Published 9/26/21
The meetings will be held via Zoom. The links to join will be sent out closer to the meeting date.
Also on October 2nd during the 4pm Open Forum call, we’ll be celebrating the following award winners.
Published 2021/09/24 at 1:48 pm
Valued TTAO Member,
We hope you are having a safe and healthy beginning to your fall season. We are excited to see you all at our upcoming TTAO Open Forum and Business Meeting. These meetings will be held online this year as TxETA will not be held in person. You will be sent a TTAO Zoom Meeting link several days prior to the meetings. Please do not share this link with non-members.
We are so thrilled to have you join us and recognize or 2020 and 2021 Service and Legacy Award Winners, meet the candidates for upcoming S&P and Board positions, get updates on Adjudicator and CM trainings, and hear all that TTAO has on the horizon. We look forward to sharing this valued time with you.
IMPORTANT UPDATE
Please be aware of the updated times.
Saturday October 2nd
TTAO Open Forum: 4:00 p.m.
TTAO Business Meeting 5:30 p.m.
We hope to see you there!
Published at 2021/07/06 at 6:14 pm
TTAO is proud to offer student scholarships and campus grants to promote theatre education.
Theatre Teachers:
We invite you to share our scholarship opportunities with your students and assist them in applying.
We also hope you will review the application guidelines for the C. Lee Turner Real Change Grant and either apply for funds or share the opportunity with a fellow teacher that may qualify.
TTAO Members:
We invite you to share and promote the scholarship and grant opportunities with those you know who may be able to benefit from the funds.
If you choose, you can also donate part of your judging revenue to the Real Change Campaign.
TTAO Members and Theatre Teachers- Together We Can Make a Difference!
The Texas Theatre Adjudicators & Officials (TTAO) awards up to two $1000 scholarships to deserving seniors planning to pursue Theatre Arts as their major at the college level (one for Performance and one for Technical Theatre.) Any graduating senior who has participated in the UIL One-Act Play Contest or in the UIL Theatrical Design Contest may apply.
Applications must be received by June 1 of each school year at the following email address: scholarships@ttao.org
A completed application must include:
Please scan all items into a single PDF file including the student’s full name and “TTAO Scholarship” in the file name (Ex. Full Name‐TTAO Scholarship).
Applications will be reviewed at the summer TTAO Board Meeting and winners will be notified in June.
2. Emphasize the ease of the application process and the timeline for application submission.
3. Share that the application and information about the scholarship can be found at https://www.ttao.org/awards-and-scholarships/
TTAO is humbly honored to share that the “2021 C. Lee Turner Real Change Award” has been voted to permanently be known as the “C.Lee Turner Real Change Award” in loving memory of such an influential theatre artist and teacher who truly embodied *real change*.
What is the Real Change Campaign?
Real Change is TTAO’s fundraising campaign to place needed dollars into our socio-economically disadvantaged schools and communities through grants.
Money raised will be used to fund experiential activities like:
We believe these activities change lives and help expand theatre in our communities, which affects our society as a whole.
As a member of TTAO, if you have not already done so, you may donate to this grant by going to https://www.ttao.org/real-change/
C. Lee Turner Real Change Grants can be used for any project which allows for the pursuit of experiential theatre education activities. These activities may include attending the TxETA Theatrefest or Summerfest Convention and memberships, the Texas Thespians Convention and memberships, Summer Drama Camp Tuition, Clinic Fees, Guest Artists.
PLEASE NOTE: A Google account is required to fill out the application form. Sign in and/or create a Google Account. You don’t need a Gmail account to create a Google Account. You can use your non-Gmail email address to create one instead. There are no costs involved.
Download a copy of the guidelines here
ELIGIBILITY
Schools which qualify and identify as Title 1 or Socioeconomic Disadvantaged.
GRANT AMOUNTS
Grant requests may be in any amount up to $5,000.
