Region 6 Education Service Center
National School Lunch Program
Equipment Winners …………..2
ACET and NAFEPA Tuition
Scholarships.……………….….3
TheVIew
“Dedicated to educational success for all.”
The mission of Region 6 Education Service Center is to ensure excellence to the
educational community by providing quality services.
VOL. XV NO. 1
January 2015
ACTE Announces Texas Coordinator as
National Award Winner
Association for Career and Technical Education Press Release—November, 2014
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE) announces Gregory Shipp, Coordinator of Career & Technical Education at Conroe Independent
School District in Conroe, Texas, as the 2015 ACTE Administrator of the Year. The ACTE Administrator of the Year award
recognizes CTE administrators, program specialists/
coordinators, and other CTE personnel who have made significant contributions toward innovative, unique and effective career and technical programs.
Gregory Shipp is the coordinator of CTE for Conroe Independent School District (CISD). A field-based administrator,
he is responsible for all CTE programs for six large area high
schools. He is the sole administration source for CTE in his district, which offers CTE programs of study in 15 of the 16 Career Clusters®, all of which include at least one industry certification. Shipp directs all CTE program development and
budget work, serves as a liaison with area colleges, directs
the development of CTE planning, handles all phases of the
district’s CTE funding, mentors and supervises CTE teachers,
and mediates and resolves personnel and CTE legal issues.
Under Shipp’s leadership, CISD has upgraded and implemented CTE programs built on core academic skills enhanced by emerging technologies. As part of Shipp’s vision
for CTE, students begin planning for their futures before high
school by conducting career exploration and creating fouryear plans in the eighth grade. Shipp increased state funding by over $300,000 a year by establishing a true year-round
school calendar. He partnered with Sam Houston State University to receive a $600,000 intensive summer grant targeting the improvement of math skills and scores. He has also
created new CTE
dual credit and
workforce credit
opportunities, and
with Lone Star College, piloted the
new online Advanced Technical
Credit Certification
in 2012. Deputy
Superintendent
Christopher J. Hines
says, “Mr. Shipp has
helped generate a lot of positive energy and promising outlook through his knowledge of and commitment to career
and technical education, his initiative, his communication
and his ability to motivate.”
Shipp was one of 4 finalists for the 2015 national title. Shipp
was named the national winner at the ACTE Awards Banquet, a dinner and award presentation recognizing the best
CTE educators in the country, which took place on Wednesday evening, November 19, during ACTE’s CareerTech VISION 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 400 fellow ACTE
members, business representatives, colleagues, friends and
family attended the event, which featured opening remarks
from U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas Perez.
The Awards Banquet was sponsored by Kuder, Express Employment Professionals, Certiport, Stratasys and ASVAB. For
more information about the ACTE Excellence Awards, visit https://www.acteonline.org/awards
January 2015
www.esc6.net
Equipment Winners of the National School Lunch Program
Equipment Assistance Grant
Deneen Carter, Child Nutrition Program Manager
Region 6 Education Service Center
Region 6 would like to congratulate the recipients of the 2014 National School Lunch Program Equipment Assistance Grants for School
Food Authorities. These grants were provided to districts by the Texas
Department of Agriculture with a total of $120,207 given in grant
awards. The awarded districts are The Brazos School for Inquiry and
Creativity Charter School, Goodrich ISD, Corrigan-Camden ISD, Leggett ISD, Groveton ISD, and The Raven School at Gulf Coast Trades
Center. Funds from these grants will allow districts to continue providing excellent customer service while serving young Texans the nutritious food they need in order to succeed.
Congratulations
Linda Aranda and Chris Peña
Identification and
Assessment
Jayne Tavenner, Special Programs Component Director
Region 6 Education Service Center
Sharon Brown, Gifted and Talented Specialist
Region 6 Education Service Center
Not only one but two of our own ESC staff representing
the migrant education program were honored at the
annual Migrant State Conference. Linda Aranda was
honored as Migrant Program Administrator of the Year
and Chris Peña was honored as Migrant Program Recruiter of the Year! Linda and Chris work tirelessly to
support schools, parents and students directly in serving this special group of students. They have a true understanding of the unique needs these students have
and are passionate in doing whatever it takes to help
them be successful. In the Special Programs Department, we know how hard they work for our schools
and these students. They are both very deserving of
these awards and we are so proud that the state selected them to recognize this year. They have represented Region 6 with such professionalism. Great job
Linda and Chris!!
