The Texas Educational Secretaries Association (TESA) was organized March 3, 1951, in Houston, Texas, with 68 charter members. In June 2001, the name of the organization was changed to Texas Educational Support Staff Association (TESA) to better reflect the membership. Since the organization meeting, TESA has been affiliated with the National Association of Educational Office Professionals and from 1952 until 1980 was affiliated with the Texas State Teacher’s Association. In 1976 TESA affiliated with the Texas Association of School Administrators. On August 1, 2002, the name of the association was changed to Texas Educational Support Staff Association, Inc.
FLOWER, COLORS, EMBLEM, PIN, MASCOT, BANNER, NEWSLETTER
Official Flower: | Texas Bluebonnet |
Colors: | Blue and gold (blue for loyalty and gold for education) |
Official Emblem and Pin: | In the form of a star representing the Lone Star State with the letters TESA at the bottom |
Mascot: | A booted and spurred cowgirl doll |
Banner: | Official emblem on a blue background, trimmed with gold |
Newsletter: |
The TESA Connection, published four times a year |
ACTIVITIES
July 9-13, 1951, the Dallas School Secretaries Association and Southern Methodist University co-sponsored an institute for educational secretaries. One hundred secretaries attended. In 1952, another such institute was offered by SMU.
In 1954, the Texas Association of School Administrators joined TESA in requesting the University of Texas to offer a one-week work conference for educational secretaries as one of its summer courses. The first conference was held in 1955. A conference has been scheduled each year since. TESA began sponsoring a conference on their own in1960.
The Fall Work Conference was held annually with the last being November 2011.
TESA recommends membership in NAEOP for all members.