txEDCON24 Offers District Leaders In-Depth Training

Making their way from locations far and wide across Texas, thousands of school trustees and administrators will gather Sept. 27-29 at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio for txEDCON24, the premier annual training event for public education leaders.

The flagship gathering hosted by the Texas Association of School Administrators and TASB offers district superintendents, trustees, and teams of eight the opportunity to network, connect, and access in-depth programming to support them in their board governance and leadership roles.

“Every year, we at TASB really look forward to txEDCON because we know how important the event is for those who serve their local school communities,” said Dan Troxell, TASB executive director. “This event provides trustees and administrators with quality training and the opportunity to connect and collaborate, which ultimately benefits public schoolchildren in Texas. We know that those who attend always leave feeling inspired, recharged, and ready to continue doing the challenging and rewarding work needed to support excellent student outcomes.”

This year’s event will feature some 150 sessions that registrants can choose from. All of the training is designed with the goal of improving governance and leadership in Texas public schools and enhancing statewide support for public education.

Key Programming

One session that is always a big hit with txEDCON attendees is the Small School District Seminar, said Jackie Clark Spencer, director of event operations and convention for TASB Communications, Marketing, and Events. The program is designed for school systems with 999 or fewer students and focuses on how small districts across the state can implement creative solutions to overcome their challenges while also leveraging the advantages they offer.

“We have so many small school districts in Texas and their needs are so different, which is why this seminar is so important,” she said.

This year’s seminar, which kicks off on Friday, Sept. 27, has a new feature — a keynote speaker. Melanie Mayer, a small schools graduate, educator, author, and speaker, will talk about the legacy of small schools. The session will spotlight Alpine ISD Superintendent Michelle Rinehart, who will focus on small school finance and driving change at districts. And Brian Woods, TASA deputy executive director of advocacy, will discuss promoting change through advocacy. Preregistration is required to attend.

Special Workshops

New board members and new board officers have training sessions designed specifically to support them in their service. Texas Trustee Institute was created for new board members who are just beginning their board service, and Board Officer Institute is offered for trustees who are new to officer roles or who would like to take on an officer role.

During the two-day TTI, attendees will get specialized training to be successful and collaborative members of their boards, while also having an opportunity to network with other new board members. Trustees will learn more about the Texas Open Meetings Act, district policy basics, working as a body corporate, and school law.

BOI is a one-day program that offers the in-depth training new board officers need to effectively prepare for and facilitate board meetings, keep meetings focused, and build collaborative board-superintendent relationships.

Preregistration is required to attend either TTI or BOI.

While txEDCON24 technically kicks off on Friday, there are several preconference sessions that are being offered on Thursday, including:

• AI – A Collaboration of Educators, Students, Parents, and Policymakers
• Beyond the Meeting: Elevating School Board Communication Strategies and Practices
• Evaluating and Improving Student Outcomes: The Board’s Role in Continuous Improvement
• Unleashing Potential: Transformative Practices for Tomorrow’s Education Leaders

Also on Thursday, the Texas Council of School Attorneys will meet, and an opening reception will be held in the Exhibit Hall 5-6:30 p.m.

General Sessions

Along with all the training that will be offered during txEDCON24 — it’s worth noting that Spencer said participants earn roughly 16,000 hours of continuing education credit every year — there will also be outstanding student performances, which are always crowd pleasers. Students from Tomball and Canutillo ISDs will entertain attendees, sharing their talents during the general sessions on Friday and Saturday.

In addition, the Outstanding School Board Award and TSPRA Key Communicator recognition will take place Friday, with the Superintendent of the Year announced on Saturday. On Sunday, Troxell will facilitate a conversation with this year’s SOTY winner.

General session speakers this year include José M. Hernández, an astronaut, scientist, and CEO; John C. Maxwell, an author, speaker, and coach; and Nancy Giordano, a strategic futurist and best-selling author.

