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Texas News
McAllen ISD expands dual language program
Achieve Early High School in McAllen Independent School District (ISD) students to become bicultural and fluent in English and Spanish this fall.

The district began offering dual language courses in 2013 at seven elementary schools.

In 2018, the program expanded to Fossum Middle School and will now be offered to Achieve Early High School students.
SAISD’s Pedro Martinez: No ‘going back to normal’ technology usage after pandemic
There is no “going back to normal” after the pandemic forced schools to take advantage of technology and distribute devices to all students, said San Antonio Independent School District Superintendent Pedro Martinez during a virtual town hall Wednesday on the future of technology.

“Normal wasn’t that great for a lot of our kids,” he said, citing a digital divide that meant many of SAISD’s students had neither internet access nor devices such as laptops when the the coronavirus pandemic suddenly closed schools in 2020.

“Let’s make a commitment that going forward, no one under our watch will ever have a child that will not have a device that they’ll be able to take home.”
Texas A&M’s first Hispanic student body president recaps a year like no other
Texas A&M’s first Hispanic president is passing down the responsibility. But what a year he had with non-stop obstacles thrown his way, something no student body president has ever faced before.

As of spring 2021, there is a total of nearly 14,000 Hispanic students at Texas A&M in College Station.

Eric Mendoza was inspired by his parents to become an Aggie and represent his culture with pride.
TEA Approves Four New School Systems for Teacher Incentive Allotment Designation
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced four additional public school systems have been approved for a Local Designation System as part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). This announcement paves the way for 4,616 highly effective Texas educators to be recognized and additionally compensated for their excellent work in the classroom.

Approximately $43 million will be generated and paid out to more than 4,600 deserving designated teachers. This year, Texas also has 108 National Board teachers that earned this special designation; these teachers hold a nationwide certification that focuses on professional development.
Will Texas improve how it helps kids with dyslexia? Advocates’ hope for action becomes ‘study’ on Senate floor
Parents and students rally behind legislation after years of federal scrutiny over special education practices

The Senate on Wednesday approved a watered-down version of a bill that dyslexia advocates had hoped would give children better access to education services

The legislation’s initial language would have brought Texas into alignment with other states in streamlining the identification process for students suspected of having dyslexia. It aimed to ensure those kids got a more comprehensive evaluation for learning disabilities, opening up the possibility of tapping into additional services in their public schools.
Analysis: An end to a weird legislative session, and the beginning of an uncertain political cycle
A session transformed by COVID-19 protocols is giving way to a political cycle already disrupted by the pandemic’s effects on state government.

The strangest regular session in the modern history of the Texas Legislature is ending, but the pandemic shadow that darkened these proceedings isn’t finished with the state’s government and politics.

Texas might be moving from a weird legislative session into a strange political cycle.
Announcements
TALAS Annual Meeting & Affiliate Meeting
June 23-24, 2021 • Hyatt Regency, Austin, TX

Join us in Austin for the TALAS Annual Meeting & Affiliate Meeting!
The hotel is limited due to COVID protocols, but until June 4th you can book hotel rooms through our online housing link at this link. At the bottom of the page is a button that will take you directly to the online housing portal with the Hyatt.
AHSA End of Year Celebration
Wednesday, June 2, 2021 • 5:30–7:30 pm CDT
McIntyre’s, 1230 West 20th Street • Houston, TX 77008
Join AHSA in celebrating the end of an unforgettable school year! Thank you to our sponsors Dearborn & Creggs and Zaner-Bloser Publishing.
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Supporting Your Career
5 Communication Mistakes To Avoid In A Job Interview
The way you communicate in a job interview will make or break your chances of getting the job. It doesn’t matter if you’re the most qualified person on paper if you can’t speak confidently about your talents and accomplishments.

Here are five communication mistakes you need to avoid during a job interview.
National News
Dianne Morales bets on progressive vision in run to become N.Y.C.’s first Hispanic mayor
Campaign staffers involved in a union effort painted a picture of a work environment at odds with her platform, alleging Thursday that union leaders had been terminated.

New York City mayoral candidate Dianne Morales visited the nation’s largest cooperative housing development in the borough of the Bronx on the anniversary of George Floyd’s death Tuesday, embarking on the final stretch of a contentious primary race.
Denver Public Schools selects Alex Marrero as new superintendent
Denver Public Schools has chosen Alex Marrero, currently an interim superintendent outside of New York City, as its next leader.

The 38-year-old was selected over two other finalists: Andre Wright, the chief academic officer at Aurora Public Schools; and Stephanie Soliven, assistant superintendent of secondary leading and learning at Brevard Public Schools in Florida, The Denver Post reported. The decision was announced Wednesday, and the school board will vote on the hiring June 3.
Can patriotism and criticism coexist in social studies?
Seeking common ground in the century-old Social Studies Wars

As Chris Tims, a high school teacher in Waterloo, Iowa, sees it, history education is about teaching students to synthesize diverse perspectives on the nation’s complicated past.

It’s why Tims includes articles from “The 1619 Project” — a New York Times look at the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans — in the curricula for his classes.
How Do You Teach 6-Year-Olds Their Legal Rights?
Friday: Immigration lawyers and groups have been visiting emergency shelters to help educate children who crossed the border without a parent.

Good morning.

Every Tuesday and Friday, Lindsay Toczylowski visits the Long Beach Convention Center, where she gathers small groups of children, some as young as 6, for a 45-minute lesson.

She’s not there to teach the ABCs. She’s there to educate them about their legal rights.
Nation’s skeletal school mental health network will be severely tested
On average, school psychologists are responsible for more than double the recommended number of students and school social workers are responsible for almost five times the recommended number

In February 2020, Caden McKnight was elected student body president of his high school in Las Vegas.

A year later he was in his room, attending a Zoom meeting of the Clark County School District Board of Trustees, pleading with board members to reopen the district’s schools.
Inspiring Words From 2021 First-Generation Graduates
This past year and so proved to be more stressful than usual for the graduating class of 2021.

Across the country, the class of 2021 was forced to adapt and continue their careers through Zoom and other online tools, forgo the social events that make that senior year unique, and miss out on those school experiences that close an important chapter in their lives.

Worse yet, many fearfully anticipated meeting the same fate as the class of 2020, who did not have the option of in-person graduation.
Las Tienditas
This Week’s Featured Sponsor
TALAS sponsors make this newsletter and other TALAS activities possible. Please support them. Click on the logo to learn more!
For 45 years, Walden University, an accredited institution, has been serving the higher education needs of adult learners. Today, more than 47,800 students from all 50 U.S. states and more than 150 countries are pursuing bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees and certificates online in a broad range of disciplines including health sciences, counseling, criminal justice, human services, management, psychology, education, public health, nursing, social work, public administration, and information technology.