Hello everyone!
I want to highlight an insightful and empowering article from atpenews.com, "Advocacy Starts With You: Standing Up for Yourself Is Standing Up for ALL of Us," written by ATPE member Lena Angel, a dedicated writer and educator from the Houston area. Lena's vast experience as a teacher, instructional coach, and administrator, along with her advocacy efforts as an ATPE campus representative, bring a unique perspective to this piece.
In her article, Lena reminds us that advocating for teachers and protecting educators' rights begins with us-individually and collectively. She emphasizes that standing up for ourselves in the classroom, as professionals, and within our communities is not just about self-interest, but about creating a stronger, more effective profession for all educators.
Lena's message is clear: it all starts with you. Whether it's speaking up about classroom needs, engaging in local policy discussions, or supporting the work of fellow educators, every action counts. And ATPE is here to support you with a variety of tools that make it easy to contact your representatives, research legislation, and speak up on issues that you care about.
I encourage all of you to read this article and reflect on how you can be an advocate not just for your own rights, but for the future of public education in Texas. Advocacy is something we can all engage in, no matter our role or experience level. Together, we can make a difference.
You can read Lena's full article here: Advocacy Starts With You: Standing Up for Yourself Is Standing Up for ALL of Us.
Let's keep the conversation going: how do you advocate for yourself and your colleagues? What changes would you like to see in the profession?
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!
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David George
Managing Editor
Association of Texas Professional Educators
atpe.org | atpenews.org
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