December 2018
Leslie & Scott Milder
Co-Founders
Friends of Texas 
Public Schools
Est. 2004
CORPORATE PARTNERS
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Founded in 2016 by Margaret Kilgo, Standards First, Inc. seeks to place importance on the national and Texas state standards in Reading, Writing, Mathematics, and Science. Click to learn more about offered workshops and resources to help improve student education and change the make-up of current standardized testing!

DK Haney Roofing is a certified TIPS and TXMAS vendor dedicated to helping schools get roofing projects done. Schools have been our specialty for 23 years, so we can help you navigate insurance claims and board approvals. Our state-of-the-art roof management portal provides instant access to all your roofs and reports. Call 866-379-4846. 
ADVERTISE WITH FRIENDS 

With more than a million hits annually on our website and more than 60,000 e-news subscribers, we are pleased to offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities available to organizations wishing to reach school leaders across Texas who support Friends of Texas Public Schools. 

For information on getting your organization's message out to Friends of Texas Public Schools followers and readers, please email Jennifer Storm.  

OUR MISSION
By educating Texans about Texas Public Schools and their many strengths and achievements, we aim to:

* Underscore the significance of them;
* Unite Texans around them;
* Restore pride in them;
* Strengthen confidence in them;
* Lift spirits among them; and
* Inject resources into them...

...all of which will lead to even greater performance.


The Nation's Report Card, Shows Texas 8th Grade Science Scores on the Rise

Since 2009, Texas 8 th grade science scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) are on the rise and are consistently above the National Average.


Dear Friends,
 
We just completed our Annual Friends Gala where we had the pleasure of honoring our Friend of the Year (Dr. Michelle Smith), Ambassador of the Year (Mr. Bobby J. Rigues), and Founders Distinguished Achievement Award (Dr. Don Rogers).  It was a night full of fun, food, excitement, and even a few tears of joy.  We had 460 attendees at the Baylor Club in McLane Stadium on the campus of Baylor University.  Thank you to everyone that was a part of the evening.

As we close in on a new year, I hope everyone will have a renewed sense of urgency in advocating for public schools.  We MUST tell our story, especially with the new legislative session beginning in the coming weeks.  There will be folks that will want to attack our public schools for their own interests.  We love and cherish that we want to educate ALL of our children in Texas.  

Stay strong and be relentless; 5.4 million children are counting on it!

Thank you,

Blake W. Cooper

Executive Director
Friends of Texas Public Schools

Inaugural Friends Scholarships Awarded at Friend of the Year Gala
Congratulations to the first recipients of the Friends of Texas Public Schools Education Scholarships! Students from around the state submitted videos explaining what public education means to them and shared some of the great things happening in Texas public schools from their perspective. After viewing each submission, the scholarship committee selected two outstanding students; one award will be going to a student to use toward furthering their college education and the other award to student pursuing a vocational education.  
The first recipient of the Friends of Texas Public Schools Career and Technical Education Scholarship is Mr. AJ Ford from Newcastle High School. View AJ's video here .
The first recipient of the Friends of Texas Public Schools Educational Scholarship to Miss Emily Shafer from Lubbock Coronado High School. View Emily's video here.
Thank you to all the students who applied and shared their talents and perspective on how Texas Public Schools impacted their life!
Additionally, when Friends started talking about establishing a scholarship, we met with our partners at Texas A&M Commerce and the idea emerged of creating a Friends/A&M Commerce award for future teachers during their semester of student teaching. The first recipient of this award is Ms. Karen Sanchez. View Karen's video here.

CORPORATE PARTNER SPOTLIGHT

The Texas Association of Secondary Schools Principals (TASSP) is a committed team of over 6,000 campus-level leaders who work collaboratively to ensure that every decision is based on the TASSP motto, Above All, Students First.  We believe that decisions made on what is best for the children in our schools will be decisions that promote and fund high-quality educational practices and opportunities for all.  TASSP advocates for the children of Texas and for the educators who work with these children by telling stories of success and needs.  We realize that the best marketing practices occur at home, in our schools, and with local legislators through face-to-face conversations and on-site visits.  We learn together through professional development offered by TASSP.  We believe, Together, we can build success for our students. Together...we are the TASSP.
 
Podcast Eposide Featuring Friend of the Year Honorees

Learn more about our Friend of the Year Gala honorees in our first ever podcast, in cooperation with  Powell & Leon, LLP. Hosted by  Scott Milder,  Blake Powell and  David Torres. Featuring Dr.  Michelle Smith ( Raise Your Hand Texas), Mr.  Bobby J Rigues ( Make Education a Priority &  Aledo Independent School District), and Dr.  Don Rogers ( Texas Rural Education Association).

Thank you to our Affiliate Partners!

Belfor - Cornerstone - Government Capital - Pfluger Architects -  Powell & Leon - Right at School -  Symmetry  Turf - Texas Association of School Business Officals (TASBO)  - Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators (TASPA) - Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) - TransCend4