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Texas News
Canutillo ISD trustee slated to become president of statewide education group
A member of the Canutillo school board has been selected to lead a statewide education organization.

CISD Trustee Armando Rodriguez has been selected as president-elect of the Texas Association of School Boards, making him the first El Pasoan in decades to lead the state’s largest organization for school trustees.
Dallas Parents Flocking to Schools That Pull Students From Both Rich and Poor Parts of Town
School districts see success with ‘Transformation Schools’ that offer a socioeconomically mixed student body

When Lauren McKinnon heard a new public elementary school was opening close to her home in Dallas, it was good news; but when she learned the school would offer an all-girls education format with a focus on STEM, she was excited, knowing inequities often exist for girls – like her daughters – in math and science.

But something else stood out about the school that attracted McKinnon: its potential for a student body that looked more like Dallas as a whole.
1 in 5 new Texas teachers were hired without certification last year
Schools are leaning on uncertified educators as they grapple with vacancies

Nearly 1 in 5 new teachers hired in Texas last year went into the classroom without a state certification, new Texas Education Agency data reveals. The sharp spike raises questions about the preparedness of thousands of educators who are entering the profession at a tumultuous time.

State officials want to bolster educator quality, but Texas is struggling with teacher shortages in key areas. The scramble to fill vacancies contributed to the growing number of uncertified teachers, worrying some education researchers.
So long ‘thoughts and prayers’: 4 months later, an analysis of how Twitter reacted to Uvalde
After the Uvalde massacre, hundreds of thousands of people had something to say. They took to Twitter to criticize elected officials and express horror at the carnage. Depending on their political leanings, they called for stricter gun controls or opposed the very idea as unconstitutional and un-American.

But the intensity of feeling faded quickly, at least as measured by Twitter activity.
What’s Driving Greg Abbott’s Escalating Migrant Busing Scheme?
The Texas governor’s plan has been adopted by Ron DeSantis in Florida, and it has grown crueler as it spreads.  

Governor Greg Abbott’s innovative campaign to bus refugees to northern states, which has metastasized to Arizona and Florida and gotten steadily crueler as it has spread, is not our state’s proudest export. Abbott has deployed thousands of migrants who have come to the U.S., fleeing danger and asking us for help, as political props. But the political logic of it is irrefutable.
Announcements
Emergent Bilingual Week:
Accelerate Language, Accelerate Literacy
Oct. 17–21, 2022
Monday–Friday, 12 pm–1 pm EST
This five-day event will consist of a series of webinars that explore important aspects of supporting emergent bilingual students, including the acceleration of English language learning, the role of oral language in literacy instruction, language learning efficacy and research, how educators can leverage artificial intelligence to support Emergent Bilingual students, and much more!
Affiliate Feature
RGVTALAS, TALAS’ Rio Grande Valley affiliate, commits to continue TALAS’ mission to improve learning outcomes for Latino learners by providing leadership development, collective impact, advocacy, and a proactive voice for Latino and non-Latino leaders who have a passion for serving the fastest growing student population in the state.
Looking for a new opportunity?
Leadership opportunities available:
Take a look at who’s hiring:
National News
Gathering Better Data on Latino Students Is Key to Truly Meeting Their Needs
Castillo: ‘Latinos’ are not one big group of similar-looking people with similar experiences. Student data needs to reflect that

I’m embarrassed that as a brown-skinned, Mexican-American Latina, I didn’t know Afro-Latinos existed until I went to college and personally met them. Growing up in a homogenous, predominantly Mexican community did not allow me the opportunity to interact with diverse groups of Latino or other racial/ethnic groups. This unfamiliarity was compounded by my local public school education, which did not offer ethnic studies or any course on Latino history in the U.S. I was ignorant of the diversity and complexity of my own culture.
Undocumented immigrants can now get California IDs
Governor Gavin Newsom on Friday signed a bill allowing anyone to obtain a California ID regardless of immigration status, which he called “a critical step for inclusion.”

“California is expanding opportunity for everyone, regardless of immigration status,” said Gov. Newsom. “We’re a state of refuge – a majority-minority state, where 27% of us are immigrants. That’s why I’m proud to announce the signing of today’s bills to further support our immigrant community, which makes our state stronger every single day.”
There are still few Latinos on boards of directors in the U.S.
According to a report by the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA), they only represent 1% on the boards of Fortune 500 companies.

The number is lower even though Latinos make up the second largest demographic in the United States.

Esther Aguilera, executive director of LCDA, stated at the L’ATTITUDE Conference: “Sixty-five percent of Fortune 1000 companies lack Latinos, and Latinos are seeing the least growth of any other group.”
Want to Support Immigrant Students? Get Creative With Funding
Welcome centers with staff that reflect the culture and speak the languages of immigrant students and families. Bus tours of the school district’s neighborhoods. Even assisting in international evacuations of students.

When it comes to supporting immigrant students—whether they’re refugees or migrants, or the children of newly hired workers—school districts have come up with creative programs and initiatives, as well as creative funding models to sustain such efforts.

It’s been by necessity, thanks to a wrinkle in how dedicated funds for these students work.
Beyond It’s Corn: ‘Recess Therapy’ Creator on the Secret of Following Kids’ Joy
Viral video mastermind Julian Shapiro-Barnum on launching a social media craze & what he’s learned from hundreds of street interviews with kids

For much of the world, their first exposure to the show Recess Therapy came through a viral video this summer featuring Tariq, better known as “Corn Kid,” celebrating his favorite starchy vegetable.

“For me, I really like corn,” Tariq said in an August clip now watched over 5 million times on YouTube. It’s “a big lump with knobs” and “has the juice,” he explained. “I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing.”
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!
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