Highlighting Our Good Work

In this month’s special issue of Texas Lone Star, our annual report, is an opportunity to look back as we prepare for the year ahead. It’s devoted to providing our members with an overview of the exceptional programs, services, and solutions TASB offered this year.

We began the year with the launch of major projects at TASB, and as I reviewed the past 12 months, I realized that we didn’t stop. In January, the Association unveiled a new brand and launched a revamped website to coincide with the celebration of our 75th anniversary. The brand’s three distinct colors — yellow, blue, and gray — symbolize the cohesive groups at TASB that work together in their commitment to Texas public education and the state’s 5.5 million schoolchildren.

Now almost a year old, the revamped tasb.org with its modern look continues to offer improved navigation, a personalized member dashboard, and refreshed content. The branding and website efforts that TASB staff accomplished were huge, and the Association also leveraged the trusted expertise of our TASB Board of Directors for these projects. A group of five directors guided the development of the new TASB brand.

The new website was yet another investment in the Association’s digital infrastructure, part of its efforts to continuously innovate to better serve our members. TASB’s tradition of innovation is one of the driving factors behind the large portfolio of services and solutions the Association has developed and implemented over the years to benefit members and their districts.

Celebrating a Milestone

Striving to serve is what TASB has been doing for decades and will continue to do for decades to come. To honor the Association’s 75th anniversary, Texas Lone Star launched a year-long project in January to highlight the positive impact TASB has had on public education in Texas through its high-quality services, visionary leadership, and skilled advocacy.

We wrote about TASB’s early years, the evolution of services and programs, the Association’s expert board training programs, the creation of a governance structure that depends on trusted school leaders, and our advocacy efforts, to name a few topics.

We looked back on the past 75 years — from the post-WWII era of our parents and grandparents to the new world of driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence technology — hoping to gain perspective on what’s to come. The future holds opportunities and challenges, of course, but TASB’s foundational commitment remains the same: We support Texas public education because we know it’s vital to our children’s future, to the economic health of our individual communities, and the well-being of this great state. We support school board members across the state — from the Piney Woods of deep East Texas to the vast plains beyond the Pecos River.

In fact, we dedicated the TASB history project to Texas school members, past and present. We wanted to highlight the fact that school trustees are trusted volunteers devoted to their community. They contribute countless hours to helping provide the best education possible to their students. We are grateful for their leadership and service and in awe of the sacrifices they make to serve. It’s nothing short of a sacred task, and it’s of tremendous consequence to us all, but especially to the kids.

Serving our Members with Pride

For 75 years, TASB has been a committed partner in your efforts to make “going to school” the best experience it can be for your children. I learned a lot from the TASB history project this year. I hope you enjoyed not only our stories from yesteryear but all the feature stories, columns, and other articles we provided in the pages of TLS. We also love to hear from you, whether it’s suggestions, story ideas, even complaints. You make us better, more responsive to your needs.