TEMPLE, Texas — Raise Your Hand Texas announced Temple Independent School District will join seven other Texas public school districts to comprise the newest cohort of the organization’s Trustee Advocates Program. This Raise Your Hand Texas Initiative trains Texas school districts and their locally elected trustees to educate, engage, and activate their school districts and local communities to amplify their voices in state public education policy and advocacy.
School boards from all regions of the state applied and Raise Your Hand Texas leadership selected the eight participating school districts through the application and interview process. Competitive grants for the second cohort were awarded to: Corsicana ISD, Pearland ISD, Pecos-Barstow-Toyah ISD, Plano ISD, Port Aransas ISD, Prosper ISD, Temple ISD and Tomball ISD.
“The Raise Your Hand Texas Trustee Advocates Program presents a unique opportunity to learn skills that will help us be better advocates for our local public schools, our students, and our teachers at the State Capitol.” Said Dan Posey, president of the Temple ISD board of trustees. “Temple ISD is honored to join the second cohort of this Raise Your Hand Texas program and deeply and actively engage in its work.”
Over the course of the 18-month fellowship, Trustee Advocates will learn to build a local public education advocacy network that encourages community connectedness and influences state legislative outcomes. Trustees and Superintendents will have the opportunity to learn and build relationships with others across Texas, as well.
“Advocating for public education, students, and staff members is an essential part of marshaling resources and shepherding a school system,” said Dr. Bobby Ott, superintendent of Temple schools. “Temple ISD is fortunate to be selected, from a competitive field, to participate in a learning journey to refine our schools as a governance team in this area. We look forward to participating as active learners and remaining a champion for the future of public education.”
The Trustee Advocates Program is issue-based and non-partisan. The program will be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act. As a Texas Education Agency-registered provider of continuing education, Raise Your Hand Texas will award continuing education credit to participants for the hours spent in training.
For more information about the program, visit https://www.raiseyourhandtexas.org/advancing-public-education/advocate/trustee-advocates-program/.
Raise Your Hand Texas supports public policy solutions that invest in our students, encourage innovation and autonomy, and improve college and workforce readiness. For more information, visit RaiseYourHandTexas.org.