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
3-2-1: On self worth, how to have style, and how to build a great career
“You can carve out a very good career simply by being the most reliable person on the team. You would not think that always showing up on time, hitting every deadline, and responding quickly and professionally to all communication would be such a differentiator, but these traits are always in short supply.”
Still lagging behind
The findings demonstrate how grade school students are still grappling with pandemic-era learning disruptions.
A third of kindergarten through 12th grade students in the U.S. are performing behind their grade level.
That’s according to a new survey by the National Center for Education Statistics called the School Pulse Panel.
Is Money an Issue?
As a candidate for president in 2020, Kamala Harris introduced a plan to raise teacher salaries by $13,500.
Why that specific dollar amount? Harris was thinking along economic lines, and she sold the policy as one that would erase the teacher wage gap, as documented over the years by the Economic Policy Institute. As of the most recent report, with data through 2022, the institute estimated that educators earn 26% less in weekly wages than other workers with similar academic credentials.
Evaluations are More than a Checkmark
When done right, yearly performance evaluations can be a powerful tool for professional growth. Reviews are a time when staff members can celebrate their achievements, identify and develop their key strengths, and receive objective insights to close skill gaps.
Most teacher evaluations, however, are just another check box on an administrator’s to-do list and a lesson in futility for those on both sides of the table. State reforms have tied success to high-stakes standardized test scores and other rigorous quantitative measures, which one study found have “no detectable effect on student achievement or attainment.”
Hiring Teachers without being Certified
When Texas lawmakers passed legislation in 2015 that created a pathway for public schools to hire more teachers without formal classroom training, one goal was to make the profession more attractive to individuals from different paths who could offer hands-on learning to students.
Some school administrators made it clear they intended to place these so-called uncertified teachers in positions where they could leverage their fields of expertise and keep them away from core areas like math, reading and special education, which would remain under the care of their most seasoned educators.
Leaders Supporting Teachers
5 Ways Teachers Want Administrators to Support Them
Attention school administrators: Teachers think you could be creating a better work environment—and they have suggestions for how to do it.
Teachers want leaders to trust them with autonomy in the classroom. They want time to collaborate with colleagues and take care of themselves. And they want support in handling student misbehavior, teachers said in a recent survey from the EdWeek Research Center.
Events
San Antonio, TX 78205 United States
Calling all Corporate Sponsors! Come join us for a day of thought exchange, networking & relationship building! This is your opportunity to showcase your services and products to superintendents and […]
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.
