West Grayson Retired School Personnel Association’s (WGRSPA) March 10 program featured the Tioga High School Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Sponsor Christi Crowe introduced four senior girls as representatives of the group, Emily Ballinger, Gabriela Cuellar, Lacie Gray and Mackenzie Rodriguez, who have each served the chapter in many capacities.
Rodriguez, current chapter president, spoke first and shared what the purpose of FCCLA is as well as the history of the program over time. Many of the WGRSPA members shared memories of being a part of FHA (Future Homemakers of America), the program from which FCCLA emerged. Cuellar, vice president of finance, shared the growth of the Tioga FCCLA chapter with 85 active members. She highlighted the success of projects that students had done in the past as well as current service projects.
Joining the program last were Ballinger and Gray, who recently won the National Championship in 2025 with their Chapter Service Project, Light Up Tioga. They shared their newest project that they have been working on since August, designed to inform their rural classmates about STEM careers. The project began when the district hosted The Texas Mobile Stem Lab in September for all students in 1st-8th grade. Gray explained that the project began when she and Ballinger were both looking at college and career options themselves.
“As senior girls looking at potential career paths, we realized the need for our chapter to inform students about STEM related careers,” Gray said.
“STEM sparks in early childhood, and it is one of the most important jobs! We believe that kids lack confidence because they don’t have opportunities to learn,” Ballinger said.
With multiple partnerships these young women have volunteered in classrooms teaching about STEM careers, hosted a Family STEM Carnival Night, celebrated National Pi Day at their high school and they are gearing up for one final event on Thursday, March 26 when they host a Women in Stem Career Day at Tioga Elementary School.
Tioga ISD has been partnering with WGRSPA since 2016 to host a 3rd grade and senior book exchange, when the very first class of seniors walked the stage. Now, a decade later, the tradition continues, and with the help of Ballinger and Gray, the meaning behind the exchange is even bigger. This year they connected the book exchange to their STEMosaurus Explorers project to promote both literacy and STEM. They are both looking forward to taking part in the book exchange with their Class of 2026 classmates and the current third graders on May 29.
All four seniors are excited to represent Tioga FCCLA (along with 29 of their fellow members) at the upcoming State Convention in April where they will once again share what they have learned, with a chance at returning to Nationals in July.
In addition to the wonderful program presented by the Tioga High School FCCLA, the WGRSPA also enjoyed inspiration shared by President Sue Barker; Texas facts by the association’s Fun Team; encouraging officer and committee chair reports; special awards to top earners of volunteer hours for 2025; and exciting plans for an upcoming field trip.
Perhaps the most important presentation of the entire meeting as far as futures as retirees was T. R. Fletcher’s legislative report. Notice her main points to WGRSPA members:
- All members need to do more about becoming informed and active in addressing issues which impact their pensions, as well as their needs and their rights for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
- Address their advocacy.
- Vote. Become an informed voter by finding out what each candidate stands for. Learn who supports public education and especially champions it.
- Become aware of their current status.
- Protect the benefits they have and actively seek to improve them. For example, those who retired before 2020 are receiving a pension amount which is below the inflation increase by as much as 30%. That means that members need to push for a COLA just as energetically as they did to get the last one. Ideally, they should insist on an ongoing one which automatically increases at the same rate as inflation increases instead of having to campaign for COLAs repeatedly.
- Members should make a point of informing themself on every issue.
- A foundational drive to increase Texas Retired Teacher Association (TRTA) membership is one of the most basic, logical ways to increase power and influence on the legislature. Look through the membership list in the yearbook and see who’s attending. Reach out to those who are not and especially any whose names are italicized because they have been members but have not renewed.
Put simply, members should become more active as TRTA members by accepting Fletcher’s challenges to improve their status and their futures.
TRTA membership is open to all retired school personnel who received a Teacher Retirement System (TRS) annuity. This includes aides, secretaries, bus drivers, janitorial, grounds keepers, cooks and other school personnel who are a part of the annuity program. Associate Memberships are available to active employees, spouses or anyone interested in supporting retiree or educational issues. If interested, contact Carol Pike at 903-815-0633.
