Texas Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents

The Leadership | The Advocate | The Voice for Latino Learners and Leaders

The Texas Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents is the premier organization in advocacy for the growth and advancement of Latino learners and leaders. With an unrelenting commitment to improving learning outcomes for Latino learners, TALAS provides leadership development, collective impact, advocacy, and a proactive voice for Latino and non-Latino leaders who have a passion for serving the fastest-growing student population in Texas.

Most Recent News

people meeting in room
National News

Retaining teachers is doable

Want to Retain Teachers? Here’s What Districts and Schools Can Do

In most school districts where I have worked, there have been strategic plans to address the recruitment and retention of teachers. I have served in various district-level roles (e.g., chief equity officer, director of equity and inclusion, and director of curriculum) that have challenged me to develop specific initiatives or strategies for the purpose of retention. Although there are many existing publications about the sustainability of educators within the field of education, here are some specific actions I have learned from inviting teachers to co-construct district-level measures for retention:

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man wearing white top using MacBook
National News

Student engagement is low after pandemic

Student Engagement in Learning Is Low. A Survey Offers Clues on How to Bring Them Back

Students are lacking a curiosity at school that is critical to learning, a new report finds. And it likely plays a big part in teachers’ ongoing struggle to reengage students post-pandemic.

Nearly half of teachers (46 percent) say student engagement has declined compared to 2019, according to a survey-based report by The Harris Poll for Discovery Education.

At the same time, the vast majority of students, 83 percent, say there are not enough opportunities at school for them to be curious.

That’s a disconnect that all vendors in the K-12 space should be paying attention to, said Lisa Katz, vice president of research and analytics at Discovery Education.

“There’s an intrinsic motivation that comes with curiosity,” Katz said, “It’s woven together.”

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brown wooden panel with white heart
Leadership

Empathy is a leadership trait

Assertive Empathy: The Key to Transformative Leadership

Can you be both firm and kind at work? Discover the power of assertive empathy.

Envision a leadership realm where strength is harmonized with compassion and assertiveness coexists with kindness. This vision is not just an idealistic dream; it’s a transformative reality achievable through the integrated approach of assertive empathy. This concept reshapes leadership dynamics and profoundly enhances team performance. Let’s delve into the neuroscience underpinning assertive empathy and explore why mastering this duality is pivotal for executive leaders.

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gold pen on white box
Leadership

3.2.1.: On impressing others, the power of the mind, and the hidden costs of success

“Focus on what provides value to others, not what impresses others.

Other people spend about as much time thinking about your lifestyle and accomplishments as you spend thinking about their lifestyle and accomplishments. Which is to say, not much time at all.

The things we do to impress others rarely impress them for longer than five minutes. But the things we do to provide value for others can last a lifetime. In the long run, one of the most impressive things you can do is provide exceptional value.”

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sun setting over the horizon
Leadership

Leaving your legacy

It’s important to leave a leadership legacy you can be proud of. Alaina Love writes about a colleague and a friend who broke the mold.

At the conclusion of a recent development session with a senior leadership team, we discussed the moment that all leaders eventually face: It’s the last day of their tenure in the organization, the day they’ll retire or move on to another role in a different organization. These are pivotal moments of passage that every leader should ponder well in advance of them happening, so I asked participants to consider what their final words to their team might be on that momentous day. What will be their leadership legacy?

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child building an four boxes
National News

Early Childhood

For all the campaign arguments about immigration and the United States border, you’d think that we were embarking upon a new situation, something coming, an arriving novelty barely visible over the horizon. And yet, as far as schools are concerned, this is a past tense debate. The U.S.’s demographic reality is already shifting in remarkable ways, many of which are being driven by immigration patterns. 

Cohorts of younger Americans are more diverse than older Americans in essentially every way. In 1986, 70% of U.S. K–12 students were white, just shy of 10% were Latino, and not quite 3% were Asian or Pacific Islander. In 2022, U.S. K–12 enrollment was 44% white, 29% Latino, and 5% Asian or Pacific Islander. Similarly, in 2022, roughly 21% of school-aged children spoke a non-English language at home — in 1990, it was under 14%. Go younger, and linguistic diversity grows. In 2022, roughly 1 in 3 children under 5 years old spoke a non-English language at home.

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Events

November 2024
Nov 10
10 November 2024

Monthly Board Meeting for Board of Directors

December 2024
Dec 15
15 December 2024

Monthly meeting for Executive Board

January 2025
Jan 27
27 January 2025

Monthly Board meeting for Board of Directors

Jan 27
27 January 2025

TALAS would like to welcome you to Midwinter!  Come and celebrate with us. Details to follow.

May 2025
May 16
16 May 2025
El Paso, Texas,

Mark your calendars for this incredible event!  TALAS State Conference is moving to El Paso! Hope to see you there.  Details are forthcoming.  Visit the website for upcoming information.  

TALAS Partnership Spotlight

Lexia Learning

We are thrilled to share the latest episode of the TALAS Partnership Spotlight series. Dr. Rick Fernandez is joined by guest Dr. José Viana, Senior Education Advisor at Lexia Learning. In this entertaining and very informative episode, Dr. José goes in-depth on the push for bilingualism in the U.S. and the way we need to improve if we want to achieve this goal, Dr. Rick asks all the right questions that teachers and parents are wondering, Dr. José does a fantastic job of laying out the vision Lexia Learning has and his excitement to share the new ways they will help improve the world of education.

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Sponsorship opportunities allow TALAS to work with innovative partners who are interested in supporting the TALAS mission. Sponsors who partner with TALAS enjoy direct access to TALAS leadership teams committed to improving the educational outcomes for all students and their communities.