REVIEW PROCESS & SELECTION
Applications submitted electronically by the deadline are reviewed by the TTAO Awards and Scholarships Committee. All selected applications are submitted for final approval to the TTAO Board
APPLICATION DEADLINES
All applications are due by the end of the day on September 10th and must be received electronically. Grant Awardees will be announced at the TTAO Open Forum held at TxETA September’s Theatrefest. All grants are eligible to spend beginning October 1st of the granting year through December 31st of the following year. For example, the 2021 awardee would have from October 1, 2021 through December 31, 2022 to utilize the funding. Returned/unused funds may be reallocated by TTAO as needed.
ADMINISTRATOR AND/OR SUPERVISOR APPROVAL
Where applicable, administrator and or supervisor approval may be required by the applying school’s policy. A letter may be uploaded into the application.
GRANTEE OBLIGATIONS
Thirty days after the completion of the grant activity or no later than January 31 following the Grant year expiration, the Grantee shall submit a report of approximately 300 words describing how they used the award within the previous year.
USE OF GRANT FUNDS
Grant recipients will submit invoices for their activity and TTAO shall pay vendors directly. Recipients should ensure they submit in a timely manner for prompt payment. Grant funds may only be used as specified on grant application no matter the ending cost of the project.
Share Information with teachers who are currently serving at Title I or economically challenged campuses about applying for the C. Lee Turner Real Change Award.
Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 C. Lee Turner Real Change Award. This opportunity affords a means for economically disadvantaged schools to fund and provide their students, staff, and/or community with experiential theatre activities such as TxETA and Thespian conventions, clinics and festivals, summer camps, guest artists and more.
Grant guidelines and the application is available on the TTAO.org website.
The application can also be accessed here.
Deadline for applications to be submitted to TTAO is September 10.
Grant awardees will be announced at the 2021 TxETA’s Theatrefest during TTAO’s Open Forum.
Published at 2021/06/28 at 12:54 pm
It is time to celebrate!
Passing of the gavel “virtually” happened at the June TTAO Board Meeting. Lots of smiles, thankful hearts, and celebration.
TTAO cannot thank Mark Pickell enough for all he has given to our organization. His tireless efforts over the years have made a lasting impact.
Carrie Klypchak will now start her term as Past-Chair before rotating off of the board. TTAO cannot thank Carrie enough for her leadership over the past two years, especially considering these unprecedented times.
Craig Hertel begins his role as Chair and Yvonne Phillips-Dupree begins her role as Chair-Elect.
Craig Hertel set new chair goals that were adopted by the Board at the summer board meeting.
Goals
1. To strengthen the ability of our membership to positively impact UIL’s One-Act Play contest.
2. To strengthen the organization’s outreach to the theatre community.
Check out the latest TTAO Board Meeting Minutes on our website.
As a member of TTAO it is important that you understand the purpose and procedures of the organization. Misconceptions about what the organization can do can be clarified by reviewing the Manual of Operations for TTAO.
The M.O.O., as it is referred to, is on the TTAO website and can be found here.
Here are 3 “P”s in the M.O.O. to get you started: Purpose, Payment Issues, Process For Recommending Area, Region, State Adjudicators
Be M.O.O. AWARE about our PURPOSE:
Article 2-Purpose
The purpose of this organization shall be to provide The UIL One Act Play contest with a group of experienced, active, and competent Theatre Adjudicators and Contest Managers. TTAO will certify and train new officials, and provide ongoing professional development for members. TTAO will actively collaborate with the State Theatre Director to review the role of the adjudicator and contest manager in the UIL One Act Play competition, and will make recommendations as warranted. This organization, for educational theatre professionals, will foster high standards of ethics, provide supplemental professional training for its members, encourage the development of theatre in the schools, and will work in cooperation with school administrators, theatre directors, student participants, and the University Interscholastic League (UIL).
Be M.O.O. AWARE about PAYMENT ISSUES:
Section 9 – Payment Issues Process
TTAO has created a step-by-step process for officials to deal with issues relating to non-payment.
1. If adjudicator is not paid after 30 days or not paid fully, contact the contest manager.
2. If after 7 days the contest manager does not resolve the issue or doesn’t respond the adjudicator should contact the District Executive Committee Chair or administrator responsible for payment.
