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Keep in touch with ATPE
ATPE is your association, and we want to make sure that you are receiving all of your benefits. Please ensure that the state office has proper contact information on file for you. This is especially important for members who have recently moved or changed their names. Update your contact information now. (You will be prompted to log in, so be sure to have your membership card handy as it lists your Login ID.)
ATPE must have your correct mailing address and e-mail address to provide you with information about your 2010-11 membership benefits. If you need further assistance, please contact ATPE Member Services at (800) 777-ATPE or member_services@atpe.org.
Video commemorates ATPE’s 30th anniversary
ATPE celebrated its 30th anniversary April 1, and state convention attendees marked the anniversary by being the first to watch A Family Reunion: 30 Years of ATPE. In this commemorative video, ATPE leaders discuss the association’s humble beginnings, present success and bright future. Watch the video at www.atpe.org/AboutUs/30yearHistory.asp.
ATPE extends a special thank-you to the following members featured in the video: Floyd Trimble, who served as president of the Association of Texas Educators, one of the two organizations that merged to form ATPE, and as ATPE’s first past state president; Alafair Hammett, ATPE’s first state president; Past State President Randall Iglehart; Past State President Shari Emmons; 2009-10 Region 20 ATPE President Sandra de Leon; and 2009-10 Region 1 ATPE Vice President Roger Gutierrez.
Important renewal deadline: Sept. 30
This summer, watch your mail for important details regarding your 2010-11 ATPE membership renewal. The 2010-11 membership year begins Aug. 1, 2010. Please note that effective with the 2010-11 membership year, all membership applications for both new and renewing members must be received at the ATPE state office or signed, dated and received by a designated local unit representative by Sept. 30 in order to ensure same-day coverage. Eligible members whose applications are received after Sept. 30 will be subject to a 30-day waiting period for the effective date of their employment rights defense coverage.*
Your membership date is established when your application is received in the state office or when your application is received, signed and dated by a designated local unit representative. (Online membership is effective at 12:01 a.m. the date following successful transmission of the online membership application.) If you renew any time during August or September 2010, your effective membership date will be Aug. 1, 2010. However, if you join or renew after Sept. 30 and were eligible to join earlier, you will be subject to the 30-day waiting period mentioned above.
So, if you are in a district where memberships “roll over” from year to year, make sure that your ATPE dues are being deducted when you receive your first paychecks for the 2010-11 school year; if you are in a district where you must complete a new membership application each year, respond to renewal notices promptly. Please note that 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. You may view a summary of the insurance policy at www.atpe.org/protection.
Graduating? Retiring? You need to read this
Which ATPE membership category should you join in 2010-11?
- If you are a 2009-10 college student member who will be student teaching in 2010-11, renew in the teacher trainee category so you have access to the insured benefits.*
- If you are a 2009-10 teacher trainee member and will be teaching in your own classroom during 2010-11, renew as a first-time professional member so you have access to the insured benefits.*
- If you are retiring at the end of the 2009-10 school year, continue your relationship with ATPE by renewing in 2010-11 in the retired category for only $10. Please note that the retired category is not an insured category, so if you will be substitute teaching, you need to renew in the associate category to have access to the insured benefits.*
Please contact ATPE Member Services at (800) 777-ATPE or member_services@atpe.org if you have questions about which membership category you should join.
Say cheese!
Annual survey is a snapshot of ATPE’s membership
Each year, ATPE conducts a survey to learn more about the types of Texas educators who join the
association and their opinions on the top issues facing public education today. The survey is mailed
to a stratified, random sample of 1,200 professional and associate members. Here are the responses
to a few of ATPE’s 2009-10 survey questions.
Members share common concerns
Half of ATPE members say the legal issue that most concerns them is being sued by a parent. This concern was followed by problems with compensation/benefits (18 percent).
ATPE’s protection is a perennial draw
As past surveys have shown, most ATPE members (80 percent) say their primary reason for joining the association is to obtain professional liability insurance and employment rights protection.
The ATPE family welcomes all
ATPE’s membership reflects the association’s all-inclusive philosophy. Although 73 percent of ATPE members identify themselves as classroom teachers, ATPE’s membership also includes administrators, para-educators, and educators in supervisory and professional support roles. The second-largest group of ATPE members is para-educators (11 percent), a group that includes aides, secretaries, custodians and other associate-category members.
ATPE prioritizes customer service
Ninety-nine percent of survey respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their ATPE membership.
Members talk up ATPE to colleagues
Four out of five ATPE members say they have encouraged a fellow educator to join ATPE.
About the ATPE membership survey
The 2009-10 ATPE Membership Survey was conducted under the supervision of Creative Consumer Research of Houston. It had a 26-percent response rate and a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent.
*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.
View 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 eligibility for the appropriate membership category.
**The insured member services and staff attorneys’ assistance are offered through separate programs.