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A family reunion
30th Annual ATPE State Convention
It’s a family affair
The 30th Annual ATPE State Convention had every trapping of a family reunion: good food, good times and good debate. Nearly 1,000 members from all corners of Texas gathered March 25–27 in Austin to conduct the annual House of Delegates meeting and to celebrate the association’s 30th anniversary.
The strength of our roots
Celebrating ATPE’s 30th anniversary
Attendees had a variety of opportunities to commemorate the April 1, 1980, founding of ATPE. The on-site program featured a special section showcasing documents from ATPE’s early days, including the agenda and invocation from the House of Delegates’ first meeting July 19, 1980. In the Exhibit Hall, attendees purchased limited-edition 30th anniversary T-shirts and shared their favorite ATPE memories for preservation in the state office archives.
On hand for the Awards Banquet were several of ATPE’s “stars”—the members of ATPE’s first Board of Directors, who are represented by the 18 stars circling the state of Texas in the ATPE logo. Banquet guests enjoyed cupcakes iced with the number “30” as well as the sounds of up-and-coming modern country artist Granger Smith. The convention concluded Saturday afternoon with the premiere of A Family Reunion: 30 Years of ATPE, a video in which ATPE leaders share their insights on the association’s past, present and future. Watch the video at www.atpe.org/AboutUs/30yearHistory.asp.
The power of an educator
Inspiring words from LouAnne Johnson
“You’re probably thinking: She doesn’t look like a Marine, but she does look exactly like Michelle Pfeiffer.”
That was one of keynote speaker LouAnne Johnson’s opening lines. You might not know Johnson by name, but you know her as the dynamite teacher portrayed by Pfeiffer in the 1995 box office hit Dangerous Minds. Johnson’s keynote speech fired up attendees for the challenges of addressing the needs of at-risk students. She recounted her path from shy little girl to Navy and Marine journalist to teacher—the point in her career when, she says, her “little stinkerness” came back to her big time. She described her first day teaching at a California high school, when a student threw a dictionary at her head, and then shared the “rules” she followed to guide her students to succeed beyond their own expectations.
In addition to her keynote speech, Johnson, the author of several nonfiction books, signed copies of her first novel, Muchacho, for attendees.
The future of Texas
Looking toward Election Day
ATPE invited the 2010 Democratic and Republican gubernatorial candidates to address the ATPE House of Delegates. Former Houston mayor Bill White, the Democratic candidate, accepted ATPE’s invitation. He spoke to delegates March 27 about his education plans, and his appearance at the ATPE state convention was picked up by several media outlets, including the Associated Press.
Investing in our future
ATPE-PAC and the ATPE Foundation raise funds
The ATPE Political Action Committee (ATPE-PAC) raised more than
$10,500 for future advocacy efforts during both a live and a silent auction. Special thanks go to the donors of auction items:
- Individuals: Sarah Beal, Cheryl Buchanan, Jennifer Canaday, Larry Comer, Merry Creager, Andrea Davis, David de la Garza, Cathy Duvall, Suellen Ener, Pam Hendricks, Ronda Hollingsworth, Peg Leach, Brenda Lynch, Brenda Meadows, Nanette Moyers, Sandra Patterson, Elizabeth Reynolds, Irene Rodriguez-Dubberly, Doug Rogers, Angela and Sebastian Sanchez, and Richard Wiggins
- Local units: Andrews, Carrollton-Farmers Branch, Cypress-Fairbanks, Fort Bend, Irving, Lytle, Monahans-Wickett-Pyote, Stanton and Tyler
- Regions: 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20
The ATPE Foundation raised nearly $2,500 for educator recruitment and retention efforts, literacy initiatives and technology programs.
Acknowledgements
The family members who made it possible
The 30th Annual ATPE State Convention was a great success thanks in part to the generosity of the following:
Financial sponsors
Bank of America; Bells Promotional Products; Brim, Arnett, Robinett, Conners & McCormick P.C.; Capital Spectrum Inc.; Frost Insurance; Graves, Dougherty, Hearon & Moody; Law Office of Daniel Ortiz; Nationwide Insurance; and ATPE Regions 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16 and 20
Student and guest participants
James Bowie High School JROTC TX-958, Austin ISD; Monica Bailey; ATPE Past State President Don Cotten; Marti Hamilton; and Dale Lovett
Educator of the Year Committee members
Chairwoman Jana Miller, Alex Barrientes, Mandy Cross, Carl Franks, Meredith Malloy, Sandra Patterson and Teresa Toliver
Nomination/Election Committee members
Chairwoman Twila Figueroa, Robert Corley, Lynette Ginn, Ginger Picone, Irene Rodriguez-Dubberly, Cindi Rojas and Rudy Romero
Convention hosts
Region 18, award finalist hospitality room; Regions 8, 10, 16, 17 and 20, Governmental Relations booth; Regions 4 and 20, Exhibit Hall welcome; and Regions 3, 4, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 16 and 18, professional development sessions