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Opinion: We can help older students overcome educational and literacy gaps
Texas
•Oct. 29, 2024Texas Teacher Network
Teach Plus Texas is excited to expand our collaborative efforts with teachers who want to be active in educational policy.
What is the Texas Teacher Network?
As a Texas Network teacher, you will receive training on policy and advocacy, have an opportunity to advocate on behalf of your students, learn about teacher leadership opportunities and awards, and collaborate with other education champions from your region and throughout the state.
Through our Teacher Networks, Teach Plus engages with a community of educators to gather their input on key educational issues in their state and engage them in advocacy efforts to improve the teaching profession and outcomes for students. Network members gain access to Teach Plus training and learning sessions, inform policymakers, and engage in advocacy to increase equitable opportunities for students.
Qualifications
- Be a current or retired teacher in Texas
- Be willing to participate in one Teach Plus activity such as: taking a poll/survey, giving written/verbal testimony, and/or attending a Teach Plus event
- Be willing to participate in monthly check-ins/trainings
What do we do?
Teach Plus trains teachers in understanding education policy as a lever for student success, community organizing, leveraging their voices in both media and the legislature, and more. Teach Plus works to create opportunities for teachers to contribute to the discussions and action that directly impacts their profession at the policy level while maintaining their essential role as a classroom educator.
How does it work?
Teach Plus recruits and selects Texas Network teachers from across the state to participate in the network experience. You will become part of a larger movement of teacher leadership and help share your expertise with policymakers and mobilize your peers around top issues impacting the teaching profession in Texas. Texas Network teachers will have a light scale experience of the Policy Fellowship and will have an opportunity to apply for future Policy Fellowships.
Opportunities as a Network Teacher
- Attend high quality virtual (in-person as appropriate) training events on understanding educational policy, teacher leadership, etc.
- Talk with education decision makers, including state legislators
- Stay up to date on Teach Plus Texas’ research, recommendations, and advocacy work
- Learn about teacher leadership opportunities and awards
- Attend Teach Plus events as available
- Learn about and stay updated on educational bills during the Legislative Session
Nationally and locally, Teach Plus Texas Policy Fellows have:
- Met with district leaders and state legislators to advocate for policies that benefit their students, even earning praise from United States Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, during a congratulatory call.
- Spoke at school board meetings, in panel discussions, and as keynote speakers for symposiums across the state of Texas.
- Been on the front lines during Texas legislative sessions, talking with lawmakers, delivering testimony, and mobilizing peers to provide expert insight to policies and bills they supported.
- Advocated for and assisted the signing of House Bill 3, a piece of transformational legislation that ensures Texas public schools will be better and more equitably funded, the burden on local taxpayers to fund public education will be lessened, and that teachers will be compensated like true professionals when they produce outstanding results.
- Been published or featured in Chalkbeat, the Huffington Post, NPR, The Kelly Clarkson Show, the Dallas Examiner, Teach DFW, and Teach Plus’ ‘What’s the Plus’ blog.
Join the Network
Collaborate with other champion educators from your region and throughout the state.
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