLUDA

Regions 9 & 11 dpokluda@atpe.org

MARY JANE WAITS JEFF VEGA

Regions 12, 14, & 15 mjwaits@atpe.org

Regions 16–19 jvega@atpe.org

CHARLES GLOVER

Regions 8 & 10 cglover@atpe.org

HEATHER TULEY

Regions 13 & 20 htuley@atpe.org

ATPE is honored to be by your side day in and day out as you serve the students of Texas. In April, we’ll offer you a special opportunity to renew your membership for the 2020-21 school year. Look for details later this spring!

• It’s nice to check something off your back-to-school to-do list. • It’s an excellent time to switch payment methods and save money on your membership. New ATPE members can also join early for the 2020-21 school year*—giving them access to ATPE’s amazing services and discounts and free online professional learning all summer long.

continued from page 12—Your Ally

The law does not say how long a district has to keep records or specify how employees should forward records to their district. In the absence of direction, you should seek clarification on the district’s retention policy, and, as before, remain aware that you can be required to turn over work-related content. That said, this law does not give a public employer the right to search a privately owned phone. If you are directed or requested to allow such a search, you should seek legal advice.

The legal information provided here is accurate as of the date of publication. It is provided for general purposes only. Individual legal situations vary greatly, and readers needing individual legal advice should consult directly with an attorney. Eligible ATPE members may contact the ATPE Member Legal Services Department.

continued from page 28—Four-day school week

throughout the week. All in all, this was something that I couldn’t stop thinking about, fitting the majority of my curriculum into a fourday school week.”

By the end of the fall semester, however, educators and students had both adjusted to the abbreviated weeks. According to West, there has been no perceptible drop or decline in test scores or academics. Teachers have noticed how the students have adjusted their approach to learning as well.

“The students realized early on that school time is business time,” Becker says. “You have to get down to business while you’re here, or you will get behind more so now than before. ‘Catch-up’ days don’t really happen now because those days are reserved for Mondays, and most of the secondary-level students would much rather do their work when it’s assigned than to have to come in on a Monday.”

West says this schedule has produced several positives he could not have imagined when he first proposed it. Students who need extra help no longer have to stay after school because they can receive tutoring on the flex days. It also allows the district to take all Monday holidays, such as Presidents Day and Labor Day. Families have used the flex day to travel more. Most of all, students and educators say Sunday evenings are a lot less stressful.

“The students seem more relaxed,” Becker says. “If they have tournaments or weekends away from home, they still have Mondays to relax and have down time. Also, I haven’t had to take any work home with me yet this year. It’s nice getting to go home and spend time with my husband and kids without having to squeeze in grading or lesson plans.”

West considers the schedule change a success and intends to continue operating on a four-day week next year as well, with perhaps some minor changes to the length of the day.

“Overall, the students are enjoying it,” West says. “They have settled in. They are looking to what’s next.”

Ultimately, how the students feel is what matters most to the educators in Dime Box ISD.

“I think the biggest positive that has come from this is that the ‘Monday blues’ really are not there come Tuesday, the first day of the school week,” Clare-Sherman adds. “My students come in and are ready to learn.”

Olfen ISD Superintendent Gabriel Zamora frequently speaks with school district officials to answer questions about the fourday week. He invites anyone with questions about the schedule to visit olfenisd.net or to reach out to him via email at gabriel. zamora@olfenisd.net.

Our presence on social media isn’t about getting likes or retweets; it’s about sharing the latest association happenings and education news in Texas and beyond and connecting the state’s largest community of educators. Find us on all the major social media platforms!

facebook.com/OfficialATPE | @OfficialATPE instagram.com/OfficialATPE | pinterest.com/atpe

BRAIN BREAK Yoga for All Words by Kate Johanns Illustrations by Dillon Nelson

Destress and decompress with simple, accessible yoga poses—no flexibility required Working in a public school can be as tough physically as it is mentally. You spend long hours on your feet instructing students, then follow it with hours of desk time grading papers. Incorporating a few beginner’s yoga poses into your daily routine can ease tight muscles and provide a few much-needed minutes of centering. You can practice these yoga postures right at your desk, no mat required.

Mountain Pose Stand tall, feet planted together firmly on the floor. Let your arms hang relaxed at your sides, palms faced outward in front of you. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and imagine you have roots extending through your legs into the ground beneath you. You can also practice this posture in your chair, noting your sit bones.

Chair Pigeon Pose Pigeon pose itself can be a challenging yoga pose, but the desk yoga variation is fairly accessible—and a great antidote for tight hips. Sit up straight in your desk chair with both feet planted firmly on the floor. Notice your sit bones. Then, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, about an inch above the knee. Keep this foot flexed, and notice the stretch in your lower back and hip. To deepen the stretch, lean forward. Repeat on the other side.

Seated Crescent Moon Break up a marathon grading session with the seated crescent moon pose. Sit up straight, feet planted firmly on the floor in front of you. Lift your arms overhead, and stretch your fingers. Lean to each side, taking two to three deep breaths.

Seated Twist Start as you would for seated crescent, sitting up straight and planting your feet on the floor. Lift your arms overhead on an inhale, and on the exhale, twist your torso to the right, placing your left hand on your right knee and your right hand on the chair. Untwist as you inhale, then repeat on the other side.

Desk Downward Dog Downward dog is another common but sometimes challenging yoga pose—but the benefits are numerous. The desk modification makes downward dog more accessible. Place your fingertips on a stable desk or chair back (not a rolling chair!). Walk backward until your body is in an L-shape, then breathe for about 30 seconds. Release.

Seated Cat-Cow Sit up straight in your chair, with your feet planted on the floor in front of you. Note the position of your sit bones, then move your pelvis backward and forward. As you move it back, you will naturally round your back and drop your head (like a cat); as you move forward, your chest will raise upward, and your head will drop back (like a cow). Repeat with deep breaths.

BONUS: Restorative Pose for Home—Legs Up The Wall Restorative yoga is a healing style of yoga focused on relaxation and release. Legs up the wall is a generally accessible restorative pose that doesn’t require props. It’s exactly the type of thing you probably got in trouble for doing as a kid: Find an empty wall, lie down in front of it with your sit bones touching the wall, and extend your legs upward. Allow your arms to relax in the most comfortable position. Close your eyes, and say “ah.”

A joint publication of ASCD and Solution Tree

Create truly effective, brain-friendly classrooms with the guidance of Differentiation and the Brain. The second edition of this best-selling book includes an array of updated examples, scenarios, and exercises, as well as the latest research from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and pedagogy.