Topic Session I
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Session 1....... NCLB and Highly Qualified Update
This presentation will address the latest topics concerning Highly Qualified teachers and paraprofessionals.
Presenter: Scott Lewis, Texas Education Agency State Director, HQT
Room: Phoenix Central
Session 2....... Get Smart: Examining Recent Changes to the ADA and FMLA
In January 2009, two major federal employment law statutes and implementing regulations were significantly affected. First, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act became effective and significantly changed the landscape for addressing employment-related disability issues. Then, the Department of Labor’s revisions to the FMLA regulations became effective, resulting in a major overhaul of the original FMLA regulations and all-new regulations implementing the 2008 statutory amendments for military exigency and military caregiver leaves. Join us as we explore the changes in these extensive laws.
Presenter: Jennifer A. Powell, Schwartz & Eichelbaum Wardell Mehl and Hansen, P.C., Of Counsel
Room: Phoenix North
Session 3....... Certification Legislative and Rule Review Updates.
The session will consist of legislative updates, including HB 4152 related to out-of-state and out-of-country review of credentials and HB 200 related to principal assessment. An update of the certification rule review process will also be provided, including updates to 19 TAC Chapters 230, 231, 241, 242, 239 and 240.
Presenter: Melva V. Cárdenas, Texas Education Agency Director of Educator Credentialing; Ruth Smith Credentialing Manager; and Kerri Elzie Senior Credentialing Specialist Texas Education Agency
Room: Phoenix South
Session 4....... Hiring Tough: Selecting the Very Best Employees
Creating job descriptions, interview questions and interviewing tips to help select only the very best employees.
Presenter: William Powell, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Assistant Director of Transportation Human Resources
Room: Austin
Session 5....... SB 174 and its Implications on Educator Preparation Programs in Texas
The presentation will be in regard to the new SB 174 and the implications of the new law as it pertains to educator preparation programs in Texas. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and contribute to a discussion of the relevant topics that face pre-service teachers. Participants will also be able to provide feedback about teacher preparation in Texas.
Presenter: Dr. Janice Lopez, Texas Education Agency Director, Educator Standards
Room: DeZavala
Session 6....... Effective Partnership Strategies: Human Resources and Alternative Certification
This session will provide strategies for developing effective partnerships with alternate route providers to meet the challenges of school staffing in "hard to staff; critical" areas. Suggestions will be given on what to look for in an alternate route provider program that will ensure quality of candidates and maximize effectiveness.
Presenter: Dr. Nell Ingram, Dallas Independent School District Director and Luis Tamez Dallas Independent School District Director of Staffing
Room: DeWitt
Session 7....... CALM IN THE STORM: Managing Personnel Issues in an Emergency
Whether it’s hurricanes or the H1N1 influenza, the last few years have taught school districts some valuable lessons about how to manage tough personnel issues during an emergency situation. Experienced school law attorneys Laura Rodriguez and Robb Decker will provide critical answers to the employment issues you may face in times of crisis such as assignment of temporary duties, use of leave, accumulation of overtime, compensation, completion of teacher evaluations, and more.
Presenter: Laura Rodriguez, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney and Robb Decker, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney
Room: Robertson
Session 8....... Legislative Forum for HR Leaders
This session will present a summary of the new laws that will have a direct impact on school HR departments. Participants will have an opportunity to ask questions and discuss coping strategies for these new laws.
Presenter: Cindy Clegg, Texas Association of School Boards Director and Dr. Alejandra Martin, Texas Association of School Personnel Administrators Executive Director
Room: 4th Floor Capital Room
Topic Session II
Wednesday, July 22, 2009 4:10 p.m. – 5:10 p.m.
Session 9....... NCLB and Highly Qualified Update
This presentation will address the latest topics concerning Highly Qualified teachers and paraprofessionals.
Presenter: Scott Lewis, Texas Education Agency State Director, HQT
Room: Phoenix Central
Session 10..... Examining Recent Changes to the ADA and FMLA
In January 2009, two major federal employment law statutes and implementing regulations were significantly affected. First, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act became effective and significantly changed the landscape for addressing employment-related disability issues. Then, the Department of Labor’s revisions to the FMLA regulations became effective, resulting in a major overhaul of the original FMLA regulations and all-new regulations implementing the 2008 statutory amendments for military exigency and military caregiver leaves. Join us as we explore the changes in these extensive laws.
Presenter: Jennifer Powell, Schwartz & Eichelbaum Wardell Mehl and Hansen, P.C. Counsel
Room: Phoenix North
Session 11..... Is Your District Staffed Properly?
Personnel costs consume over 80 percent of your district's operating budget. Controlling these costs requires an understanding of the staffing patterns your district really needs compared to the number and types of employees you actually have. This session will examine how to evaluate your district's staffing, what you should look for, and possible ways to resolve potential problems. Topics will include: identifying employee categories to review and where to find data; using formulas to guide staffing; examining the impact of different types of secondary class schedules on personnel needs; and developing accurate budget forecasts.