Hernández grew up working “the California circuit” as one of four children in a migrant farming family. One day, while working in the fields and listening to a transistor radio, Hernández learned that Franklin Chang- Diaz had been selected for the NASA Astronaut Corps and he was inspired to fly in space. After high school, he attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton, earning an electrical engineering degree and receiving a full scholarship to attend graduate school at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He worked at the Lawrence Livermore Lab, and in 2001 joined the Johnson Space Center. In 2004, he was accepted into the 19th astronaut class, and in 2009, he was a mission specialist on the STS-128 mission aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Among his many ventures, in 2005 he founded the José M. Hernández Reaching for the Stars Foundation and continues his work in the field of engineering and space as the CEO of Tierra Luna Engineering, LLC.

Maxwell is a New York Times best-selling author, speaker, coach, and leader who has sold more than 34 million books in 50 languages. He is the founder of Maxwell Leadership® — a leadership development organization. Having been recognized as an influential leader in the areas of business and leadership, Maxwell continues to influence individuals and organizations worldwide— from Fortune 500 CEOs and national leaders to entrepreneurs and the leaders of tomorrow.

Giordano is an Austin-based strategic futurist and best-selling author with a drive to help enterprise organizations and visionary leaders transform to meet the escalating expectations ahead. With a career at three of the top global advertising agencies and as founder of her own strategic inspiration company, Play Big, Inc., Giordano has a history of advising and learning with some of the biggest companies in the world, including Nestle, The Coca-Cola Company, and Sprint. Her first book, Leadering: The Way Visionary Leaders Play Bigger, defines and makes visible the dynamic, inclusive, and audacious mindset leaders must cultivate to stay relevant and help build a better next.

Delegate Assembly

Delegate Assembly, TASB’s official membership meeting, is held in conjunction with txEDCON24. As Active Members, each local school board and regional education service center board has the exclusive right to appoint a Delegate and an alternate who will represent their board and community.

Delegates discuss and vote on a variety of action items. This year’s Delegate Assembly will approve the education issues for the 2024-26 Advocacy Agenda and elect TASB leadership. Also, for the first time this year, when you register for txEDCON24, the process to register your Delegate or Alternate has been simplified, which will ensure boards have their voices heard. Delegate Assembly will be held Saturday, Sept. 28, at the Grand Hyatt.

Engaging Exhibits

Attendees will want to visit the Exhibit Hall, where they will find an interactive display highlighting new and renovated Texas schools as part of the Exhibit of School Architecture. The Exhibit Hall will also have a TSPRA Resource Center, where attendees can learn more about school communications and public relations counseling. Nearly 300 vendors will be on hand to share education- related displays show services that can benefit districts.

Registration Continues

To ensure TASA and TASB members have a seamless experience from start to finish, visitors to the txEDCON website at tasa.tasb.org will notice an improved digital experience with a new homepage and mobile-friendly look and feel. The website update is part of an ongoing commitment to making sure members have the best event experience possible. Registration is ongoing for txEDCON24, and teams of eight are encouraged to attend. To support those teams of eight attending this year, the registration process is simplified, and a discount will automatically be applied for those who are eligible.

Rewarding Experience

The China Spring ISD team of eight has attended txEDCON with fidelity over the years, only missing during the pandemic. This year will be no different, as they plan to make the trip down to San Antonio, said Rick Hines, the China Spring ISD board president.

The event is a priority for the China Spring ISD team of eight because it’s a great team-building opportunity and it also helps them build trust in one another, Hines said. They try to pick sessions that are relevant to issues the district might be addressing at the time.

“The reason we go every year is because they always have good classes,” Hines said. “We always split up and attend different sessions and we each take back different ideas. We bring them back with us and share them and try to implement them.”

For Spencer, who has been an integral part of the txEDCON planning team for more than 40 years, the experience is always rewarding.

“When you look around and see members who are gathered together in little pods sharing information or who are engaged in their sessions and having delightful experiences, it makes you feel accomplished because you’re helping support their continuing education,” Spencer said. “Hopefully, they are walking away better prepared to serve the students in their school districts in their communities.