Keynotes and General Sessions

8–9:30 a.m.

Kick off your morning with an Advocacy Update from ATPE’s professional lobby team! As we look ahead to the general election in November and the 89th Legislature, how can ATPE members fight for their students and inspire their colleagues to stay engaged?

9:45–11:15 a.m. (Part I)
2:30p.m.–completion (Part II)

Make your voice heard in the ATPE House of Delegates! See ATPE’s member-governed philosophy come to life during the annual ATPE House of Delegates (HOD) meeting, when certified member delegates from across the state will elect our 2024-25 state officers and adopt the latest version of the ATPE Legislative Program—the member-written document that guides all of ATPE’s advocacy for public educators.

Kasey Bell

“My Cautious Approach to AI” is a thought-provoking presentation that navigates the complex landscape of artificial intelligence in education with a discerning eye. This session delves into the ethical, pedagogical, and developmental considerations of integrating AI into K12 classrooms, challenging the rush towards adopting untested AI tools. It offers a balanced framework for harnessing AI’s potential responsibly, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement, privacy, and equity. The presentation advocates for a cautious yet optimistic approach to AI, ensuring it enriches learning experiences without compromising the integrity and well-being of students.

Bruce Ellis

Explore how AI can transform your teaching and learning experiences. Join us to dive into practical AI tools and strategies that enhance educational outcomes. Walk away with actionable ideas and a toolkit of resources to innovate from day one in your classroom. Presented by TCEA.

Dr. Madhukar Trivedi

In 2021, 22% of Texas high school students seriously considered suicide, and approximately 10% reported an attempt. Despite the overwhelming scope of the problem, evidence-based programs are available in Texas to assist schools. We will discuss the importance of standardized depression screening, as well as four programs: 1) Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network, a research registry of depressed/suicidal youth; 2) Youth Aware of Mental Health, which includes classroom education to inform and reduce stigma; 3) Blue Steel, a new initiative promoting resilience in middle schoolers; and 4) the Wellness Ambassadors, an initiative empowering school personnel to improve mental health in schools.

Taniece Thompson-Smith

Supported teachers, working in culturally responsive schools, will always be more prepared to navigate the odds. Teachers thrive in positive school cultures. Afterall, it’s not only the skill power that defines good educators; it’s also the willpower. Show me a teacher, who is skillful and willing, and I will show you a future that is educationally unwavering. School culture is the bedrock of a teacher’s mental well-being. Vince Lombardi once said, “Teams don’t go physically flat, they go mentally stale.”  What is the current culture of your team? Join me as together we will learn how to enhance our mental fortitude.

Brittney Gomez

Relationship building, and incorporation of social-emotional learning (SEL) remain hot topics for educators. Literacy best practices across content areas naturally create an opening to build empathy, critical thinking, and emotional well-being through texts read. Research has proven the importance of SEL and asset building in our secondary students to grow students academically and emotionally. Furthermore, let’s explore how assessing through the lens of SEL brings more meaning to learning. Teachers also need a space to practice SEL themselves. We will discuss leadership moves to integrate teacher mind frames and create meaningful experiences to address educator well-being.  

Andrea Hutlock

This interactive workshop will empower new educators to radiate confidence and positivity in their educational journey. Learn to foster meaningful connections, tackle negative interactions, and set boundaries for personal and professional well–being. Draw insights from experienced educators and gain actionable strategies applicable for any classroom. Join us for this illuminating session!

Dr. Shawn Bailey & Alicia Hinkle

In this session, we’ll elaborate on the “Teacher on the Hot Seat” concept and share evidence of student feedback and more culturally responsive teaching practices. As our public school system is becoming more urbanized, teachers face the challenge of making positive, productive citizens a meaningful reality. Suburban and rural families are becoming dominated by this urban-driven educational transformation, but how does it support parent-partnership, work ethic, and civic consciousness?  

Deann Lee, Tricia Cave, and Heather Sheffield

Do you want to be an advocate but don’t know how? Think you don’t have enough time or that advocacy is scary? Whether you have 30 seconds or three days, come learn how you CAN make an impact. Your voice DOES matter, and it takes ALL of us to positively affect Texas’ future.

Kelsey Karcher

We hear it all the time—“Our gifted kids will be just fine.”  It couldn’t be farther from the truth.  Our gifted and advanced learners deserve to grow and be challenged just as all kids do.  Join this session to learn about and practice ideas for incorporating low-prep, high-yield strategies to increase engagement and rigor for all of your students, especially your gifted and advanced learners. Presented by the Texas Association for the Gifted & Talented.

