When the Stakes Rise, We Need to Up the Ante
We’re increasing our legislative and policy efforts once again because special education is getting intense attention right now, and we know you need a stronger voice at the table. This increase directly supports the advocacy work: monitoring bills, meeting with lawmakers, producing clear action steps for special education leaders and showing up when it counts.
After talking with the TCASE Board, our plan this year is to grow our team with another governmental relations role, and we hope to cover at least half of that cost of that role with a dues increase.
The pace has changed, and our response has to change too. There is too much at stake.
Dues for the coming year will be as follows:
Administrator $175
Associate $145
Auxiliary: $125
Affiliate: $185
We have more unfolding, and that information will come in weeks ahead as we launch our membership for the new year. Stay tuned!
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Nominations Open for TCASE Board
Serving on the board is a significant commitment. It requires dedication, time, and a willingness to actively participate in meetings and discussions. It also comes with leadership development, networking, the feeling of rewarding impact on the field and personal growth.
Positions to be filled are:
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Three general board member positions (3-year term);
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One president-elect position. The presidential track is a 3-year term, with succession to President and Past President. To be eligible for this position, you must have served on the board for at least one year;
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The possibility of another partial term once a selection of the president-elect occurs (presidential track candidates must first serve at least one year on the board and often come from the current board).
Submit your nominations by March 25. Questions? E-mail Theresa Parsons at theresa@tcase.org.
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TCASE Submits Comments on Dispute Resolution
TCASE also recommended that TEA allow school staff to respond more robustly to complaints earlier in the process. Existing rules require that school staff gather and submit extensive documentation for complaints, without a true opportunity for educators to respond to TEA before this documentation is required.
TCASE recommended ways to ensure parents are aware of complaints that involve their children and questions regarding whether some of the processes under the Texas Education Freedom Accounts program would fall under the special education complaints process.
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