July 18, 2018

ATPE Officers attended stakeholders’ meetings at the request of Governor Greg Abbott’s Staff

State Officers with The Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE) were invited to provide input on Gov. Greg Abbott’s School and Firearm Safety Action Plan and other education topics at stakeholder meetings held at the Texas State Capitol on July 16, 2018.

ATPE State President Carl Garner, Jr., State Vice President Byron Hildebrand, State Secretary Tonja Gray and State Treasurer Jimmy Lee were invited by the governor’s staff to participate in the meetings, which covered a range of topics pertaining to school safety.

“ATPE is grateful to the staff of the Governor’s Office for inviting us to share our perspectives as educators in the classroom,” said Garner. “Our attendance in the meetings allowed us to touch upon many important issues facing our classrooms today. The perspectives of teachers who are in the classroom day in and day out, who understand the needs of students, are vital to the success of these discussions. School safety is an important issue for ATPE, and we wish to do everything that we can to help keep Texas schools safe.”

The daylong series of meetings consisted of stakeholders representing a number of different industries, organizations and interests. Each of the ATPE State Officers, all current or former classroom teachers, provided their personal experiences with their fellow stakeholders. The discussions covered a broad array of topics dealing with school safety, including law enforcement in schools, the school marshal program, emergency response plans, campus security programs, mental health, students who disrupt the classroom, social media tactics, and training for educators and students.

At the 2018 ATPE Summit last week, the importance of school safety was solidified. The ATPE House of Delegates passed a main motion that reiterated ATPE members’ desire to remain advocates for their students and to be informed voices on the important and timely topic of school safety. ATPE is committed to supporting those efforts.

ATPE Lobbyists were also at the stakeholders’ meetings and will continue to follow school safety developments. To read detailed reporting on the July 16 meetings and other developments from the ATPE Governmental Relations Team, visit www.teachthevote.org.

The Governor’s Office has announced one additional meeting on July 18, 2018, focusing on aspects of the governor’s plan that pertain to gun safety, background checks and gun ownership.

ATPE Lobbyists will be in attendance at the July 18 meeting and available for comment.

Contact ATPE Media Relations Specialist Jesus Chavez at 956-335-5724 or jchavez@atpe.org for more information.

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About the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
ATPE has been a strong voice for Texas educators since 1980. It is the leading educators’ association in Texas with approximately 100,000 members statewide. With its strong collaborative philosophy, ATPE speaks for classroom teachers, administrators, future, retired and para-educators and works to create better opportunities for Texas’s five million public school students. ATPE is the ally and the voice of Texas public education. Learn more about ATPE at atpe.org.