Closing Keynote speaker revealed!
Dr. Richard Carranza to Close Out the Summer Leadership Summit
TALAS is honored to welcome Dr. Richard Carranza as the closing keynote speaker at the 2025 Summer Leadership Summit in El Paso!
With nearly 30 years of experience in public education, Dr. Carranza brings a powerful and inspiring voice to our event. From his early days as a bilingual social studies and music teacher in Tucson, to serving as superintendent of Houston ISD—Texas’ largest school district—and later New York City Public Schools, his leadership journey is one of impact, purpose, and unwavering advocacy.
Dr. Carranza will share his personal story and speak to the importance of elevating our voices to make a lasting difference for the students and educators we serve.
3.2.1: On the joy of losing, how to set expectations with others, and notes to myself
I.
“Remain playful as your responsibilities increase. It’s easy to become serious when people and results depend on you, but nearly everyone’s performance improves when they proceed lightly through the world.”
II.
“Although losing is never fun, there is a certain satisfaction that can be found on the other side of losing — but only when you give your all. To lose with half effort offers no pleasure in the moment and no peace in the long run. But if your ambitions were full and your attempt was genuine, after the sting of losing wears off you’ll be left with something resembling contentment. The reward is not always in winning, but in striving.”
McMahon Says Schools With ‘Gender Plans’ Could Be Violating Federal Privacy Law
The U.S. Department of Education is using the primary federal law governing student privacy to investigate two state education departments over policies concerning how schools disclose changes to students’ gender identities to their parents.
It’s a fresh attempt by the Trump administration to threaten federal school funding for states and school districts that flout the president’s agenda concerning transgender students.
And those two state agency investigations—of the California and Maine education departments—could just be the start, according to a letter Education Secretary Linda McMahon sent to district leaders on Friday
The Accountability Myth
Successful leaders believe in accountability.
When I say, “Leaders hold people accountable,” who comes to mind? Employees, right?
Authority without accountability is abuse.
Authentic leaders think of themselves, as well as others, when they think of accountability.
A Texas Student was Kneed in the Face by a School Cop: Her Civil Rights Case is One of Thousands That May Never Be Resolved
After a campus police officer grabbed student Ja’Liyah Celestine by the hair and kneed her in the face, she filed a federal civil rights complaint that alleged persistent racial discrimination against Black teens at her Texas high school.
But the complaint, brought by the 18-year-old in late October with the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights, may never get investigated.
How to Have Tough Conversations With Staff
One of the most challenging aspects of school administration is managing a diverse group of employees. Ensuring that your team not only is meeting the basic expectations of their job descriptions, but is inspired to go above and beyond every day, is not an easy task. Regardless of where you work, your staff team will almost certainly include people whose ages, backgrounds, and teaching abilities vary wildly. Given this, it is inevitable that your role as a school administrator will require you at some point to meet with a member of your team to address concerns about their behavior or performance.
