As we approach the close of another remarkable year, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication, creativity, and passion, which make our organization truly special. Your unwavering commitment to advancing communication and theatre arts across Arkansas inspires and uplifts our students and the communities we serve.

The holidays mark a midway point in the academic year and a preferential time to reflect on our progress together. At the Summer Workshop in July, ACTAA Leadership released a draft strategic plan - "ACTAA in Action Planning Document" - designed to outline a series of initiatives and action items that prioritize and guide with work of the membership on how each discipline, each community and each member can contribute to achieving our vision of a “future where every student in Arkansas has the opportunity to be transformed through participation in communication, debate, and theatre arts." At the Fall Conference, the finalized draft was adopted. Since then, you and your fellow members have been hard at work. Making progress on living out the ACTAA in Action plan.

We have worked to increase our impact. The board approved a first of its kind sponsorship program, for members to help bring private support to the table and help fund ideas and initiative that you hope ACTAA to endeavor in that will invest in our members and student programs across the state. We have developed a launched the All-state Speech & Debate program which hopes to help members highlight the success of their individual students and programs with state-wide recognition that is relatable to other activities.  The board approved a process for Arkansas to nominate educators and students for the NFHS Heart of the Arts award, through creating our own Heart of ACTAA award. This award focusing on service and "sportsmanship" in the arts, is another great opportunity to highlight the commitment of individual students and programs with state - and potential national - recognition that is relatable to other activities.  Our Lifetime Members have been reengaged and are endeavoring to host social events to support each other with our community, with the potential for supporting some key initiatives in the future. We have invested in the leadership of our students through the Student Advisory Board, and I am excited to announce next month many of the initiatives they recommend we consider as a community.

We have expanded our voice and footprint of representation across the state. We have significantly increased our social media presence in ways that highlight the students at the focus of our work and serve. We launched Arkansas Speech & Debate Month, and continue to develop engagement to grow this opportunity to promote our disciplines and activities.

We have committed to the work of increasing our ability to adapt. The board has agreed to meet more regularly to be more responsive to the needs of our members, The membership has held the board accountable to this commitment through separating the Bylaws and Constitutions, hold the board responsible for its modernization. We created a new process for membership input on Bylaws changes that allows for more time for consideration and accountability of the board. We have continued to document practices in the ACTAA Organizational Handbook, to ensure continuity between leadership and volunteers. The membership demanded the creation of standardized tournament-shell, which the ASC committee has been working on - with plan for release for comments in January.

And, there is much more work to be done, together!

This holiday season, we have much to celebrate in ACTAA, as we accomplished a lot, and continue to collaborate on areas of growth to expand communication and theatre arts in our state. May your days be filled with warmth, laughter, and the company of loved ones, and may the new year ahead bring exciting opportunities for growth and success.

Thank you for being an essential part of our association. Together, we make a difference. Wishing you and yours a joyful holiday season and a prosperous New Year!

ACTAA is excited to announce its participation in Giving Tuesday, a global movement uniting over 35 million nonprofits to inspire generosity and drive positive change. Taking place on the Tuesday, December 3, following Thanksgiving, Giving Tuesday is an opportunity to support meaningful causes that strengthen communities.

ACTAA invites individuals and organizations to join this worldwide effort by contributing to our mission and helping us make a lasting impact. Contributions will help fund scholarships for students, professional development for teachers, and provide opportunities for Arkansas to highlight the talent of our students on stage and in the classroom.

ACTAA Leadership asks members to help amplify our Giving Tuesday campaign by sharing the campaign's social media posts throughout the next few weeks, leading up-to Giving Tuesday, December 3.

If you know of  individuals or organizations that would be interested in supporting communication and theatre education state-wide, please direct them to donate at: actaa.org/donate.

Organizations interested in making larger donations or underwriting ACTAA's activities, can review our sponsorship packet at: actaa.org/support.

The following advisory statements are shared to the Arkansas speech & debate community based on complaints and inquiries that were submitted to the Tournament Advisory Committee (TAC) Chair in the the months of September & October 2024.

Clipping Cards

“Clipping” occurs when the debater claims to have read the complete text of highlighted and/or underlined evidence when, in fact, the contestant skips or omits portions of evidence.

Complaints about "clipping" should be made in round to the judge, not held to addressed to the tournament director after the round. The current, NSDA High School Unified Manual (adopted by ACTAA membership for event rules on September 2014) states, "Judges are responsible for resolving disputes between debaters regarding oral citations (7.1.B.); written source citations (7.1.C.); distinguishing between what parts of each piece of evidence are and are not read in a particular round (7.1.G.). When the judge(s) have such a dispute in the round, they must make a written note on the ballot or inform the tabulation committee of the dispute. They must do so particularly if it impacts the decision in the debate. These decisions may not be appealed."

Novice Eligibility

Although coaches have discretion in what level of debate competition to enter their students in at an tournament (e.g., novice, junior varsity, varsity, etc.), coaches should evaluate the skill level and successful experience of a student and enter the student in the appropriate level competition.

