Executive Director’s Blog
Kevin Brown, Ed.D., joined the staff in 2018 as TASA’s fourth executive director. Formerly the superintendent of Alamo Heights ISD and a past TASA state president, he chaired the TASA 2025 Task Force, which developed the TASA Strategic Framework, a plan to ensure TASA’s continued success.
Educators, It’s Time to Put Up or Shut Up
After 33 years in public education, I am awed and inspired by everyone who works in our public schools. Miracles happen every day in every school, and our educators, administrators and support staff deserve immense gratitude, respect and recognition for everything...
We Can’t Let Lawmakers Abandon Their Own Judgment
You know, there's something ... immoral about abandoning your own judgment ... We just can't let this get out of hand. And we're gonna do whatever we have to do to make this come out right." —John F. Kennedy in the movie "JFK" In every state that uses taxpayer money...
The West Wing, House of Cards, or Veep?
We may already be in our second special session of 2023, with more specials forecasted for summer and fall, but I'd like to take a moment to reflect on the 88th regular legislative session because it was definitely one for the history books. Our TASA Governmental...
The Key to Leadership Success is Surrounding Yourself with Talent
One of the most fortunate occurrences in my professional career was working for a superintendent, Charles Bradberry, whose passion was finding talented teachers and administrators. As an assistant principal in my mid-20s, I learned so much from him about creating a...
A Case Against School Vouchers
In the 1980s, President Ronald Reagan and Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill crossed political boundaries to enact legislation at the federal level. Although they had political differences, there was a sense that they were working for the common good and each knew they...
We Must Celebrate the Successes
Let’s face it, the past two-plus years have been a challenge, though the word “challenge” may be the understatement of the century. We can wallow in that if we want (I certainly have done it more than my fair share) or we can celebrate that, in spite of the...
Prepare Like a Prize Fighter
Being an educator has never been easy. Educators are called to serve, so they instinctively put the needs of others ahead of their own. They spend countless hours designing lessons, grading work, coaching individual children, completing endless paperwork, dealing with...
Voting in the Primary is Primary to Our Democracy
Whether you are a Democrat or Republican, far right, far left, or somewhere in between on the political spectrum, voting in the primary elections is the most important civic responsibility we have as Texans. In our state, the most important elections occur in the...
Showing Up for Your Community
For the past 18 months, I have had a bit of survivor’s guilt. After 28 years of serving in public schools, the last 10 as a superintendent, I left school district work to serve at TASA in 2018. In the best of times, being a superintendent is barely sustainable, though...
Public Education – and Educators – are Core to Our Democracy
Recently, an elected state leader told me that public education, like health care, has long been on the fringe of what the government should be involved with. In other words, public education is not really a core function of our government. I couldn’t disagree more....
The Benefits of Local Engagement
Tip O’Neill, the legendary U.S. Speaker of the House in the 1980s, was famous for getting things done in a bipartisan fashion, most notably with President Ronald Reagan. He is also famous for saying “all politics is local.” That is, while national politics might be...
Teacher Appreciation Week is Coming!
Teachers have a special place in my heart. They are part of my DNA … literally. Both of my parents taught in public schools, including my mom, who taught at my elementary school. They were my first teachers, and they instilled in me the importance of service to others...
Show Legislators Your ESSER Funding Plans
District Leaders, Thank you for all the work you’re doing on behalf of Texas students! We have an important request regarding federal education stimulus dollars. As you know, with the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the total amount of federal COVID relief funds...
Engagement is One Way We Can Protect Our Democracy
When I was in college at the University of Texas, I majored in government and minored in history. For three of my years as an undergrad, I worked as a runner at a law firm in downtown Austin. Each day, I would walk from my dorm room to the law firm. The Capitol...
What Have You Done to Get Students Back to School? It’s Time to Show Your Work, #txed
I have been inspired this past year to hear stories on a daily basis about the work educators are doing to reach out to encourage students (and their parents) to enroll in school. Teachers, counselors, and principals have all made home visits, in the midst of a...
Gratitude
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Hands down. While I like all of the holidays, there is just something special about Thanksgiving. Maybe that is thanks to my mother. One of the many lessons she taught me was gratitude. No, she never sat me down and said, “Kevin,...
The First and Second Times I Voted
The first time I voted, I skipped down the ballot and voted for one person: my father, who was running for city council. He was unopposed, but it felt good because he is a great man and, well, he is my dad. Along with my father, many of our close family friends were...
Let’s Talk Cybersecurity and Decision Fatigue
As the reality of the pandemic continues to take a toll on our daily lives, we are faced with many new challenges. Superintendents and school leaders have “decision fatigue” as they are constantly rethinking every process in their schools. Things that were at one time...
A Time to Lead
Several years ago, during the recognition of TASA Honorary Life members, a superintendent was walking across the stage when Commissioner of Education Robert Scott stepped to the microphone. He said, “You know, you have been superintendent of the same school district...