Presenter: Cindy Clegg, Texas Association of School Boards Director and Sally Craycraft, TASB HR Services Assistant Director
Room: Phoenix South
Session 12..... Hiring Tough: Selecting the Very Best Employees
Creating job descriptions, interview questions and interviewing tips to help select only the very best employees.
Presenter: William Powell, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Assistant Director of Transportation Human Resources
Room: Austin
Session 13..... Sexual Harassment: No Jokes, No Kidding
This will be a multimedia presentation of the basics of sexual harassment, emphasizing how personnel administrators need to deal with allegations.
Presenter: Andres Gonzalez, Henslee Schwartz, LLP Attorney
Room: DeZavala
Session 14..... Data-Driven Strategic Management of Human Capital
While Human Resource professionals have long known their critical role, researchers and policymakers now consider the strategic development of human capital to be a critical function in the development of an effective and efficient school district. Prominent in this endeavor is the role of the Director of Human Resources. The purpose of this presentation is to provide examples of data-driven decisions to increase student achievement through the hiring, placement, and retention of educators. Specifically, the presentation will focus on two broad issues. First, the presentation will review research on teacher effectiveness and retention that is relevant to the hiring of new teachers. Second, the presentation will provide examples of data analyses and research that can be conducted to identify the strengths and weaknesses of human resource decisions. The presentation is based primarily on research conducted by Dr. Ed Fuller of The University of Texas at Austin who works with several human resource departments in central Texas school districts.
Presenter: Ed Fuller, UT-Austin and Round Rock ISD Professor; DATE Grant Evaluator
Room: DeWitt
Session 15..... CALM IN THE STORM: Managing Personnel Issues in an Emergency
Whether it’s hurricanes or the H1N1 influenza, the last few years have taught school districts some valuable lessons about how to manage tough personnel issues during an emergency situation. Experienced school law attorneys Laura Rodriguez and Robb Decker will provide critical answers to the employment issues you may face in times of crisis such as assignment of temporary duties, use of leave, accumulation of overtime, compensation, completion of teacher evaluations, and more.
Presenter: Laura Rodriguez, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney and Robb Decker, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney
Room: Robertson
Session 16..... Ten Questions About Pay Every HR Administrator Should Know
Do you struggle giving clear answers to questions about compensation? Are you new to HR and have questions about pay management? Come hear the answers to ten of the most common questions about pay that employees, managers, superintendents and board members have.
Presenter: Mary Barrett, TASB HR Services Asst. Director, Compensation Services
Room: 4th Floor Capital Room
Topic Session III
Thursday, July 23, 2009 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Session 17..... Downloading Certification and Testing Information from SBEC
This will be a step-by-step tutorial on downloading certification and/or testing information for up to 250 educators at a time from SBEC's secure Entity User's site. Once downloaded, participants will be shown how to open these text or tilde-delimited files into ExCEL, sort, and filter for use in staffing, reports, and many other purposes.
Presenter:........ Myra Klinksiek, Irving ISD Retired Personnel Administrator and current TASPA Information and Communications Specialist
Room:......................................................................................................................... Phoenix Central
Session 18..... Effective Assistant Principal Selection Process
Irving ISD has adopted an assistant principal selection process that has proven to be effective in selecting the best qualified candidates. Presentation includes committee approval forms, interview scoring sheets, sample interview questions and other documents.
Presenter: Mark Chapa, Irving ISD Coordinator of Secondary Staffing
Room: Phoenix North
Session 19..... Senate Bill 9 Fingerprinting for Certified and Substitute Educators - Review and Update
This session will be geared toward districts that will be taking part in district-wide printing for certified educators and substitute teachers during the Fall 2009. Other districts that have not yet been scheduled for district-wide printing may also find the content beneficial, but mainly this session will review information presented in previous training for Fall 2009 districts.
Presenter: Jeannie Tomasek, Texas Education Agency Fingerprinting Manager
Room: Phoenix South
Session 20..... Orientation to HR Services
Are you new to HR or unfamiliar with all that your TASB HR Services membership has to offer? If so, come and find out all that is available to help you be an effective HR leader. This session will show you how to access and use a vast library of reference information, model documents, research information, and survey data. With the new DataCentral service,you can create customized benchmarking reports for your district. Consulting services, employee surveys, and HR training courses are also available to you and your staff.
Presenter: Cindy Clegg, TASB HR Services Director; Sally Craycraft, TASB HR Services Assistant Director; and Mary Barrett, TASB HR Services Assistant Director
Room: Austin
Session 21..... Employee Safety-Making Security Everyone's Job
Hear what some of the processes are that can keep employees, as well as students and visitors, safe. Learn how to create a team atmosphere, not only with the HR and Safety and Security Departments, but with the entire district to provide a safe and secure learning environment for your students. What role does each department, including HR, play in making that happen?
