Spring is the time for all things new, and at TCSA we’re committed to ensuring that our member schools have access to professional development that is up to date and that our webinars, workshops, and on-demand content is exactly what you need in your role as a school leader.  Speaking of new (which is a term that doesn’t ordinarily apply to me) you may already know that I am in a new position at TCSA as the Director of Training.  You may also start to notice some subtle changes in our approach to professional development at your association, all of which are designed to improve our services and help our member schools access the highest quality training to help you achieve your school’s mission.

That said, we’ve had great responses to our free one-hour webinars, and there are four scheduled between now and the end of May:

April 19^th, 4:00 p.m. – Energy Savings 101 - How to Find Energy Savings in Your School Facility.  Energy efficiency experts Kwame Watkins and Chuck Thomas from Jengo Consulting will present a step by step overview on how to reduce energy costs in your school building.  Energy reduction best practices will be shared that can be implemented at little or no cost.  Audience – Operations staff, CEOs, CFOs

May 1^st, 4:00 p.m. - Employee Situations Involving Alleged Harassment, Retaliation and Discrimination.  Texas charter school expert and attorney Joe Hoffer will offer authoritative advice and guidance in this one-hour webinar on dealing with employee situations regarding alleged harassment, retaliation and discrimination.  Audience – CEOs, HR and Operations staff, Campus Leaders. Credit – 60 minutes Charter School Law.

May 16^th, 9:00 a.m. – School Safety and Active Shooter Threats – Next Steps.  This webinar is a follow up to our well-attended March webinar on school safety.  Edward Rivas of AIG will guide school leaders through additional steps to take that will help ensure that your school is utilizing the latest information and practices to ensure the safety of your students and staff.  Audience – CEOs and Campus Leaders. Credit – 60 Minutes Health and Safety.

May 22, 4:00 p.m. – Charter Advocacy 101 for CEOs, Boards, and Campus Administrators. TCSA advocacy experts Martha Fernandez, Director of Civic Affairs and Advocacy, and Erika Rocha, Central Texas Outreach & Field Manager, will provide expert advice and guidance on ways to successfully advocate for your school in today's contentious political environment. Audience – CEOs, Board Members, Campus Leaders. Credit – 60 minutes Charter School Law.

TCSA is very excited to co-host the Charter School Law Institute Texas Legal Seminar: Student Civil Rights Summit on Tuesday, June 26^th at Goodwater Montessori School in Georgetown.  This one-day workshop presented by national charter law experts will provide the legal expertise charter school leaders need to serve their students, staff, and community in understanding the breadth of civil rights law and the ways they are changing with a clear understanding of how they are applied to charter schools.  Register by May 25^th to get an early registration discount.  Discounts are also available for two or more participants from one organization.   Audience – CEOs, Board Members, Campus Leaders.  Credit - 360 minutes Charter School Law.

Our next Member Council Meeting is scheduled for April 26^th from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the TCEA training facility in Austin. This is the best way to engage with your organization and strengthen our movement.  Please note the agenda on the registration link.  Lunch will be provided by our sponsor Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.  At this time we are also planning on making remote access available as well; we should have that link available shortly.

Finally, with our annual TCSA Conference coming up October 24-26, we are looking for quality conference session proposals focused on one or more of the following areas - Innovation, Advocacy, Finance, Governance, Leadership and Coaching, Operations, Student Success and Learning, School Law, Growth, Safety and Security, Strategic Planning, Marketing, and Communication.  We are planning for our 2018 conference to be the biggest and best yet.  Please help make that happen by considering submitting a conference proposal before the May 15^th deadline!

At TCSA we offer specially discounted bundled training for governance teams and administrators, and we can set up customized in-person training for your staff and governance teams as well.  Please reach out to me and let me know how we can help meet your training needs!