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As we look back on why we entered our chosen profession, we can find one or more individuals who inspired us to pursue a career in education. It could have been an educator's passion about a subject that set us on the trajectory of our life’s study. Maybe it was the compassion and understanding a teacher had for us when we were going through a difficult time. The enthusiasm of a parent or relative as a new school year approached could have been the spark of inspiration. The support of a family who valued education above all else may have provided the impetus for us to see the importance of being in a classroom. Even working with younger children in the neighborhood or in church may have awakened the joy of sharing learning.


So it is with TCTA.

As your elected TCTA Directors' Council (formerly Director's council) met this summer to conduct the organization's business, each elected leader answered roll call with a reason why he or she chose to serve in a TCTA leadership position. Over and over, council members cited one person who had influenced them to consider running for the council, and expressed appreciation for the benefits of TCTA membership. One council member remembered her first day on campus when she was recruited by a fellow teacher who now serves on the TCTA Executive Board. Another noted that it was the current president’s “nagging” that got her to run for office, but added that what motivates her to stay on the council is that it is “an amazing way to serve the teachers in Texas and in my district.” One council member said “I firmly believe that the more I know, the more I grow.” The common thread among the responses was recognized by another executive board member, who said, “We’ve all been encouraged by our colleagues. I pushed someone and someone pushed me.”


All it took was that one TCTA member who opened the eyes and minds of colleagues to the virtues and values of being a part of a quality teacher organization. That TCTA member demonstrated professionalism in all of his or her actions. He/she knew what was going on at the government level and who to contact if the need arose to speak in support of education issues. When a colleague was facing a dilemma on the job front, this TCTA member had a phone number ready and solid assurance that the person at the other end of the line would have the best plan of action for the situation. A council member summed it up by saying “I knew I had to know more than my principal did. I do, and if I don’t – I know who to call.” Those actions were the ripples that brought a new member to a safe harbor in TCTA.


TCTA’s best advertisement is you, our fellow members. As you walk through the school doors this August, ready to touch the lives of your students, remember you can touch and enrich the life of a colleague too. With your experience and knowledge, explaining the powerful benefits of TCTA membership is simple. Nowhere else can one find legal services, representation and information on education law for a better price. TCTA is the teachers’ voice and an experienced advocate at the state and national levels concerning legislation that so directly impacts the outcomes in the classroom today. Communication and Internet services provide up-to-date information and professional development related to the teaching profession at the click of a few computer keys any time of the day or night. Membership also makes available discount programs and services to save educators time and money and have a bit of fun along the way. Many times it only takes asking the teacher next door if he or she has considered joining a teacher organization. How much more support our colleagues and campuses would have if each one of our current members offered “The Educated Choice®” to a colleague!

John Wooden, an unrivaled UCLA basketball coach who worked with many great players, counted himself first and foremost a teacher. His goal was not only to produce good basketball players, but more importantly, successful citizens. His understanding of the influence of teachers is evident in these words he shares:

No written word,
No spoken plea
Can teach our youth what they should be
Nor all the books on all the shelves,
It’s what the teachers are themselves.


Educators recognize that success comes from personal integrity and leadership inside and outside the school environment. We are grateful for the power teachers bring to our youth each school year, and for being the ripples that move our children successfully along their life pathways. As we enter this membership recruitment season, may those waves of knowledge and leadership move outside our doors and down the hall to colleagues ready to widen their original impact. With the benefits of membership, the small ripples can produce great swells of influence in education locally and statewide for our chosen profession. We can empower teachers to be the force that makes a difference for their peers and their students.

Let’s turn that ripple effect into a TCTA tidal wave!

Posted: 08/21/09