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February 25, 2009 From Our Officers Priscilla
White, President Diane
Stegall , President-Elect Lu
Stephens, Vice President We currently
have vacant Regional Advisory Committee positions in three regions of
the state: ESC 3, ESC 12, and ESC 19. If you have colleagues
or know anyone in any of these areas who might be interested in serving
as a Regional Representative, please ask them to contact me —
or, if you will contact me, I'll get in touch with them! Thank you! TCWSE
Archive Dedication at TWU As a kickoff to TCWSE's 25th anniversary celebration, TCWSE is holding an archive dedication ceremony at Texas Woman's University. Documents recording TCWSE's events and activities since 1984 will become part of TWU's Woman's Collection, which represents a major research collection on the history of American women. Agenda TWU
Library Lecture Hall All TCWSE members are encouraged to attend this very special event! Bring your colleagues and help us celebrate TCWSE's 25-year history! RSVP using the online registration form. Registration Deadline: Friday, March 27 Online Archive Dedication RSVP 2009
Summer Conference—Mark the Date! TCWSE celebrates its 25th Anniversary at this year's Summer Conference, and you won't want to miss a minute of it! We've got some great speakers lined up, including Janet Hood-Hanchey, Lindy Robinson, and Dr. John Horn. The entire weekend is devoted to celebrating TCWSE and the accomplishments of its members. We'll reflect on our past, celebrate TCWSE today, and anticipate our future, all in the context of who we are as individuals and how we can continue to offer strength and support to one another. If you've been promising yourself to register for a TCWSE Summer Conference, this is the one to attend! You'll meet amazing women, learn a lot, and have a great time doing it! We look forward to welcoming you in Austin in June! Don't Forget! You can earn CEU credits by attending the TCWSE Summer Conference! Full Details & Online Registration Please Note: Conference Housing will open Monday, March 16. Information will be posted on the TCWSE web site. 2009
Summer Conference In creating your proposal, please keep in mind that our underlying conference objective always mirrors the mission of TCWSE: 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. Your proposed session should address one of the following conference strands:
We welcome your ideas and hope that you plan to be in attendance this summer! The link to the online Application for Focus Session is listed below. Please forward this call for proposals to your colleagues. We look forward to many wonderful applications! Online
Application for Focus Sessions 2009
Summer Conference Regional Happenings
TCWSE Legal Corner Clearing Out the Closet — What to Do about the Employment Contracts that Nobody Uses or that Just Don't Fit Right Submitted by Laura S. Fowler, TCWSE General Counsel and Attorney at Law, and Patricia M. Cofty, Attorney at Law, The Fowler Law Firm PC This time of the year, many of us take stock of our belongings and decide to give some of them away. Many times this process invites questions like “What did I use this for?” or “Why on earth did I ever think I needed this?” Employment contracts in Texas public schools and junior college districts should receive the same treatment. Many contracts currently in use do not fit employment needs well and may even be unnecessary. With an old tool or an old shirt, using it or letting it hang around does not present much risk. An old employment contract, however, risks the most unnecessary and expensive mistake you could ever make. Ask the following question and you may be surprised at the answers: Is the person we are about to offer employment to entitled to a formal written contract or just a letter stating the amount of pay per month? In many Texas public schools well over half of all the employees are not entitled to a formal written contract. These positions include a host of highly compensated employees like the Information Technology Director, in-house facilities administrators, registered architects and/or licensed engineers, risk managers, legal counsel, etc. Many of these talented individuals do not expect a written contract for a term of years. They likely come from a private firm or company in which true “at will” employment is the norm and expect to receive a simple letter that states their monthly or bi monthly compensation, days of compensated leave, and little more. A simple letter offer of employment, if correctly worded, eliminates the need for a formally worded contract. If you offer a written contract that resembles a professional educational administrator’s contract to this class of employee, your ability to discharge this individual if things do not work out becomes much more difficult than it needs to be. Even if you do not feel comfortable taking current contracts away from existing employees, review all new positions and tighten up or limit the contracts you intend to offer to new employees for 2009-2010. Texas Education Code Section 21.031, “Certification of Educators,” contains a complete list of positions entitled to the substantial protections of the Term Contract Nonrenewal Act. While many school employees are not covered by this, over the years contract copying and “cut and paste” have turned many otherwise simple discharge proceedings into costly emotional uproars in which the only true beneficiaries were the attorneys for the parties! In your every professional adventure, we wish you the very best! [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
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