Teachers from around the
region and a few outside
the region attended the 30
-hour Gifted and Talented
workshop in November
2014. The training was held
at the Thomas Poe Professional Development Center. Teachers practiced
identifying characteristics
of High Achievers, Gifted Learners, and Creative Thinkers.
The 30-hour training is required for teachers who provide direct instruction and services for Gifted and Talented students for their districts. Day Two, entitled Student Assessment, focuses on student identification and
assessment. Identifying students from poverty, minority
ethnic/cultural groups, and females are just a few of
the topics covered.
In order to provide direct instruction to gifted learners,
teachers must be able to identify gifted/talented students through assessment. Activities included in the distance learning sessions incorporated group discussions,
in-depth review of the www.gtequity.org website, and
curriculum planning. For more information about G/T
trainings and services, contact Sharon Brown, Advanced Academic Services/Special Programs.
936/435-8236 or [email protected].
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ACET and NAFEPA Tuition Scholarships
Mark Ybarra, State Compensatory Education Specialist
Region 6 Education Service Center
Applications for ACET (Association for Compensatory Educators of Texas) and
NAFEPA (National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators) tuition scholarship program are officially up on the ACET website. Attached
are the applications, timelines, and additional information for 3 types of scholarships: ACET Adult, ACET Student and NAFEPA. Feel free to share this information.
(Below is a brief description of the tuition scholarships.)
Mark Ybarra, Region 6 State Compensatory Education Specialist, is the ACET Region Director for Region 6.
Return completed applications to:
Mark Ybarra
3332 Montgomery Road
Huntsville, TX 77340
NOTE: Any applications mailed directly to ACET will be disqualified. Any questions or concerns can be sent to
Mark at: [email protected] or 936-435-8245.
ACET Scholarships
Students
ACET offers twenty scholarships annually to graduating high school students.~ The tuition scholarships are for
$1,000, and are payable directly to the college, university, or other post-secondary institution of the student's
choice.~ Student applicants must provide documented proof of participation in a compensatory education program sometime during their school career.~ The definition of compensatory programs is a program that provides
remedial assistance and support for students who have failed TAKS or at-risk of dropping out of school.
~ Additional programs include programs for migrant, Title I, Bilingual/ESL, and pregnant or parenting students. Paraprofessionals ACET offers four scholarships annually to paraprofessionals who wish to return to school to pursue a degree and
teacher certification.~ Applicants must submit proof of a high school diploma or GED and currently be working
with a school district in a compensatory program.
NAFEPA
The National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators offers three scholarships. The purpose of
the scholarship program is to financially support post-secondary education for qualifying seniors or high school
graduates who are attending their first year of college.
Click here for Scholarship Information and Applications
NEW ESC 6 WEBSITE…...COMING…..SPRING 2015!
Region 6 Education Service Center will be launching a new website in the Spring of 2015!
More user-friendly!
Much easier access to the
information and resources you need!
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January 2015
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Conroe ISD Graduate Honored
as Exemplary Migrant Student
Kimberly Chapa, Migrant Recruiter/NGS Specialist
Region 6 Education Service Center
Emily Aseret Deniz from Conroe ISD was recently recognized as an Exemplary
Migrant Student at the Association for Migrant Educators of Texas (AMET) State
Conference. AMET is committed to providing resources to the migrant student
community and the outstanding educators that support them in their educational successes. AMET’s annual tradition of designating time to recognize this
unique group of high achieving migrant students continued this November. As a
recipient, Emily received recognition and had her picture alongside a graduation profile printed in the 2014 Exemplary Migrant Student Publication.
Conroe High School was recognized in 2013 by the Washington Post as one of
America’s Most Challenging High Schools. As a migrant student and graduate
of Conroe High School, it is admirable to see such high success from Emily. Her
migrant experience included a variety of agricultural related work, most recently
harvesting strawberries in California. When asked about her experience she stated, “The hardest part of being a migrant student is dealing with the extensive
traveling. A lot of people do not understand what life is like having to move from place to place.”
Emily was nominated by her school Counselor, Heather Hadash, who continues to support the success of all students. Region 6 would like to thank her for nominating Emily and supports all counselors’ migrant scholarship endeavors throughout the region. We encourage them to continue nominating students for this esteemed honor,
as well as other scholarship opportunities. The Region 6 migrant team is available to assist with any questions
about the Migrant Education Program. Our team includes Linda Aranda, Chris Peña, Josie Padilla and Kim
Chapa. For more information contact Linda Aranda in the Special Programs Department at 936/435-8228 or
[email protected].
Career Center Services
(formerly Personnel Placement Cooperative)
We’ve changed our name...but not our service!
