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Guaranteed-issue supplemental insurance products
As a professional organization, ATPE is always striving to offer members unique benefits to help them plan for their futures. ATPE has secured a term life insurance benefit at significantly reduced rates that requires no medical underwriting and is guaranteed issued, regardless of past or current health conditions. Don’t miss your next opportunity to enroll in these members-only products: Jan. 4–Feb. 12, 2010.
Along with the unique life insurance benefit, we have secured additional long-range planning insurance products that can protect your family against the financial burden of cancer, unforeseen accidents and critical illness. Please log in to the Services and Discounts page for more information and to enroll.
Texas Legal Protection Plan
Don’t miss your next opportunity to enroll in the Texas Legal Protection Plan (TLPP). A group legal services plan established by the State Bar of Texas, TLPP is designed to assist members with personal legal issues. Open enrollment begins Jan. 1, 2010, and runs through Feb. 12. Members who enroll during this period can begin using the benefit March 1, 2010.
ATPE members who enroll in the program receive comprehensive legal coverage that is paid-in-full for covered matters through participating attorneys. TLPP’s participating attorneys are located in more than 140 cities throughout the state and provide legal services ranging from simple estate planning to civil and criminal actions, consumer protection, juvenile matters, divorce and adoption. Because TLPP is a nonprofit corporation, the monthly fee is extremely affordable: $10.82 for individual coverage and $15.16 for family coverage.
For detailed information or to enroll, call TLPP at (800) 252-9346 or log in to the Services and Discounts page at atpe.org.
Savings on holiday travel
Planning a trip to see family during winter break? Don’t forget that your ATPE membership comes with a
variety of discounts on auto rental and hotel lodging.
Members receive discounts on rental cars through:
- Avis—Get up to 25 percent off the lowest promotional rates.
- Alamo—Save up to 20 percent.
- Enterprise Rent-a-Car—Receive up to 10 percent off standard daily rates.
Members can room for less in the following hotels:
- La Quinta Inns and Suites.
- AmeriHost Inn®, Baymont Inns, Days Inn®, Howard Johnson®, Knights Inn®, Microtel Inns and Suites®, Hawthorn Suites®, Ramada®, Super 8 Motels®, Travelodge®, Wingate by Wyndham and Wyndham Hotels and Resorts.
- Comfort Inn®, Comfort Suites®, Quality®, Sleep Inn®, Clarion®, MainStay Suites®, Econo Lodge®, Rodeway Inn® and Suburban Extended Stay®.
Log in to the Services and Discounts page at atpe.org for more information.
A call for volunteers
The ATPE Nomination/Election Committee is seeking qualified individuals with excellent leadership skills to be state officer candidates. ATPE prides itself on being member-owned and member-governed, so any ATPE professional or associate member can run for any office at any time as long as the member qualifies under the existing Election Rules.
State officers participate in all ATPE Board of Directors (BOD) meetings and represent ATPE at region meetings and other functions. The vice president, secretary and treasurer travel 15 to 20 days per year on ATPE business; the president spends considerably more time representing ATPE.
Each officer has specific responsibilites:
- The president presides at BOD and House of Delegates (HOD) meetings.
- The vice president performs the president’s duties in case of absence.
- The secretary keeps the BOD and HOD meeting minutes.
- The treasurer apprises the BOD and HOD of ATPE’s financial condition with assistance from state office staff.
Call (800) 777-ATPE or e-mail dhamad@atpe.org to request a nomination form and a copy of the 2010 election rules. Nominations are due in the state office no later than Dec. 15, 2009. The election will be held March 27, 2010, during the 30th Annual ATPE State Convention.
Are you a fan of ATPE?
We recently launched an official ATPE page on Facebook. On it, you can connect with other ATPE members from around the state as well as receive education news and information on ATPE programs and events. Find us on Facebook and become a fan.
Home sweet home
You know that ATPE is member-owned and member-governed, but did you know that tenet even extends to the state office building?