Presenter: Glenda Beam, Northwest ISD Director of Safety and Security, and Mike Conklin, Northwest ISD Security Coordinator
Room: DeZavala
Session 22..... TRS Benefits: A one-hour review
A one-hour review of TRS benefits - whether for your personal retirement planning or to help you in your position as a School Personnel Administrator. Topics will cover TRS benefits available to members, both active and retired, including employment after retirement.
Presenter: Joanne Holshouser, Teacher Retirement System of Texas Coordinator of Member Relations
Room: DeWitt
Session 23..... Top Five Legal Traps to Avoid For Personnel Administrators
Experienced lawyers Christine Badillo will offer candid feedback on the most common employment pitfalls encountered in their school law practice. From the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, this session is jam-packed with background information and practical advice to successfully navigate the legal traps in employment.
Presenter: Christine Badillo, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney
Room: Dovers
Session 24..... Investigations: "Just the Facts, Ma'am."
This topic will cover the "Who, What, Why, Where, How" of investigation and includes many tips and traps to avoid. This multimedia presentation uses humor and film clips as well as litigation and school law experience to provide an engaging presentation of great worth to anyone in the personnel arena
Presenter: Cynthia Hill, Henslee Schwartz, LLP Attorney
Room: Robertson
Topic Session IV
Thursday, July 23, 2009 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Session 25..... GOOD GRIEF! A General Guide to Handling Employee Grievances
Grievances, complaints, concerns... These days it seems like everyone has one. But how to successfully handle them is entirely different issue. In this session, veteran school attorneys Marquette Maresh and Dorcas Green will offer practical guidance on how to resolve tricky grievance issues like timeliness, tape recording, and the right to representation. Experienced and first-time HR administrators will also benefit from the helpful and concrete tips on (1) preparing for the complaint conference, (2) preventing the "growing" grievance, (3) leading the grievance conference, and (4) drafting a grievance response. Get a grip on gripes with this important session!
Presenter: Dorcas Green, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney/Shareholder and Marquette Maresh, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney/Shareholder
Room: Phoenix Central
Session 26..... Top Five Legal Traps to Avoid For Personnel Administrators
Experienced lawyers Christine Badillo will offer candid feedback on the most common employment pitfalls encountered in their school law practice. From the Fair Labor Standards Act, the Family Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, this session is jam-packed with background information and practical advice to successfully navigate the legal traps in employment.
Presenter: Christine Badillo, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney
Room: Phoenix North
Session 27..... Creditable years of Service and Salaries Part 1
This session will address the state laws, rules, and practices on how years of service are considered for salary increment purposes as mandated by the Commissioner's Rules on Creditable Years of Service. Also, the following topics will be addressed during this session: 1] The new mandates under HB 3646, HB 1365, and SB 522 2] The new changes concerning teacher aide experience 3] The new requirements concerning international teaching experience 4] The Retire/Rehire Program 5] Military experience; and 6] Some other school district personnel issues as mandated by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Education Code and the Government Code.
Presenter: Joseph Mezher, Texas Education Agency Program Director
Room: Phoenix South
Session 28..... HR on a budget
Is your district trying to reduce HR costs? Are you trying to do more with less? Have you been told to reduce the HR budget? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then this session is for you.
Presenter: Matthew Levitt, Texas School for the Deaf Director of Human Resources
Room: Austin
Session 29..... "Who Knew It Would Be This Much Fun?!" SB 9 a year and a half later."
Points to ponder, clarify and discuss with regards to the implementation of SB 9 a year and a half after it all began.
Presenter: Doug Phillips, TEA Director of Investigations
Room: DeZavala
Session 30..... Effective Assistant Principal Selection Process
Irving ISD has adopted an assistant principal selection process that has proven to be effective in selecting the best qualified candidates. Presentation includes committee approval forms, interview scoring sheets, sample interview questions and other documents.
Presenter: Mark Chapa, Irving ISD Coordinator of Secondary Staffing
Room: DeWitt
Session 31..... All Hail the Job Description!
The new FMLA regulations provide one more reason to put the task of revising job descriptions at the top of your to-do list. This session will emphasize the importance of having current and accurate job descriptions and motivate you to develop a plan for updating your district’s job descriptions. Suggestions for collecting the data, organizing information, and reviewing job descriptions will be provided.
