Welcome to TASC New Advisors!

Thank you for serving your local student council.  We have created this page to help introduce you to TASC and help you integrate your student council program with your association.

Structure of TASC:

INTRODUCTION: The purposes of TASC are to develop leadership abilities in students, promote democracy as a way of life and establish and uphold high standards for local councils.  Organized in 1937, TASC has grown to serve more than 1340 member schools in Texas. Any junior or senior high school, public, parochial or private, may become a member of this organization by paying the annual membership fee.

IDENTITY: TASC is affiliated with and sponsored by the Principals’ association (TASSP), but is operationally independent, with its own board of directors, independent budget and governance. This arrangement results in a strong sense of ownership among adult leaders within TASC.

DISTRICT STRUCTURE: 19 Geographical districts build strong bonds among students and adults, and provide leadership opportunities through district offices, conferences and workshops. New advisors get informal mentoring in these districts; Districts provide support for local chapters and more opportunities for students to have an experience outside of their local campus.

ADULT INVOLVEMENT: We stress (and require) that the role of adult advisors is significant. Our philospohy is that student council is a group of students working WITH an adult advisor.  

NEW ADVISOR PRIMER: Click here for some explanations on key terms/events in TASC.

Membership:

• PAYMENT: Annual dues for an individual school to become a member of TASC are $70.  The school 'holds' the membership status regardless of changes made within individual school staff between advisors.  TASC accept dues via a check with an accompanying membership form.  Blank membership forms may be accessed by anyone (not current members only) via our home page: www.tasconline.org; and clicking the 'Join TASC' button on the left hand toolbar.  Please note that the $70 includes your TASC district dues, which will be rebated to the district noted by our office. Membership must be current to access certain features of www.tasconline.org. Once dues are processed, member schools will receive a membership packet in the mail to their school address, which will include the current Advisor Resource Guide.  Please also note that becoming a member of TASC (state-level organization) is not the same as becoming a member of NASC (national-level organization).
• MEMBERSHIP YEAR: We accept membership payment year round, although the membership year technically is September 1- August 31. 
• BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP: Member schools are allowed to attend TASC conferences, workshops, special training sessions, and other TASC events.  Additionally, our members are given access to certain materials on the web-site that is unique to our association.  Your school must be a TASC member in order to attend conferences/workshops.
• LOGGING ON THE WEBSITE: To log on for the first time, use the Primary Advisor's FirstnameLastname (no spaces) and the password which is tasc.  Some schools have 2 or more advisors, but we only issue one username/password per school.  It is not necessary to have more than one student council sponsor, but we find many of our member-schools have an average of two sponsors assisting with their student council.

FAQ's:

• What District am I in? We have 19 Districts.  Please check this link for a map of our Districts.  The link is also available via our home page: www.tasconline.org and then click on the 'TASC District' Link on the left hand toolbar.
• What conferences and workshops are available for me as an advisor? The first thing you should try to attend is the Advisors Workshop in Austin each September to learn the nuts and bolts of student council operation where you will network with other beginning and experienced advisors. 
• What conferences and workshops are available for my students?  We suggest you contact your District President School to find out about local/regional activities.  (Click on the district map for current local officer information).  If you are an advisor of a Middle Level Council, you can bring your delegation to our Middle Level Annual Conference in November in Austin.  The High School Annual Conference is in Arlington in April.  We also host advance leadership workshops for high school students only, as well as multiple summer workshops for both high/middle levels (4 day camps at various Universities across the state).
• Is there a newsletter? All newsletter communication is electronic. We email directly to the email addresses we have on file for your school from our online newsletter program which is called 'Emma'.  Help us ensure you receive the newsletter as well as surveys and other important emails by checking your spam/junk folder regularly as well as 'white listing' emma and our TASC emails.  We are happy to work with your technology specialists if you encounter challenges receiving the newsletter or anything else (electronic) from our office. 

Tips for Student Council Advisors

Student Council Procedures:

Have a working constitution (*) Click here for instructions or here for extra tips.  Also see the 'constitution' page for examples of current constitutions on file with TASC
Have an agenda for every contact with kids
Take notes or minutes
Use forms-project planning/evaluations/reports (*)
Outline roles of members/officers (*)
Use committees (*)
establish a "work-on" membership practice
Maintain a member directory
Calendar
Member handbook
Officer mailboxes
Filing system

Personal management

Train students in procedures/process/leadership skills (*)
Manage stress level
Lead by example
Networking (*)
Have fun
Office space
Have a supportive/understanding spouse/significant other

Public Relations:

Administration: school board, superintendent, principal, staff leadership
Community: media, civic involvement
Student Body: paper, announcements, etc
Parents: election letter, Thank you notes, newsletters
Staff: bulletin, teacher appreciation
 
(*) Areas where TASC can provide direct assistance.

WHO TO CONTACT FOR HELP AT THE TASC OFFICE:

TASC LOCATION & STAFF

1833 South I.H. 35
Austin, Texas 78741

phone: (512) 443-2100    fax: (512) 442-3343

TASC STAFF	PHONE EXT.	E-MAIL	CONTACT FOR....
JJ Colburn, Director	ext. 233	jj@tassp.org	policies, programs and resources
Lori De Leon, Program Assistant	ext. 257	lori@tassp.org	membership, conference registration, events
Kay Gibson, Accountant	ext. 231	kay@tassp.org	finances
Beverly Kauffmann, TASSP Administrative Assistant	ext. 223	beverly@tassp.org	Board of Directors, Awards
Alejandro Arguello, Exhibits	ext. 230	alejandro@tassp.org	TASC conference exhibits