Located at 305 E. Huntland Dr. in Austin, the ATPE office building was purchased by ATPE in 1997. After some renovations, ATPE staff members began occupying the building in January 1998. Here are some other facts about the ATPE building:
- The building is five stories tall and was originally built in 1978
- The total building area is 54,123 square feet, and the building sits on more than 2.5 acres.
- ATPE occupies the first, third and fourth floors. Harutunian Engineering is on the fifth floor, and MWM Designs occupies the second.
- Display cases showcasing items of ATPE history are located on the third and fourth floors.
- Lighted ATPE logo signs are on two sides of the building.
- Student art decorates the three ATPE floors.
- ATPE members are welcome to visit the state office any time during regular business hours.
The ATPE building has recently received some cosmetic upgrades. New benches have been installed in front of the office, and the decorative concrete panels outside the windows and the large ATPE signs on the building have been repainted.
Are you in the correct category?
There are six ATPE membership categories: professional (including first-time professional), associate, teacher trainee, college student, retired and public. Do you know if you’re a member in the correct category?
Three of the categories come with all of the benefits of ATPE membership, including professional liability insurance*:
- Professional and first-time professional members (those who’ve never been ATPE members before) are classroom teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches, university professors, registered nurses and librarians.
- Associate members are paraprofessionals, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, secretaries and substitute teachers.
- Teacher trainee members are student teachers in the state of Texas.
The three remaining categories are uninsured, but members in these categories still have access to the other great ATPE benefits, including publications, services and discounts.
- College student members are non-teaching students.
- Retired members are retired former public school employees.
- Public members are community members, parents, business members and other friends of public education.
If you’re still unsure of the membership category in which you should belong, or if your job has changed, please call ATPE Member Services at (800) 777-ATPE for assistance.
ATPE Educator of the Year awards
The ATPE Educator of the Year Awards acknowledge exceptional and innovative ATPE members. The award is presented in five categories: Administrator, Associate, Elementary Teacher, Secondary Teacher and Special Services Educator.
Winners will be selected and presented with $1,000 at the 30th Annual ATPE State Convention, March 25–27, 2010, at the Austin Convention Center.
Entries for Educator of the Year must be post-marked no later than Jan. 8, 2010, if mailed, or received by midnight on the same date if faxed.
Visit www.atpe.org/Resources/Awards&Grants/edofyearinfo.asp for nomination forms and more information.
Don’t be late for this very important date
Nov. 30, 2009, is a date you want to note in your planners—it’s the deadline by which prior-year members must renew their ATPE memberships (or educators who aren’t members must join) in order to avoid a 30-day wait period 
for their employment rights defense coverage* to become effective. If you know someone who hasn’t renewed or is waffling about joining ATPE, reiterate that joining or renewing sooner is better.
Please note: For online applicants, ATPE membership becomes effective at 12:01 a.m. the day following successful transmission of the online application. Therefore, online applicants must join by Nov. 29 in order to avoid the 30-day delay.
*THE EDUCATORS PROFESSIONAL LIABILITY INSURANCE POLICY IS UNDERWRITTEN BY NATIONAL UNION FIRE INSURANCE CO. OF PITTSBURGH, PA. ALL COVERAGE IS SUBJECT TO THE EXPRESS TERMS OF THE MASTER INSURANCE POLICY ISSUED TO ATPE AND KEPT ON FILE AT THE ATPE STATE OFFICE. Coverage applies to an insured’s activities within his/her professional capacity and does not apply to activities that predate the coverage period.
Download a summary in PDF format. Eligibility for ATPE membership benefits is contingent upon ATPE’s receipt of the entire annual membership dues amount for your appropriate membership category. A disruption in payments to an authorized payment plan may result in discontinuation of such benefits, including cancellation of insurance coverage for the entire membership year retroactive to Aug. 1 or your membership date. ATPE reserves the right to determine the appropriate membership category.
**The insured member services and staff attorneys’ assistance are offered through separate programs.
ATPE building by john kilpper; ©istockphoto.com/ piksel-Woman Shouting Through Megaphone; Kayann-fans cheering; jhorrocks-Contemplative Young Woman; alexsl-November 2009 - Calendar series
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