Teacher training, convocation and Meet the Teacher events ushered in the 2026-27 year with commitment to value.
With the fall semester underway, Texas Tech K-12 hosted a series of back-to-school events emphasizing its word of the year: Quality.
Sept. 9 and 10 the district held a full-day teacher training, its first Meet the Teacher event and its annual convocation for teachers and staff.
Robert Bayard, superintendent, emphasized that quality cannot simply be something talked about at a convocation or displayed on a presentation. It must show up in daily work.
Quality is reflected in the clarity of an email, the timeliness of a response, the care brought to a student interaction, the accuracy of the work and a willingness to make something better when seeing an opportunity to improve.
“Teacher training gave us a chance to get out from behind our screens, spend some time together and learn from the people who understand this work best: each other,” Bayard said.
“One of the things I appreciate most about our teachers is that they never stop learning. There were great conversations, plenty of questions and lots of ideas shared throughout the day that our teachers can now take back to their virtual classrooms.”
When the training concluded, Texas Tech K-12 welcomed nearly 70 students and their families to the inaugural Meet the Teacher Bash.
Visitors had the chance to meet teachers and staff, ask questions and learn more about the resources available to them. They also connected with representatives from dual credit, National Honor Society, student council, Undergraduate Admissions and other programs that can become part of their Texas Tech experience.
“Those connections matter,” Bayard said. “We may be an online school, but there are a whole lot of real people behind those screens. Bringing everyone together gave our students and families a chance to see and experience that community firsthand.”
The following day, the entire team – teachers and staff – traded their usual screens and Teams meetings for some face-to-face time at All-Staff Convocation.
Bayard characterized the closing event as time to reconnect with colleagues, enjoy each other and align around the priorities that will guide work throughout the year.
“It was great to have our Texas Tech K-12 team together to reconnect, celebrate our people and talk about where we are headed this year,” Bayard said. “No matter our department, title or day-to-day responsibilities, we are all working toward the same thing: serving our students well. Convocation was a good reminder that while our individual work may look very different, it all connects.
“We may be an online school, but we certainly do not have to work in isolation. The more we share what is working, ask questions and learn from one another, the higher quality experience we provide for our students.”