Calendar Sunday, August 26, 3 p.m. Board Meeting at the home of Ken & Sondra Ferstl, 1505 Victoria. Members are always welcome to attend Board Meetings. Thursday, September 13, 7 p.m. General Meeting. Room 176, EESAT Building at the University of North Texas. Educational Testing in the Texas Public Schools. Barbara Burns, presenter. Sunday, September 16, 3 p.m. Board Meeting at the home of Peg LaPoint, 1900 Highland Park Circle. For a more complete calendar of the LWV-Denton activities for 2007-2008, please see the listing on p. 3.

You should have by now received a membership renewal notice. Thanks to those of you who have already sent your 2007-2008 dues in to the League.

Membership in the League of Women Voters of Denton is $50 for an individual member. Household memberships are $50 for the first person and $25 for each additional person residing at the same mailing address. Full-time students may join for $20. Send a check payable to LWV-Denton to P.O. Box 424945 TWU Station, Denton, Texas 76204.

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STANDARDIZED TESTING:
Investigating Its Effectiveness

Instead of the 3 R’s, Texas now emphasizes the 3 T’s: TEKS, TAKS, and more testing. For educators in Texas, the current accountability system is riddled with challenges. What is the best way to test students? What should be included in the state’s curriculum? What should be part of the state’s accountability system? How should the state’s standards be aligned with national guidelines? Because of the diverse population in the state, what should be done to ensure equitable opportunity for all students?

Those and other questions have prompted a state-wide study by the League of Women Voters. Before the membership attempts to reach a consensus on this topic, Barbara Burns, a member of both the Denton League and the state committee, will present findings at the September 13th meeting.

Joining Barbara Burns, a high school social studies teacher for 28 years, will be her daughter, Michele Yardley, an elementary teacher for 8 years. Their insights will lend understanding to a complex, relevant issue.

A Facts & Issues on the Educational Testing Study will be mailed to every member with the Texas VOTER on August 28. It is full of information on every facet of Texas’ mandated testing program.

Children are this country’s future, making a highly effective educational system a necessity. To learn more about this timely topic, attend the upcoming meeting and invite a friend to join you for an informative evening.

Barbara Burns, Educational Testing Study chair

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PRESIDENT’S PODIUM

Welcome to LWV-Denton 2007-2008. It has been a long time since Annual Meeting last April. It will be difficult to summarize the meeting for those who had to miss. We had a review of programs and voters service activities and a financial report that included a successful Finance Drive.

Tracy Lindsay received the LOLITS awards for her invaluable assistance to us in printing our Voters Guides. Peg LaPoint received the Gladys Barstis award. Beyond her duties as Program Vice President, she made arrangements for our meetings at UNT, including providing parking hangtags for all who attended.

We adopted the proposed program as listed in your March Denton VOTER. Judy Giese presented the Nominating Committee report, which was accepted. Serving this next year will be Sue Smith, President; Linnie McAdams, Organization Vice President; Ken Ferstl, Secretary; Barbara Coe and Maggie Dodd, Directors; Nominating Committee members, Kay Branum, chair, Dorothy Adkins and Rosemary Witmer, members. Continuing officers are Peg LaPoint, Program Vice President, and Sondra Ferstl, Director.

Our guest speaker was George Campbell, City Manager for Denton. He remarked on the increased population and land annexation, the Workforce Commission report that indicates more people are coming to Denton to work than are leaving and on commercial developments.

I hope you will make note of our first meeting September 13th on Mandatory Testing in the Public Schools. I can’t imagine you don’t have an opinion on that subject.

Sue Smith, President

Peg LaPoint, Gladys Barstis Award recipient, with our Annual Meeting Speaker, City Manager George Campbell.
Photo by Byron Witmer.

LWV-DENTON CALENDAR FOR 2007-2008
The Board agreed tentatively on the following dates for Denton League activities in 2007-2008.

2007
August	26 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m., Ferstls
September	13 – General Meeting, 7 p.m., UNT EESAT Bldg., Informational Meeting on Mandatory Testing in the Public Schools (LWV-Texas study)
	16 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m., La Points
October	11- General Meeting, 7 p.m., November 6 Bond Election for Denton ISD and proposed Texas Constitutional Amendments
	14 – Board meeting, 3 p.m., Ferstls
	25 – General Meeting, 7 p.m., UNT EESAT Bldg., Consensus on Mandatory Testing in the Public Schools
	LWV-Texas Education Fund Voters Guide and LWV-Denton Voters Guide to November 6 Election
November	6 – Election Day
	15 – General Meeting, 7 p.m., UNT EESAT Bldg., Informational Meeting on Immigration (LWVUS study)
	18 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m., LaPoints
	29 – General Meeting, 7 p.m., UNT EESAT Bldg., Consensus Meeting on Immigration Study
December	2 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m., LaPoints
	13 – Christmas Party and Local, State, and National Program Planning, time and location to be determined
2008
January	13 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m.
	24 – General Meeting on Electronic Voting
February	Finance Drive
	LWV-Texas Education Fund Voters Guide to March 4 Primary Election
	10 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m.
	21 – General Meeting, 7 p.m. Gas Wells in Denton
March	9 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m.
	13 – General Meeting, 7 p.m., Regional Water Planning
April	4 – 6 – LWV-Texas State Convention, Fort Worth
	13 – Board Meeting, 3 p.m.
	19 – Annual Meeting
	LWV-Denton Voters Guide to May 10 Election
May	10 – Election Day