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.
Celebrating 15 Years of TALAS Leadership & Impact
For 15 years, TALAS has championed leadership, advocacy, and equity for Latino learners and leaders across Texas.
Most Recent News
Leadership Winner Announced
We established inaugural leadership awards that will now become part of the annual leadership summit. They represent our collective commitment to academic excellence, service, and leadership in public education. They inspire hope, cultivate possibility by mentoring, they respond to people, and will leave a legacy for future generations.
Huge congratulations to our inaugural award winners:
Dr. Martha Salazar-Zamora, Tomball ISD, TALAS Superintendent of the Year
Dr. Steven Gutierrez, Ed.D. Gutierrez, Chief Operations Officer, Tomball ISD, TALAS Central Office Administrator of the Year
Dr. Jessica Meléndez-Carrillo, Ed.D. Melendez-Carrillo, Canutillo ISD Principal of the Year (now serving as Director of Bilingual Education and Professional Development).
Summer Leadership Summit Recap
We closed the 3rd Annual Summer Leadership Summit inspired by our speakers, Dr. Miguel Cardona, Ed. D. and Mr. Robert Alfaro, the presenters, the sponsors, and attendees from all over the state. We extend our deepest gratitude to our summit and annual sponsors for making the event possible. Summit K12 brought us Dr. Miguel Cardona, who opened the summit and set a powerful tone for the uplifting experiences that our presenters provided. Mr. Alfaro delivered a moving keynote message reminding us of the “Roberts” who are still in our classrooms waiting to be seen and heard – grounding us in our work!
We applauded the inaugural student scholarship winners and wished them the best with future endeavors. We celebrated the TALAS L3 (Latino Leverage Leadership Program) Cohort 12. They completed year one of program study and embark on year two of mentoring with a TALAS Board member.
3-2-1: On the power of trees, celebrating others, and how to have better ideas
I.
“Your first attempt might not be very good, but nobody’s early work is good. There will always be a gap between where you are and where you want to be. And the bridge between that gap is courage. The courage to look foolish in the beginning. The courage to show up again when your early work is criticized. The courage to look yourself in the mirror and say, “I realize I’m not good enough yet, but the only way to get better is to keep working on it.”
II.
“One of the more effective ways to force yourself to have better ideas is to create an artificial constraint.
For many years, I wrote two articles per week and it would often take me over 20 hours to complete each article. Then I said, “If I only had 2 to 4 hours per week to write my newsletter, what would I do?”
That artificial constraint led to the creation of the 3-2-1 newsletter, which has become an incredibly popular format. Sometimes you can improve by cutting your options off.”
Strong early math skills equal later algebra success
Algebra I is known as a gateway class: Students who pass the course are more likely to take advanced math courses, graduate from college and earn more money as adults.
But for many children, their path to success in Algebra I is formed years before they take the class. Third grade math scores can strongly predict which students will go on to pass Algebra I and which ones may struggle.
A recent working paper analyzing test scores of over 1.7 million Texas students explored the phenomenon. It found that the gaps in Algebra I pass rates between low-income, Black and Hispanic students and these students’ more affluent, white and Asian peers can largely be traced to how well students master early, foundational math skills.
How to find the leadership talent already in your classrooms
Many districts approach leadership development reactively. A principal retires, an assistant principal leaves, or a department chair position opens, and only then does the search for leadership begin.
The problem is that by the time vacancies appear, districts are often competing for a limited number of candidates while overlooking leadership talent already developing inside their own schools.
In many cases, future school leaders are not first identified through formal applications or administrative internships. They are identified through responsibility. Leadership often begins quietly inside classrooms long before educators ever hold official titles.
How much each US state spends on public school students, ranked
For many students in the US, the ZIP code they live in can shape the quality of education they get.
And while a lot of disparity can exist between wealthy suburbs and under-resourced urban school districts, differences can also show up dramatically when comparing education across US states.
In 2024, US public schools received nearly $995 billion in funding, with state and local sources combined providing nearly 90% of the total, according to Census data. Nationwide, local governments provided $429.8 billion for primary and secondary education funding, while state governments provided $450 billion.
Events
Events
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Human Architects: Building Collective Efficacy: Webinar #4 July 27, 2026
WEBINAR 04 Automaticity Turning Effective Practices and Processes into Teaming Habits We rise or fall to the systems we have in place. This closing session helps leaders examine their team […]
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From Strategy to Systemic Transformation Workshop #2 July 28
A 3-Hour Intensive for Results-Driven Texas Administrators Strategic plans fail when they are too broad to execute or too detached from economic reality. This summer, join NorthStar Education Advisors for a streamlined, […]
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From Strategy to Systemic Transformation Workshop #3 August 11
A 3-Hour Intensive for Results-Driven Texas Administrators Strategic plans fail when they are too broad to execute or too detached from economic reality. This summer, join NorthStar Education Advisors for a streamlined, […]
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TRS with Dearborn & Creggs September 9, 2026
How does TRS fit into your overall plan? Learn how your TRS pension works and how it can be used in retirement. We’ll break down how benefits are calculated, vesting […]
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Life Insurance with Adrian Gonzalez October 14, 2026
Protect what matters most in our Life Insurance webinar, learn how coverage works, what happens if you change jobs, and how to determine the right amount and type of protection […]
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Long Term Care Planning with Adrian Gonzalez
Many will need some form of long-term care in their lifetime, yet many families are unprepared for the emotional and financial impact. Being unprepared can quickly erode other assets, disrupt […]
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.
Become a Sponsor
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.