Winter 2003
Vol. 1, No. 2


IN THIS ISSUE:

  • The Rogers Report

  • Cisco ISD Career Center

  • Boles Elementary's STARS Club



The TASA Midwinter Conference is just around the corner. We hope to see you in Austin January 26-28, 2004.





Would you like to highlight items of special interest in your district?

  • Questions?

  • Comments?

  • Concerns?

Contact the Rural News at aokeffe@powell-leon.com

TREA
P.O. Box 1894
Mt. Pleasant, Texas
75456-1894

Telephone (903) 572-8551
Facsimile (903) 575-2618

2003 Officers
Seth Adams,
President
Graham Sweeney,
Vice President
James Morton,
Treasurer
Ronnie Stanley,
Immediate Past President
Franklin Wray,
Past President
Tommy Long,
Past President
L. C. Stout,
Past President
James Hesson,
Past President

Directors
Ken Autrey
Leslie Bennett
Mike Boone
George Brown,
NREA Liaison
Joe Farmer
Donna George
Harvey Hohenberger
Paul Jones
Mark Keahey
Jon Lilley
Thomas Poe
Ron Preston
Jim Shurtleff
Hubert Simpson
Rob Stanley
Robert Stinnett
Delores Thorne
Tommy Turner

Staff
Don Rogers,
Legislative Consultant

1706 West Sixth Street
Austin, Texas 78703-4703

Toll Free (800) 494-1971
Facsimile (512) 494-1188

David Mabe,
Advisor
Scott Ferguson,
Advisor
Kim Thompson,
Secretary

Legal Counsel
Powell & Leon, L.L.P.


Affiliate of the National Rural Education Association.

The Rogers Report

By Don Rogers
TREA Legislative Consultant

Why should I join TREA?

This is the question often posed by Superintendents who have many options when it comes to joining Education Associations.

Let me give you the top ten reasons I think you should join.

  1. TREA is the only Texas association affiliated with a National Rural Schools Association. (NREA)

  2. TREA is dedicated to improving teaching and learning in the rural schools of Texas.

  3. TREA involves administrators, teachers and school board members.

  4. TREA provides a voice for Texas rural schools at both the state and national legislatures.

  5. TREA keeps its members informed through weekly newsletters and e-mails during the regular and special legislative sessions.

  6. TREA involves its members in statewide meetings, which bring a focus on solutions to rural problems.

  7. TREA provides a property and casualty insurance program through Texas Schools Property Casualty Cooperative (TSPCC). This pool was created exclusively for rural Texas school districts and offers premium savings of from 10% to 30% to its member districts.

  8. TREA offers its members a legal service program from one of the state’s outstanding school law firms, Powell & Leon, LLP. The TREA membership fee is included in the cost of the legal services program.

  9. TREA membership provides the school district with the opportunity to be on the cutting edge in solving the problems of Rural Texas schools.

  10. Rural and small Texas schools are facing an increasingly urbanized Texas and National legislature and need to be united in one voice to keep their issues in the forefront. TREA membership is the best vehicle to accomplish that purpose.

TREA Needs You as a Team Builder

The Rural Schools of Texas will soon face the most serious threat to their existence since 1968 when Governor John Connally decided it would be in the best interest of Texas to have a massive consolidation of school districts.

Texas is once again in a situation where many people mistakenly believe that consolidation of our rural school districts is needed to create more effective use of our public school dollars.

TREA is building membership as we prepare to carry our message to state leaders that debunks the myth that consolidation is more cost effective.

I am proposing that we develop a nucleus of members we will call TEAM Builders.

TEAM BUILDERS will be central in our efforts to recruit additional member school districts to defend our rural schools and educate those who think consolidation is a more cost-effective way to offer public education to students who live in rural Texas.

TEAM BUILDERS will get all the “inside information” first to share with members of the team they recruit.

TEAM BUILDERS will carry the TREA message to their friends and associates in the school business.

Watch this space in the next Rural News as we present more information on the concept.