Presenter: April Mabry, TASB HR Services Senior HR Consultant
Room: Robertson
Session 32..... It's No Fable: Aesop Automates Substitute Placement and Absence Management
This workshop will focus on many of Aesop's features that allow distircts to trim the amount of time, money and paper used to manage and track absences while automating substitute placement. Aesop is an automated substitute placement service provided by Frontline Placement Technologies for K-12 school districts. Unlike traditional sub-calling programs, Aesop completely automates the process of substitute placement and absence management for over 1,800 school districts worldwide. As a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), Aesop does not require any hardware or software at the district. Integrated phone and internet technologies allow district administrators, principals, teachers and substitutes access to the service anytime, anywhere.
Presenter: Jeremy Buckley, Frontline Placement Technologies, Inc. Regional Account Manager and Dani O'Shaughnessey, Frontline Placement Technologies, Inc. Sales Director for Education, North America
Room: 4th Floor Capital Room
Topic Session V
Thursday, July 23, 2009 3:15 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
Session 33..... GOOD GRIEF! A General Guide to Handling Employee Grievances
Grievances, complaints, concerns... These days it seems like everyone has one. But how to successfully handle them is entirely different issue. In this session, veteran school attorneys Marquette Maresh and Dorcas Green will offer practical guidance on how to resolve tricky grievance issues like timeliness, tape recording, and the right to representation. Experienced and first-time HR administrators will also benefit from the helpful and concrete tips on (1) preparing for the complaint conference, (2) preventing the "growing" grievance, (3) leading the grievance conference, and (4) drafting a grievance response. Get a grip on gripes with this important session!
Presenter: Dorcas Green, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney/Shareholder and Marquette Maresh, Walsh, Anderson, Brown, Aldridge & Gallegos Attorney/Shareholder
Room: Phoenix Central
Session 34..... Documentation: Memories Fade, Ink Doesn't
An experienced school attorney shares the importance of documentation and a documentation system that will help you avoid the "you never told me that" problem. This multi-media presentation with humor and actual litigation experiences relating to documentation has delighted personnel administrators throughout the state
Presenter: Roger Hepworth, Henslee Schwartz, LLP Partner
Room: Phoenix North
Session 35..... Creditable years of Service and Salaries Part 2
This session will address the state laws, rules, and practices on how years of service are considered for salary increment purposes as mandated by the Commissioner's Rules on Creditable Years of Service. Also, the following topics will be addressed during this session: 1] The new mandates under HB 3646, HB 1365, and SB 522 2] The new changes concerning teacher aide experience 3] The new requirements concerning international teaching experience 4] The Retire/Rehire Program 5] Military experience; and 6] Some other school district personnel issues as mandated by the Texas Education Agency, Texas Education Code and the Government Code.
Presenter: Joseph Mezher, Texas Education Agency Program Director
Room: Phoenix South
Session 36..... HR on a budget
Is your district trying to reduce HR costs? Are you trying to do more with less? Have you been told to reduce the HR budget? If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, then this session is for you.
Presenter: Matthew Levitt, Texas School for the Deaf Director of Human Resources
Room: Austin
Session 37..... So What's the Really Big Deal About the FMLA?
The procedural changes driven by the new FMLA regulations have a much greater daily impact on an HR department than just the addition of Military Family Leave. The presentation will follow a flow chart that can help tame the tangle of required notices, critical timing, and multiple certification forms, as well as provide a framework for new procedures for processing family and medical leave.
Presenter: Ronda Bauman, TASB Human Resource Consultant
Room: DeZavala
Session 38..... "The Case of the Elusive Fingerprint": SB 09 from an ISD Perspective
Follow Sherlock Homes and Dr. Watson as they attempt to discover the secrets of the process and the unexpected impacts on a local district. From a simple process outlined in Senate Bill 9 strange and intertwined consequences confront the great pair as they attempt to find the facts of the case. For these two it's more than just "Elementary my dear Watson!" Hear from a district that has just completed the process under Senate Bill 9 and learn the tips that will surprise you and provide you with success that you might not find in the "formalized" training and instructions that you receive from both TEA and DPS
Presenter: Jed Reed, Garland ISD Director of Elementary Human Resources and Dana Knox, Garland ISD Human Resource Investigator
Room: DeWitt
Session 39..... Employee or Independent Contractor?
School districts are being audited by the Internal Revenue Service for incorrectly classifying employees as independent contractors. This session will share a school district experience with the IRS, review the criteria of what it takes as an independent contractor and discuss ways to maximize protection against fines and back taxes.
Presenter: Ann Patton, TASB HR Services Senior Compensation Consultant
Room: Robertson
Session 40..... Assisting With Retirement Preparation
This is an overview of basic needed retirement information from a retirement organization's view point. It also includes suggestions about a human resources department role in retirement preparation and the support that is offered by TRTA. One focus is discussion about the TRS anuity fund and employees contribution into the fund.
Presenter: Aubrey Cherry, Texas Retired Teachers Association Immediate Past President
Room: 4th Floor Capital Room