The contact information for the administrator responsible for payment should be found on the agreement. (Day 37)
3. If after 7 days the District Executive Committee Chair or administrator responsible for payment does not resolve the issue or doesn’t respond then the adjudicator may file a grievance with TTAO. (Day 44)
4. If the grievance is found to have merit by the TTAO Chair then TTAO will send a letter to the District Executive Committee Chair or administrator responsible for payment (Day 51) asking for prompt payment.
5. If the District Executive Committee Chair or administrator responsible for payment does not resolve the issue or doesn’t respond then TTAO will send a letter to all superintendents of the district and ask for prompt payment. A warning will be given that all schools in the district will be flagged for payment issues within TTAO in the following year if payment is not rendered in full. Any future invitation from any school in the district will be accompanied by a note to the prospective adjudicators that their district failed to pay fully or on-time the previous year.
Be M.O.O. AWARE about PROCESS FOR RECOMMENDING AREA, REGION, STATE ADJUDICATORS:
Article 11 – Process For Recommending Area, Region, State Adjudicators
Section 1 – Area/Region/State Qualified Adjudicators Designation
Annually the Area/Region/State Selection Committee will review all adjudicators with 3 consecutive years service for addition to the approved Area/Region/State list.
A. The Communications Director will provide to the committee and Past-Chair a list of members with 3 consecutive years of service who are not currently listed as an Area/Region/State adjudicator.
B. A single committee member may nominate any qualified member from this list. The nomination is made and without objection that adjudicator will be recommended to the TTAO board to be added to the Area/Region/State list. If there is an objection by any committee member then the motion to recommend then fails.
C. Nominations should be based on an adjudicator’s judging and evaluation history and consideration should be given to geography and TTAO’s core values.
D. Members must be current and in good standing to be considered for the Area/Region/State recommendation.
E. Members recommended to the TTAO board for Area/Region/State designation will not be considered for the Region and State in the same year as they are recommended to the Area/Region/State adjudicator list.
Section 2 – Recommending Upper Level Adjudicators
Annually the Area/Region/State Selection Committee will review all adjudicator evaluations and produce a list of recommended adjudicators for upper level contests. This data will be given to UIL for the purpose of assisting in the placement of judges at upper level contests. The UIL State Theatre Director has final determination in placement of judges for all upper level UIL contests.
A. Committee Members who have not reviewed all evaluations shall not participate in the selection process.
B. The committee will elect a tabulation manager by a majority vote.
C. The Past-Chair in conjunction with the committee tabulation manager shall tabulate rankings from each committee member. This will ensure that there is a witness to affirm the tabulation.
D. Selection should be based on an adjudicator’s judging history, as well as their current evaluations and consideration should be given to geography and TTAO’s core values.
E. Members must be current and in good standing to be considered for upper level recomendation
F. Members should let the Past-Chair know immediately if they are unable to fulfill their duties.
G. TTAO recommends to UIL that adjudicators not be assigned to the state meet in consecutive years.
H. When the committee’s work is complete the Past-Chair of the committee will provide the following:
1. Recommendations for names to be added to Area/Region/State list to be delivered to the TTAO Board
2. List of recommended judges for upper level contests with voting data delivered to the UIL State Theatre Director
Section 3 – Balloting of Area/Region/State Adjudicators
1. After reviewing all adjudicator evaluations each committee member will select 75 adjudicators from the current list of Area/Region/State provided by the Communications Director. They will only select a name,they will not be asked to rank judges. Each name selected will be a single vote for the adjudicator.
2. Selection should be based on an adjudicator’s judging history, as well as their current evaluations and consideration should be given to geography and TTAO’s core values
3. The Past-Chair and tabulation manager will gather each ballot and start tabulation only after all eligible ballots are returned.
4. The Past-Chair and tabulation manager will tabulate how many votes each adjudicator received from the list of eligible adjudicators.
5. The Past-Chair and tabulation manager will rank this list of adjudicators from the highest vote total to the lowest vote total. Adjudicators who are tied in votes will be listed alphabetically by last name.
6. The Past-Chair and tabulation manager will then provide the list of ranked judges and the vote totals to the UIL State Theatre Director.
Can’t get into your TTAO Account?
Have questions about what TTAO and what the organization can do?
Need answers or to address an issue?
Have a solution or suggestion to share?
