Congratulations to the new TCA officers! TCA members elected Elsa Soto Leggett as President-elect-elect, Cyndi Matthews as Secretary-elect, and Todd Burns as Region IV Director-elect. Their terms of office will begin on July 1, 2021. 

Special run-off election for Texas Senate District 30 (Archer, Clay, Cooke, Erath, Grayson, Jack, Montague, Palo Pinto, Parker, Wichita, Wise and Young counties) between Republicans Shelley Luther and Drew Springer will be held on Saturday, December 19th. If you live in SD 30, please VOTE! 

Local runoff elections across Texas are scheduled throughout December. Check with your local County Clerk for dates. Many of these races could impact school boards, commissioner courts and other local elected officials whose decisions will impact mental health policy in your hometown. Please VOTE! 

If you are looking to get familiar with the Texas Legislature and what's in store for next year's session, A Preview of the Texas Legislative Session is a free webinar series offered by the Texas Tribune each day this week at noon. Get details of how the session will work, given the pandemic, as well as changes in the composition of the Texas Senate are still under consideration. This series may provide some insight from key legislative leaders. All programs are being recorded so if you miss one, you can go back and watch at your convenience. 

Bill Filing began earlier this month. More than 1,000 bills have been pre-filed, including more than 800 in the House and 200 in the Senate. TCA has already identified more than 200 bills to track and will begin providing updates once referrals to committees begin. In addition, Texas Legislature Online is a free resource that will allow you to review and track bills of particular interest to you. It also provides links to find out who represents you. Now is the time to reach out to your newly elected or returning State Senators and Representatives. Share your priorities with them. Offer to be resources. Invite them to speak to your classes or attend your local chapter meetings. 

The National Suicide Prevention Hotline number will change to 9-8-8 beginning in 2022 as resulted of bi-partisan legislation passed by Congress in late October. Currently, the hotline is accessible by the 10-digit number, 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

Wash your hands often, avoid close contact with other people, cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others, cover coughs and sneezes, clean and disinfect, and be sure to monitor your health.

Project Restore, a new TEA initiative, has launched a trauma-informed 6 part video training series to address the extraordinary and unprecedented trauma and stress experienced by students and educators as a result of COVID-19. These programs will help educators address their emotional needs, as well as the needs of their students and colleagues, and help them create environments that jump start teaching and learning and drive student achievement. Videos can be watched independently or in a facilitated professional development session for groups of campus or district staff. CE hours are awarded for each video and the series fulfills the trauma-informed and grief training requirements enacted during the 86th Legislative Session. Additional mental health resources are available here. For additional information on Project Restore contact niloy.gangopadhyay@tea.texas.gov, TEA’s Director of Special Populations.

School Counselor Pilot Test Administration will begin on 1/29/2021 to gather information about the quality and technical characteristics of exam questions (items) before they appear on operational exam forms. TEA and Pearson are seeking candidates currently enrolled in school counselor prep programs to take the pilot test. While the pilot tests provide a free opportunity to prepare for future exams, they will not satisfy certification requirements and participants will not receive a score or pass/fall status. Learn more and register for a pilot test here. This webpage will be updated in January with additional information regarding candidate registration. 

State Board for Educator Certification has directed TEA staff to pursue updating and restructuring the Educator Preparation Advisory Committee (EPCC) which advises TEA and SBEC on matters related to educator preparation programs (including school counselor preparation programs) in Texas. SBEC is seeking to expand membership on EPCC beyond representation from just Educator Prep Programs. This item will be discussed at the 12/11/2020 SBEC meeting. The updated nomination form is available for download here. The deadline for nominations is January 8, 2021. 

This evaluation instrument designed specifically for Texas school counselors, aligns with the four service delivery components established in the Texas Education Code, the Standards for School Counselors adopted by the State Board for Education Certification, and the 10 professional domains set forth in the Texas Model for Comprehensive School Counseling Programs. This resource is a must have for school counselors and those charged with evaluating their performance. Order yours today.

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DISCLAIMER ABOUT PAID ADVERTISEMENTS: Any reference to a product, service, activity, or program in this electronic communication does not imply endorsement by the Texas Counseling Association.