Linda Smith and Kim Boyd

Successful inclusion in early childhood education supports the needs of all young learners. In this session, participants will explore the collaborative journey between Region 10 and Prosper ISD to expand the continuum of services provided to support the educational and developmental outcomes for all young learners. Participants will also discuss funding implications, Results Driven Accountability, teacher recruitment and retention, and strategies to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for all children. Special education leaders will leave with strategies and knowledge to help build a successful continuum of services to meet the needs of all young learners.  

Kasey Bell

“My Cautious Approach to AI” is a thought-provoking presentation that navigates the complex landscape of artificial intelligence in education with a discerning eye. This session delves into the ethical, pedagogical, and developmental considerations of integrating AI into K12 classrooms, challenging the rush towards adopting untested AI tools. It offers a balanced framework for harnessing AI’s potential responsibly, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement, privacy, and equity. The presentation advocates for a cautious yet optimistic approach to AI, ensuring it enriches learning experiences without compromising the integrity and well-being of students.

Hao Tran

From cell phones to AI, access to technology and digital tools have created a platform of learning that can be innovative and enhance the learning process.  But has it changed the way we learn?  Do students really benefit from digital media and all the applications?  Has it made teachers’ jobs easier?  These are the questions we will explore and discuss during this session. 

Scott Gerbert

Exclusionary discipline just doesn’t work! The psychological harms, along with other adverse impacts done by exclusionary discipline, do not lead to positive behavior changes. In this session, we will share interventions, policies, and procedures that have proven to transform schools and communities through inclusive and restorative practices where health and educational inequities are eliminated and where youth voice and agency are at the center of meaningful change. Staff from Stanford University‘s REACH Lab will share FREE, evidence-based, independent learning and small–group “Healthy Futures” interventions, which focus on the principles of motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapy to help students understand the harms of e-cigarettes and other tobacco products, as well as cannabis. These interventions help students to identify reasons for, and the costs of, using; help students cope with stress; and provide resources to help students quit.

Kim Bearden

From philosophy to implementation, learn how to focus on what is truly important for all educators to remember. In this session, participants will be motivated, inspired, and reminded of their significant, powerful role in the lives of their students. Kim will share methods for promoting student engagement, increasing rigor, developing relationships, and creating a climate and culture that inspires learning. 

Cassandra Rogers

How can you balance life, education, relationships with co-workers and students, paperwork, meetings, sanity, obligations, and more while respecting the boundaries you need in your life? Let’s look at some real-world and research-based practices that will encourage and help you create a classroom where you and your students are growing! 

Kelley Thomas and Jessica Taylor

Using the National Standards for Family-School Partnerships framework (developed in conjunction with the National Parent Teacher Association and the likes of Karen L. Mapp and Anne T. Henderson), we will discuss ways to successfully reimagine the traditional parent-teacher conference into a true partnership with all participants—parents, teachers, and students.  We will discuss and develop ways to create a welcoming environment, share equal responsibility for student outcomes, and develop appropriate advocacy skills, all while implementing effective communication and learning strategies.

Aiesha Odutayo

Would your campus benefit from donated services, supplies, or additional funding? Unlock the potential to bridge the equity gap with FREE academic and non-academic resources! This dynamic session empowers educators with strategies to craft compelling donation letters, navigate sponsorships, and build partnerships that last.  Join us to transform educational resources into real-world student success! 

Jennifer LeWinter

Have you ever been stuck with 23 students staring at you while another student has the biggest emotions of their life to date? Come learn how collaboration is KEY and how having tools set up in your classroom can be the difference between prevention and total disaster. This jam-packed session will showcase the beauty of collaboration between general education and special education teachers. This session will include a collaborative discussion, interactive strategies, and resources to bring back into your classroom! 

Stephanie Stoebe

The Extended Constructed Response and Short Constructed Responses are two of the newest question types for grades 3 through 8.  Learn how to teach these concepts in your classroom by breaking down the prompt, explaining the rubric, and modeling an in-depth response to a reading selection.

Jennifer Meyer and Terry White

Join us for an interactive experience that shows how the new Science TEKS puts students in the driver’s seat of inquiry and sensemaking through phenomenon-based instruction. Learn how a slight shift in instructional practice can create a three-dimensional learning experience and open students to greater curiosities and deeper understanding of content. Presented by the Science Teachers Association of Texas.