The Career Center is designed to attract qualified educational personnel for all certified
professional positions, including the position of superintendent. Region 6 ESC will facilitate employment with districts through annual activities in the areas of recruitment and
referral. Districts may contact Region 6 ESC for direct assistance with specific needs.
Recruitment activities occur in both fall and spring and include Region 6 ESC staff members attending several university job fairs to solicit potential employees for Region 6 ESC
member districts. The names of prospective new employees are added to the career
center database to enable member districts to view the resumes of potential applicants. Districts are able to post positions, edit their entries, and search the database for
applicants. There is no cost to the prospective teachers. The career center database is
web-based, current, and can be searched by certification area. Information is easily
accessible to member districts. After joining, members may call or email for a pass
code and username.
ESC Contact:
Nancy Hollis,
[email protected]
936-435-8299
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January 2015
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From the Crime Scene to the Classroom: Forensic Science
Jennifer Jeitz, Science Specialist
Region 6 Education Service Center
Beyond the blood splatter, shell casings, and stomach-turning stench, who
really studies the evidence collected at a crime scene? Television has stirred
up the interest in the field of forensics. However, forensics is portrayed by the
media quite differently than the reality and science behind it all.
Region 6 has created a two day Forensic Science workshop to support
teachers offering, hoping to offer, or struggling to meet the growing demands of their current programs. This CTE course is an engaging, hands-on
course, in which students can obtain advanced science credit for an endorsement in relation to the new graduation plan. Participants explore the
various types of evidence, the importance of gathering evidence, and the
scientific relationship to chemistry, physics, and biology. They create, evaluate, and observe evidence in many forms. On the final day of the series,
participants engage in the processes used to solve a crime. A mock crime
scene is set leaving the participants to uncover the clues and solve the
crime.
The victim or the predator?
Observing fingerprints
Taking a bite of crime bite marks
The mystery of blood splatter
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January 2015
www.esc6.net
Morgan’s Angels
Lindy McCulloch, Component Director—Technology Services
Region 6 Education Service Center
Currently in its third year, the Morgan’s Angels Robot Program is
“rolling” right along in the 2014-2015 school year with seventeen out of
twenty robots currently in use. Students within Region 6 as well as outside Region 6 are able to participate in the program if they are a
member of the distance learning fee service offered by their Education Service Center. Since the program’s inception we have streamlined the application process to ensure we do not miss any students in
need and have helped other Education Service Centers begin their
programs by serving as an example. A website and Facebook page
has been created to allow those interested and/or invested in the program to stay up-to-date with new program participants and current
participant accomplishments or victories.
It’s amazing to see this program in action and to see how much it
means to those participating. CJ Herron, a Brenham ISD student who
had never attended school due to an immune deficiency, and his
family appreciated the opportunity so much they hosted a benefit last February for the program and decided to
make it an annual event. The second annual benefit will take place at the Brenham Fireman’s Training Center
on February 20, 2015 from 5:30 – midnight. The event includes dinner, live music, dancing, raffle drawings, and
live and silent auctions. Last year’s event also included entertainment by CJ as he assisted the KBTX reporter in
covering the event and speaking with attendees!
Susan Risner, Jordan McMillian, Kimberly Taylor,
and one of Morgan’s Angels robots.
As the word spreads about our program, schools are beginning to ask the IVC Team to speak to their students
and clubs about the ins and outs of how this technology works. Jordan McMillian enjoyed the opportunity to
speak with the Montgomery Intermediate Robotics Club in mid-November and allowed the students to drive the
robot through the halls of Region 6 Education Service Center. Needless to say, they all had a blast and learned a
great deal! Opportunities such as this, news coverage of some program participants, and followers on Facebook
continue to spread the word to school staff and parents who may know someone in need.
Please visit our website, http://ivc.esc6.net/morgans-angels/, to learn more about the program, the participants,
and how you can make a donation to help support this wonderful program!
Scrutinizing Scrabble
Strategies
Sharon Brown, Gifted and Talented Specialist
Region 6 Education Service Center
Scrabble first came out in 1938 and statistics show that
1/3 of American homes own the game. Recently,
Cherrie Edwards conducted a Scrabble Strategies
workshop to teach Region 6 teachers how to begin
their own clubs.
Benefits for students include building vocabulary,
learning suffixes and prefixes, working with the dictionary, developing social skills, and engaging in cooperative learning. From teaching the Anagram Game to
previewing the Scrabble dictionary, to attending local,
state, and national tournaments, Region 6 teachers
are preparing to motivate their students like never before.
