President's message: TCTA membership Is crucial in tough times

Tough times are temporary. Tough people are legendary. Americans everywhere are facing one of the toughest times in our history. During the last decade, we’ve been attacked on our soil and confronted with an economic meltdown, a housing crunch and the continuing threat of job loss. Now, teachers are finding their profession and education under pressure, while they deal with budget cuts and a new assessment program.

Texas teachers will be facing many tough times ahead, and our TCTA leaders represent 50,000 Texas teachers who count on our organization to help them in times of trouble. TCTA also works closely with the Legislature to develop policy that impacts education. We, the teachers of Texas, will face many hardships, we will face financial obstacles, we will face defeat at times, because these are the times in which we live. But we will overcome. We will excel, we will prevail, we will triumph. Tough times are temporary, but tough people, like our Texas teachers, are legendary.

During these tough times, we need to make the wisest choices regarding our profession, our money and our representation. With that in mind, each individual should choose the professional organization that has the most to offer, in other words, the one that will give us the most “bang for our buck:” TCTA.

As members of the best teacher professional organization, we have a responsibility to educate our colleagues about the benefits of TCTA membership. Our motto, “TCTA-The Educated Choice®,” signifies that by selecting membership in TCTA, you are making the best choice.

We are the best advocates for our organization, and it should be our year-long commitment to share its benefits with our colleagues. Among the most valuable resources available to TCTA members is counseling by one of our nine staff attorneys with extensive experience in school law. Many teachers face dilemmas or simply have questions about issues and need reliable information to help them make a decision. TCTA attorneys are a just a toll-free call away (888-879-8282). These professionals, knowledgeable in every aspect of school law, will listen, answer questions, and give options to support our members. Once a teacher on our campus is in a difficult situation, it is then too late to join – keep this in mind and urge all eligible professionals to become members of the only organization designed specifically to help those on the front lines of education: TCTA.

Want to earn some extra money in these tough times? By placing your membership number in the “Take 2, Make $25” box located on the application, you will earn money for each two brand new active-level members you recruit! You are earning money as you share the benefits of TCTA with your colleagues – benefits that may someday help those teachers keep their jobs.

Our obstacles, like lack of money, increasing student enrollment and new tests, do not define us. Our achievements do. United, our strength comes from encouraging others to join, seeking help when needed, and strengthening our profession through education.

One of my favorite stories involving my former principal demonstrates the power of knowledge: We had lost our conference period all week long, and on Friday, my lesson plans weren’t ready. During my Friday conference period, he had set up a meeting with a presenter using new computer software. I reminded him that our conference period was being denied yet again. He declared that he was allowed to use it at his convenience. I informed him politely that he was wrong and attended the meeting as directed. On Monday morning, he was in my classroom apologizing and declared that, after researching the situation, he found that I was correct. Because of the information I obtained from our TCTA attorneys and leadership, I knew policy. It is my hope that all Texas teachers keep current on educational policies that affect you in the workplace and make you better informed about your own profession.

Even though tough times are temporarily upon us, we will overcome because “Texas Teachers are Legendary.”