If you are interested in being a TEAM BUILDER and want to work to help grow our membership please e-mail me at drogers@powell-leon.com.


Sincerely,

Region 14

Cisco ISD Career Center Prepares Students For Success

The Cisco Independent School District operates on the premise that the function of the school is to produce academically competent, productive and responsible students. To this end, and in the belief that all students can learn, the school has pledged to fulfill the educational requirements necessary for students to be successful in their career pursuits after leaving public schools. Career preparation begins early for our students with career exploration activities in Cisco Elementary and Cisco Junior High. The career cluster for CHS students is based on student interest and desire to pursue information and training related to their career choice. Students make curriculum decisions and initiate their course study beginning their freshman year.

Family and Consumer Science Education prepares students for managing personal and family lives. Classes offered in this field include Personal & Family Development, Child Development, Preparation for Parenting, Food & Nutrition, Housing, Apparel, Individual and Family Living.

Agriculture Science and Technology coordinates group and individual instructional activities consisting of classroom and laboratory experiences, supervised agriculture experiences, and leadership activities. Classes offered in this field include Welding, Animal Science, Plant Science, Construction and Home Improvement.

The Technology, Business and Marketing cluster is a comprehensive program that provides students with meaningful instruction both for business and about business, while being flexible and adaptable to the needs of industry and society. Technology education is concerned with the knowledge and skills to develop, produce, and use products or services, and with the ability to assess the impacts these activities have on humans and the world. Classes offered in these areas include Introduction to Computer Technician, Computer Maintenance Technician I, Computer Maintenance Technician II, Computer Programming, Accounting, BCIS I, BCIS II and Introduction to Business. Certifications associated with these courses include A+, IC3 and Microsoft Office User Specialist.

Health Science Technology education is a comprehensive secondary education program for students who have an interest and desire to explore health career. Classes offered in this area include Health Science Technology I, II, III, Anatomy and Physiology, Medical Terminology, Clinical Nutrition, Gerontology, and Pharmacology.

Cisco High students also have the opportunity to receive classes using the Distance Learning Center facility. Students are offered college classes, experience virtual field trips, and participate in high school classes via the Distance Learning lab. Cisco students, as well as students from other school districts, are receiving Anatomy and Physiology in connection with the Health Science Technology cluster. Additional career courses are being considered for the future.

Cisco High students are given the opportunity to receive not only an academically sound background upon graduation but also an understanding of careers and job skills with a solid beginning for life after graduation. Cisco Independent School District administrators and staff desire that all students graduate with goals that will enable them to succeed in their career choices. For more information on Cisco High's Career Center, contact Superintendent of Schools, Hal Porter at (254) 442-3056.




Region 10

Boles ISD Elementary STARS Encouraged to Study Science

The Science Club at Boles Elementary School is called S.T.A.R.S. (Students Taking Aim Researching Science) because each participant is involved with hands-on Science experimentation each month. The club kicked off its second year as schools around the country celebrated Keeping the Lights on After School. About 30 students in grades kindergarten through six attended the first meeting. A demonstration in electricity was first modeled for the students, then each student created an electrical charge using a flashlight battery.

The S.T.A.R.S. Club offers hands-on scientific learning and encourages higher-level thinking that continues after the meeting. Students are asked to bring their ideas about their experiences back to the next meeting and challenged to try to "stump the teacher."

With experiments about humidity, simple machinery, and electrifying electricity, it is the hope of the Boles staff that the participation in the club will grow. There has been a consistent group of approximately 30 students in attendance each month. The club meets every second Thursday of the month.

The S.T.A.R.S. Club hosts a Science Fair in May. Last year, there were 26 participants. Boles is expecting an even greater number this year. The Science Fair provides a positive experience for students that will help them become more knowledgeable, more aware, and more interested in the academics and the field of science.

The S.T.A.R.S. Club is coordinated and facilitated by Shari Brown, along with a parent volunteer. Parents are welcome and encouraged to attend all meetings. For more information on Boles Elementary's S.T.A.R.S. Program contact Principal Shirley Duran at (903) 883-4464.