TALE Membership,
 
I am pleased to announce that TALE has met all requirements for the 2017-2018 ILA Advocacy Program!  This annual program recognizes state councils that have made outstanding contributions to the literacy profession.  TALE will receive an award for this recognition during the ILA 2018 Conference in July.​ This is the third year in a row that TALE has received this award!
  
​Please join me in congratulating the following individuals ​for their leadership and dedication to the literacy profession with the current awarding cycle:
 
TALE Advocacy Development Co-Directors:
Melinda Butler
Sonja Gaddy
 
TALE Advocacy Development Committee Members:
Dr. Connie Briggs
Liza LaRue
Dr. Angela McNulty
Dr. Sara Ranzau
Amy Sharp
Ashley Thomas
​Amberly Walker
 
 
On behalf of TALE's Board, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to  each of these individuals  for their efforts and service!
​
Sincerely.
Laurie Sharp. Ed.D.
TALE Chair, 2017-2018​

The TALE Advocacy Development committee would like to alert you to the corrective action plan called for by Gov. Abbott as a result of the U.S. Department of Education’s investigation on the delivery of special education services in Texas. The investigation found Texas in violation of federal law for not ensuring proper evaluation and provisions for adequate public education to students with disabilities. The Gov. has given the Texas Education Agency (TEA) seven days to draft a corrective action plan addressing the identified issues in the report. In a statement issued by Commissioner of Education Mike Morath, he assures parent and special advocacy group representatives will play an ongoing role in helping shape the plan.

Please e-mail or call your local and state representatives to share your concerns about the development of corrective actions for special education. You can find the e-mail addresses and phone numbers for your Texas representatives at this link:  http://www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx
​
Further Reading:
Gov. Abbott’s letter to Commissioner Morath
Feds say Texas illegally failed to educate students with disabilities
DENIED

Thank you in advance for your participation in advocacy efforts! TALE's Advocacy Development Committee strives to keep our members informed. Please submit any advocacy actions and/or communications to: taleadvocacydevelopment@gmail.com. 

Sincerely,

Melinda Butler & Sonja Gaddy
​TALE Advocacy Development Directors

​Connie Briggs, Angela McNulty, Sara Ranzau, Amy Sharp, Ashley Thomas, and Amberly Walker,
TALE Advocacy Development Committee Members

TALE Members,
 
We invite you to participate in selecting the 2018 Texas Education Leadership in Literacy award recipient.
 
Texas Education Leadership in Literacy Award has been given to various leaders and innovators of literacy. Last year, we awarded it to the Honorable Joe Benavides, Justice of the Peace, Precinct One, in Nueces County. Judge Benavides received the award because of his commitment to literacy among parents of school-aged children who appear in his court. Instead of assessing high fines, Judge Benavides requires completion of an interactive literacy assignment: Parents are to read a book and create a book report with their children.
 
In previous years, we have also honored joint efforts. Barbara Cargill and Patricia Hardy are both known for their efforts and support of the statewide literacy coalition during the Texas SBOE’s ELAR TEKS review and revision process. Their willingness to meet with representatives from each literacy group and accept feedback throughout this process is deeply appreciated and upholds the mission of TALE: To promote literacy that will enhance the lives of all Texas citizens personally, socially and economically. 
 
We encourage you to look around your professional learning community in Texas and consider nominating someone who promotes literacy for all students and families. We will take nominations through November 10th. To submit your nominee, please email the Advocacy Committee his or her name, contact information, and a brief description of their literacy efforts with the title caption: Texas Education Leadership in Literacy Award Nominee.
 
Thank you for submitting names for consideration to the TALE Leadership in Literacy Award!
 
 
Thank you,
 
2017 TALE Advocacy Development Committee

The TALE Advocacy Development Committee is accepting nominations for the Texas Education Leadership in Literacy Award. The purpose of this statewide award is to recognize the efforts of a leader in Texas who promotes literacy for all students.
 
To submit your nominee, please email the Advocacy committee his or her  name, contact information, and a brief description of their literacy efforts with the title caption: Texas Education Leadership in Literacy Award Nominee. 
 
We will take nominations until November 10.
 
Thank you, and we look forward to your nominations.
2017 TALE Advocacy Development Committee

TALE Members:

The TALE Advocacy Committee would like to alert you to the following announcement from the Texas State Library And Archives Commission:
 
TSLAC announces that “Rebuilding Texas Libraries,” a grant program designed to support libraries recovering from Hurricane Harvey, is now open. Eligible libraries can apply for $5,000 per library or up to $25,000 for multi-branch libraries to help with replacing materials, furniture, equipment, or contractual services to assist in recovery and emergency services. The application deadline is Monday, October 16, 2017.
 
For additional information and the application, go to: https://www.tsl.texas.gov/rebuilding-texas-libraries.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts TALE members! TALE's Advocacy Development Committee strives to keep our members informed. Please submit any advocacy actions and/or communications to:taleadvocacydevelopment@gmail.com
​

ACTION REQUIRED! The high school ELAR TEKS are under FINAL review. Independent reading is at risk of being lost in a knowledge and skills statement instead of a student expectation (SE), and the new wording includes “grade appropriate texts” dismissing the overwhelming research supporting the benefits of students choosing their own texts based on their own abilities and interests for independent reading (Allington 2012, Guthrie 2007, NCTE Position Statement 2014, Krashen 2011).
The state standards have traditionally focused on the texts we use for instruction, but students choosing their own independent reading texts does not mean that students are not going to be reading other texts in class. We recommend that they participate in both independent and instructional texts in class.
PLEASE EMAIL YOUR COMMENTS TODAY! Here’s the email address linked to the public comment request on the TEA website:

rules@tea.texas.gov

We urge you to leave a comment that includes the following:
In response to Proposed New 19 TAC Chapter 110, English I, II, III, & IV

(3)

I recommend:
1. The removal of “grade appropriate texts” from the Knowledge and Skills statement,

2. Make “self-select text and read independently for a sustained period of time” its own SE (Student Expectation), and

3.  Add “read for a variety of purposes” as an additional SE (Student Expectation).
​

TALE was recognized with the ILA Advocacy Award at the 2016 ILA Conference in Boston. The ILA Advocacy Award annually recognizes state and provincial councils that demonstrate how they are working to affect educational policy and legislation through effective advocacy at the local, state/provincial, and/or national levels.

TALE Members:
The TALE Advocacy Committee would like to alert you to HB 3759 relating to a temporary exemption for a school district from the obligation to comply with certain unfunded state educational mandates. Section 25.112 of this bill includes targets such as eliminating the state requirements for K-4 class size limits which could potentially effect all instruction including reading. We encourage you to become familiar with this proposed bill.
 
HB 3759 was introduced by Rep. Kyle Biedermann, Rep. Bill Lang, and Rep. Briscoe Cain. It was passed to the Public Education committee on March 31, 2017.

Please e-mail or call your congressperson if you are interested in expressing your opinion about this bill.  You can find the e-mail addresses and phone numbers for the House Committee on Public Education at this link:

 http://www.legis.state.tx.us/Committees/Membership.aspx

TALE members, thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts! TALE's Advocacy Development Committee strives to keep our members informed. Please submit any advocacy actions and/or communications to: sdgaddy22@gmail.com