September 16, 2008

From Our Officers

Priscilla White, President
Our prayers are with each of you and your districts who are affected by Ike. As you adjust to these new circumstances, please gain strength through these prayers that are coming to you across the state. We are ready to help you in any way we can so please do not hesitate to contact us. — Priscilla

Lu Stephens, Vice-President
Please send me updates when you have regional meetings. I would enjoy having contacts from the Regional Reps. Please send me the email address that you use regularly, your office phone number, title, district, and school or role that you play in your job.

Please feel free to contact me at any time. It's a very busy time with the start of the new year, but as soon as you get a breather, please let me know that you're alive and how things are going. Thanks so much! — Lu

2009 Summer Conference—Mark the Date!
Celebrating & Creating Legendary Leaders
June 26–28, 2009 • Renaissance Austin Hotel

Please mark your calendar NOW and plan on joining us for this one-of-a-kind conference! You will have a wonderful experience and make new, life-long friends! We look forward to welcoming you in Austin next June!

2009 Awards Program
TCWSE loves to recognize individuals whose passion and dedication make a real difference in public education! If you know people who deserve such recognition, here's your opportunity to acknowledge them. Submit your nominations for TCWSE's 2009 Margret Montgomery Leadership Award, Friend Award, and/or Bravo Awards. It's not too early to start thinking about award recipients! The deadline for 2009 awards program is Friday, May 8! [Criteria, past recipients, and links to online nomination forms]

Regional Happenings

North Texas Chapter
[reported by Stacey McGraw, Teacher, Allen ISD]
TCWSE's North Texas Chapter invites you to an evening of Advancing among the Stars! with keynote speaker Susan Simpson, TASB's 2005 Superintendent of the year. Join us for a light supper as we kick off the TCWSE 2008-2009 membership drive!

Wednesday, September 24, Registration @ 5:30 p.m., Dinner @ 6 p.m., and Program @ 6:30 p.m., Coppell Middle School North, 120 Natches Trace, Coppell TX 75019, (214) 496-7100. RSVP: to Stacey McGraw by September 17.

Region 4
[reported by Sharon Boutwell, Assistant Superintendent, Katy ISD; and Patti Pace, Executive Director, Spring Branch ISD]

Region 4 President Tina Seaman celebrated the Region 4 participants at the state TCWSE Summer Conference. President Seaman thanked Denise Daniels, past president of Region 4 chapter, for creating a slide show presentation to share information at the summer conference on increasing membership and funding for region chapters. The Region 4 newsletter also congratulated Denise Daniels as the newly elected historian to the state Executive Board of TCWSE, and Denise Majewski, Region 4 secretary, to her new position as Curriculum and Instruction Principal at Mayde Creek High School in Katy ISD.

The Fall Region 4 Chapter conference, Navigating the "Mind" Fields of Leadership, will be held Thursday, October 9, 2008, 5-8:00 p.m., Katy ISD Educational Support Complex, Room 1200, 6301 South Stadium Lane, Katy, TX 77494. Keynote and panelists include: Elizabeth Clark, Yvonne Katz, Lu Stephens, and Barbara Sultis.

Workshop Contacts: President Tina Seaman or Treasurer Laura Haugvoll. Update change of address/information by contacting Secretary Denise Majewski.

TCWSE Legal Corner

When Family Law Collides with Schools Law: Students with Parents in Two Different School Districts

Submitted by Laura S. Fowler, TCWSE General Counsel and Attorney at Law, and Patricia M. Cofty, Attorney at Law, The Fowler Law Firm PC

If you are a school administrator responsible for admitting or enrolling students in your district, (or, for that matter, a person responsible for a student's education) you probably never imagined that just trying to decide where a student has a right to attend school could prompt such controversy. The Texas laws regarding attendance and residence have changed many times over the years and even proceeded to the U.S Supreme Court a time or two.

Most of the time, issues regarding where a student may attend school must be resolved at the campus level quickly. Most people are more interested in attendance zones than in the actual school district boundaries but the fact of who actually resides in the public school district is as important, if not more important, than any other single fact.

Many families face the issue at some point of what home environment serves the best interests of their school age child. While there are many factors at play in this complex and often heart wrenching decision, there are a few things that are not negotiable, yet sometimes badly misunderstood both by families and by educators responsible to enroll students.

Texas Education Code Section 25.001 makes it clear that if a parent, a grandparent providing substantial care, or other person with custody of a student resides within the boundaries of a Texas public school district, that student has a right to attend the school that district's attendance zone policies allow him to attend. This is true even if the student does not reside in the district.

Our point is quite simple: If you expect a fight over the custody of a student, that fight may well determine where the student attends school; who has a custodial right creates another set of choices and challenges.

Keep in mind, residency is an issue of fact; not wishful thinking! Do not take the example of one of our creative parents who bought a small lot of land, hooked up a hunting trailer, and claimed residency. If the parent truly resided in the hunting trailer, great, but the attendance officers of the district will look into this closely and if the district discovers that no person actually lives there, the school district may demand the removal of the student and could also demand tuition and related fees. This is NOT a good situation for the family, particularly when the facts are recounted to the family law judge with continuing jurisdiction over the matter.

[Read the online version of this article.]

This information is provided by Laura S. Fowler, Attorney at Law with The Fowler Law Firm PC. It is not intended as a substitute for careful review by legal counsel of your choosing. As with any legal issues, please consult your attorney with questions. We would be most honored to assist you in your every real legal need. Contact Laura Fowler, 512.441.1411.

A Note on The Fowler Law Firm
Laura Fowler has been TCWSE's Legal Counsel for many years. Along with Patti Cofty, several members of her newly formed law firm have become active members of TCWSE, including the newest members of her firm. Natalie Niles Arguello is a very skilled trial attorney. Prior to law school she was a CBS Houston Affiliate News Reporter. Her husband is Alejandro Arguello who is Executive Director of Texas Association of Future Educators, housed in the same building as TASSP. TFLF has also hired Rebekah Booth who just took the Texas bar exam and will be licensed in November 2008. Rebekah was Laura's law clerk and her father was one of the first client superintendents Laura ever represented, John Booth who is now superintendent at Levelland ISD. Other TFLF TCWSE members are: Stephanie Cagniart, Teresa Villaseñor Harris, and Erin Winfrey.

Good News!
Jennifer Blaine, Spring Branch ISD, was featured on the July/August cover of Texas School Business, as part of an article on the district's collaboration with local business and industry. Shirley Coleman, San Vicente ISD, has been chosen to serve on the TEA Committee of Practitioners and was elected to serve as President of the Beta Iota Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Beverly Irby, Sam Houston State University, was elected to serve as President of the Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma. Yvonne Katz was featured in an article in the July 15 issue of San Antonio News-Express—These older single women are doing just fine without a man! Nancy Vaughan, Quitman ISD, was elected to the Texas ASCD Board.

Share Your News!
Remember, TCWSE is all about building a strong support system for women administrators. Sharing your successes and triumphs is more than just tooting your own horn — you're also providing other members with ideas they may want to implement in their own district or goals to strive for. If you've got good news to share, let us know! We'll post it in the next issue of TCWSE e-Notes!

Contact Info for
Your Regional Representatives

Questions about this issue of TCWSE e-Notes?
Please contact Ann Halstead, TCWSE Executive Secretary/Treasurer, 512.477.6361.

Our Mission
The mission of the Texas Council of Woman School Executives is to create and maintain a united community of professional educational executives by promoting equity and quality in leadership through renewal, mentoring, and career advancement support.