Need clarification?
Contact support@ttao.org for the fastest way to communicate with someone who can assist you. This web address helps the organization quickly route your communication to a person who can get problems alleviated and questions answered in a timely fashion.
Go to: connect.ttao.org/
The first step is renewing your membership includes:
You must be a TTAO member to have access to the TTAO Adjudicator and Contest Manager Facebook pages.
If you have trouble renewing, please email: Support@ttao.org
Check your TxETA September 15th Newsletter for the most up to date information on this year’s Theatrefest.
TTAO is humbly honored to share that the “2021 C. Lee Turner Real Change Award” has been voted to permanently be known as the “C.Lee Turner Real Change Award” in loving memory of such an influential theatre artist and teacher who truly embodied *real change*.
As a member of TTAO, if you have not already done so, you may donate to this award by going to https://www.ttao.org/real-change/
What is the Real Change Campaign?
Real Change is TTAO’s fundraising campaign to place needed dollars into our socio-economically disadvantaged schools and communities.
Money raised will be used to fund:
· TxETA convention attendance
· Summer Drama camp tuitions
· Clinics
· Guest artists
We believe these activities change lives and help expand theatre in our communities, which affects our society as a whole.
Did you know that TTAO is on Facebook? Join us one of our groups for the latest updates and tips related to One Act Play!
If you are an adjudicator, join us here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/681476041915336/
If you are a contest manager, join us at the new site here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/561273894440216/?ref=share
Texas Theatre Adjudicators and Officials, or TTAO, is a 501(c)3 educational nonprofit formed in 2014.
Originally founded as a standing committee of the Texas Educational Theatre Association, TTAO was previously known as Adjudicator Organization (TETAAO).
The current organization is a group of theatre professionals dedicated to supporting educational theatre by training, developing and recruiting qualified adjudicators and contest managers to serve as officials for the University Interscholastic League (UIL) One Act Play contest as well as other theatrical competitions in the state of Texas.
We provide adjudicator and contest manager training through training events across the state and in workshops at TxETA Theatrefest.
In addition, TTAO works in partnership with the UIL State Theatre Director to review policies and procedures regarding the One Act Play contest and to recommend revisions as needed.
We do not have the authority to change UIL policies and procedures, only review and make recommendations. We do not decide who the judges of UIL One Act Play contests will be but do make recommendations to the League for upper level contest judging assignments based on feedback from evaluations and membership standing.
We appreciate the support of the University Interscholastic League as well as the leadership of the Texas Educational Theatre Association.
The functions of both the TTAO Board of Directors and Standards and Practices Committee are as follows:
Function of the Board of Directors
Function of the Standards and Practices Committee
Past Chairs of TTAO are:
Dr. Jerry Ivins
Travis Springfield
Perry Crafton
Mark Pickell
Carrie Klypchak
TTAO CORE VALUES
Education
Our priority is theatre education for students and their teachers. Our policies serve to improve theatre training within the UIL contest framework.
Diversity
We celebrate differences and include all the varied voices that represent students and the communities we serve.
Integrity
We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards. We expect and practice personal and professional integrity.
Transparency
We commit to open communication and access to information, including governing documents. This instills trust and ensures accountability.
Service
We serve our learning community by bringing our knowledge, experience, and leadership to students and teachers through professional training that instills confidence and provides growth.
Board of Directors
The TTAO Board of Directors is made up of 10 Members with the following roles: Chair, Chair Elect – Adjudicator Training, Past Chair – Awards, Communications Director, Treasurer, Treasurer Elect/Historian, Communications Director-Elect, and 3 Director at Large Positions.
Function of the Board of Directors
To find out more about our current Board of Directors visit: https://www.ttao.org/board-of-directors/
Standards and Practices Committee
The Standards and Practices Committee is a standing committee of TTAO with a membership made up of contest managers and adjudicators from different regions of the state. The committee is made up of 12 total members, 4 adjudicators, 4 contest managers, and 4 at-large positions and is chaired by the chair-elect of TTAO.
Function of the Standards and Practices Committee
To Find out more about our current Standards & Practices Committee visit: https://www.ttao.org/standards-practices-committee/