Region 6 will host the
annual Scrabble tournament in May. We
hope that we will have
great attendance
again this year. Don’t
wait, you can sign up
now for the May tournament to bring your
team of students.
May 18, 2015
8:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Region 6 Education Service Center
Session: 172408
ESC Contact:
Sharon Brown, [email protected], 936-435-8232
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January 2015
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Texas Regional Collaborative for Excellence in Mathematics
Teaching Site Visits December 2014
Susan Bohan, Math/Science Coordinator
Region 6 Education Service Center
With all the hustle and bustle at this time of year, the TRC-M Site Visits are a joy in and of themselves. Thirty-six
campuses from twenty-five districts boasting thirty-eight Mathematics Teacher Mentors (MTM) were involved.
Teaching and learning are alive and well in Region 6! What an awesome experience!
From observing three advanced courses going on in one classroom at the same time to Kindergarteners on
iPads, our region claims magnificent educators and students. Because of the national projects that the TRC can
bring in, our districts are able to attend quality professional development that truly makes a difference in mathematics education. Students were working on strategies from Developing Mathematical Ideas as well as employing the graphing calculators to solve rigorous problems.
Each MTM was awarded an iPad Mini for obtaining over seventy hours of professional development during the
first half of Year 1. This is indeed an awesome accomplishment. These will be utilized for many purposes including
to attend the PRIME Leadership sessions and to access the many mathematics apps available for all.
Principal promotion of the project has been tremendous and each administrator was presented the Dr. Cathy
Seeley book, Faster Isn’t Smarter. As we work together for the success of our students this support is essential for
instructional change and progress to occur.
Thanks to all for taking the time to allow us to visit your classrooms, your campuses, and your districts! This is definitely a very special region!
Top Row:
Nancy Kindle,
Anderson-Shiro Jr/Sr High
Anderson-Shiro CISD
Lisa Wenglar
Brazos Elementary
Brazos ISD
Skip Roark
Willis High School
Willis ISD
Middle Row:
Lori Eilers
Somerville Elementary
Somerville ISD
Deana Lemen
Bear Branch 6th Grade
Magnolia ISD
Karen Haffner
Coldspring-Oakhurst High School
Coldspring-Oakhurst CISD
Bottom Row:
San Juanita Turrubiates
Greenleaf Elementary
Splendora ISD
Theresa Lankart
Franklin Middle School
Franklin ISD
Kimberley Allen
Iola High School
Iola ISD
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Educator Certification at Region 6
Joe Martin, Educator Certification Coordinator
Region 6 Education Service Center
Did you know that Region 6 has teacher, principal, and superintendent certification programs? By the end of this
school year, over 1,000 educators will have earned their credentials through Region 6.
As of August 31, 2014:



850 candidates earned their initial teacher certificates (since the 1991-92 school
year),
89 earned their principal certificates (since 2006-07), and
36 earned their superintendent certificates (since 2008-09).
Participants who have completed the programs include current teachers, principals,
and superintendents, as well as those serving in director/executive director positions. In
the most recent independent survey, 100% of our participants rated the program with
an overall grade of A or B.
Thinking about it?
Visit www.esc6.net (Resources > Certification)
ESC Contact:
Joe Martin,
[email protected]
936-435-8302
Board of Directors
Charles Park
Vergie Dotson
Curtis Kimbro
Ronald Corn
Thomas Golson
Jerry Johnson
Ken Tarpey
Jill Vaughan
Michael Holland
Jerry Hall
Brian Zemlicka
Region 6 Education Service Center
3332 Montgomery Road
Chair
Houston, Leon, Madison
Huntsville, Texas 77340-6499
(936) 435-8400
Vice Chair Grimes, Walker
Secretary Polk, San Jacinto, Trinity
www.esc6.net
Member
Milam, Robertson
Member
Austin, Burleson, Washington
Member
Brazos
Member
Charter Schools
Member
Montgomery
Executive Director
Deputy Director for Instructional Services
Deputy Director for Administrative Services
The VIew is published for approximately 12,500 teachers
in 58 school districts from 15 southeast Texas counties in
Region 6.
Contributions or correspondence for The VIew may be
addressed to:
Cathie Martin
(936) 435-8209, Fax (936) 435-8484
[email protected]
Monday thru Friday
8:00 a.m.—4:30 p.m.
It is the policy of Region 6 Education Service Center not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, handicap, or age in its programs, services,
employment practices, or activities as required by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; the Age
Discrimination Act of 1975, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended.
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