TEPSA Election: Gerrie Spellmann

Candidate for TEPSA Member At-Large

Gerrie Spellmann
Alamo Heights ISD
Region 20

• Intent to Run for Office
• Candidate History
• Superintendent Reference Letter
• Region President Letter

Present Position

Principal, Woodridge Elementary, Alamo Heights ISD, Region 20, Grades 1-5 (Dual Language, Spanish Immersion)

Formal Education

• Lamar University, Masters of Educational Leadership
• University of Texas at San Antonio, B.A. Interdisciplinary Studies

Educational Leadership

• Principal Institute Cohort 6 (PI 6)
• NAESP
• Trinity Center for Educational Leadership Cohort
• 2020 – Surviving the Storm No Matter the World, Virtual, Face to Face or Hybrid, TEPSA Virtual Conference
• 2020 – N2Learning Amplifying Student Voice with All Stakeholders, N2Learning Conference, Houston, Texas
• 2019 – Empowering Educators One Frame at a Time, TCEA, San Antonio, Texas
• Selected to serve on Bexar County Principal Readiness in Education Program (PREP) advisory board with superintendents/districts from around San Antonio
• Mentor site for Bexar County Principal Readiness in Education Program

TEPSA Leadership/Involvement/Awards

• NAESP
• Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association 2011-present
• Region 20 Board Offices Held:
  • TEPSA Secretary, 2014
  • TEPSA Treasurer, 2015
  • TEPSA 2nd Vice President, 2016
  • TEPSA President, 2017
• TEPSA Award:
  • TEPSAN of the Year, 2018
• TEPSA Conferences:
  • Summer Conference 2014- present
  • GROW 19 & 21
  • Summer Leadership – 2019
  • Advocacy Standing Committee
• TEPSA Presentations/Events
  • 2020 – Surviving the Storm
  • 2020 – N2Learning Amplifying Student Voice
  • 2019 – T-TESS New Timesaver Tool
  • 2019 – “T-TESS Black Book” Book Signing Summer Conference
  • 2018 – T-TESS Timesavers and Life Savers
  • 2018 – “T-TESS Black Book” Book Signing Summer Conference

School Honors/Accomplishments

• National School of Character 2020 Designation by Character.org
• N2 Learning Schools Transforming Learning (STL) Designation for 2020
• TEPSAN of the Year 2018
• JISD Outstanding Principal Award in Community Engagement 2016-2017
• JISD Innovative Principal Grant 2016

Community Involvement

• OLPH Church Lector
• Randolph Area Aggie Mom’s Member
• School Connect – School Champion – Love our Schools Day Volunteer
• Developed school/community mentoring partnership with Maranatha Bible Church and Town Square Apartments on Saturdays
• Girl Scout Troop Leader
• Alpha Home Volunteer

Other Professional Networks

• TASA Aspiring Leaders Texas Performance Assessment Consortium (TPAC)
• Trinity University Center for Educational Leadership Cohort
• N2Learning Principal Network
• NAESP
• TCEA

Personal Information

I was recently nominated and applied for the 2022 HEB Excellence in Education Principal Award. My campus is truly the heart of our community, where relationships are at the forefront of all I do. This relational work led me to engage with School Connect, a national organization that helped us increase our community reach. I love partnerships! My family is at the forefront of all. My husband John – the love of my life and married to for 28 years, my daughter, Avery who is now in her 2nd year as a special ed teacher (a graduate of UT Austin), and my son, Erich who is a freshman at Texas A&M.

Platform Statement

I want to serve TEPSA in an impactful way. Principals are leaving the profession at record numbers and need a network of peers that truly understand the challenges of the work taking place in schools around the state. We are in a timeframe like no other! The work is hard. I want to continue to find ways to support our work inside the walls of our schools. Being a principal can be lonely. Every day, we work to be strong, inspiring leaders for students. TEPSA provides leaders inspiration, networking, ideas and resources needed to grow for the benefit of the children in our schools along with the connection needed to sustain the work of the principalship. I am committed to TEPSA’s mission of elevating the level of respect and prestige of the principalship. I will work to facilitate ways to connect us together in meaningful ways. My commitment to the mission of making the principalship a highly desired leadership experience is at my core. We need to inspire others to join our ranks and do this important work as Texas children need our best! TEPSA has given me many leadership tools and fostered lasting relationships throughout my principalship journey. My current role as Principal is possible because of TEPSA. Just like many of you, I am experiencing being a principal during the most challenging time to lead. I would be honored to serve in this capacity as a way of continuing our service to Texas students. Our children need us!

Reading with First Graders

Second Grade Spanish Immersion

Fifth Grade DL First and Fifth Grade