The current Arkansas State Championship (ASC) Qualifying Tournament Guidelines (adopted by ACTAA membership for event rules in September 2024) states. “a “novice” debater is one who is in their first year of competition…who compete in one debate event for more than one year and then compete in a different debate event in the same or subsequent years should enter the APPROPRIATE level of competition for their experience level, competitiveness, and skill. It is the affirmative responsibility of coaches to make ethically sound decisions about competitor placement." (ACTAA Handbook, pg. 81)

Successful participation in multiple tournaments or advancing to out rounds in highly competitive fields (i.e., larger competition field, State Tournament, etc.), generally should be considered as appropriate experience, competitiveness, and skill level to be considered for varsity competition. As shared in the ASC Qualifying Tournament Guidelines, if coaches have questions about how to enter their students “coaches may seek guidance about how to place students from TAC, ASC Committee, or Qualifying Tournament Directors.” (ACTAA Handbook, pg. 82)

Finally, member are reminded that “coaches who wish to challenge a competitor’s placement should do so respectfully and discretely before competition begins to the tournament director and the chair of the TAC committee.” (ACTAA Handbook, pg. 82)

Communication during Tournament 

With often 100+ student entries in 20+ events and 30+ judges & coaches at a given tournament, changes in schedules, room assignments, judge assignments, break thresholds are inevitable. Participants, judges, and coaches should proactively recognize changes will happen, and be understanding of tournament administration when they do occur.

In turn, tournament directors and tabroom staff, should ensure changes of expectations (i.e., postings, invitation, previous communication, etc.) are clearly communicated in a medium that can be equitably received by all parties impacted by the change. 

Sending a person to a room to communicate the same message to all parties and/or a group text message directly to the coaches of the students/ judges impacted, are best practices to ensure the change is communicated quickly and equitably to all parties. 

With this in light, it is recommended tournament directors collect coaches' cell phone numbers and ensure said numbers are added to the phones of all tabulation staff ahead of the tournament. Having number pre-programed in phone before the tournament, would allow for ease of messaging updates during the busyness of a tournament. 

Tournament Decorum & Student Behavior

As coaches, your leadership plays a vital role in setting the tone for students' behavior and decorum at tournaments. Encourage your students to exemplify professionalism, respect, and sportsmanship, both during and outside their rounds. Remind students that tournaments are not only a platform for intellectual growth but also an opportunity to build positive relationships with peers and adjudicators. Behavior such as interrupting, disparaging remarks, disrespecting adult-tournament staff, or any form of misconduct reflects poorly on both the individual and their team, and should be actively discouraged.

Additionally, ensure students are aware of tournament rules and expectations, emphasizing punctuality, preparedness, and adherence to guidelines. All participants of speech & debate tournaments in Arkansas, should be reminded frequently of ACTAA's Professional & Ethical Standards of Conduct and the collective expectation of civility, ethical behavior, inclusion, and respect. (ACTAA Handbook, pg. 68)

Addressing any concerns or issues with feudality, reinforcing the importance of accountability and mutual respect, should foster a culture of integrity and decorum. As adult-educators we should collectively uphold and actively coach these high standards that make speech & debate a meaningful and enriching experience for all participants.

The following postings have been shared with ACTAA or recommended by Google Alerts. Please check the referenced school district's website for the most up-to-date and accurate information.

Middle School Drama Teacher

The Texarkana Arkansas School District is seeking a Middle School Drama Teacher for the Arkansas Middle School. Apply at: https://tasd7.tedk12.com/hire/ViewJob.aspx?JobID=1397

The National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) Performing Arts Division is seeking to survey all K-12 Speech, Debate, and Theatre coaches and educators in an effort to develop resources to recruit the next generation of teachers in our fields. 

Please take time to complete the appropriate surveys provided to ACTAA Leadership by the NFHS Performing Arts Directors. 

• Speech and Debate Coach Satisfaction Survey

• Theatre Educator Satisfaction Survey

At its November meeting, the Board of Directors approved to amend Articles I and II of the ACTAA Bylaws to modernize committee structure as a strategy of the ACTAA in Action strategic plan approved at Fall Conference. 

Amendment Details.

This amendment removes the unnecessary references of “permanent” in committee name types (AI §1), adds language to clarify better the difference between standing and special committees (AI §7(1)), reorganizes committees in the document to better align with their appropriate committee type (AI §6(2a-j) & §7(2a-f)), moves liaison positions from Article I, [Committees] §7(2) to Article II, [Officers] (AII §7-10), and other non-substantive changes for clarification (AI §2, §5, §6(2), §6(2c), §7(2), & §7(2E).

Additionally, the amendment renames the Professional Standards Committee to the Advocacy and Public Engagement Committee (AI §6(2a)), the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee to the Belonging and Inclusion Advocacy (BIA) Committee (AI §6(2d)), and the Recruitment and Mentoring Committee to the New Member Support Committee (AI §6(2g)). The purpose and function of these committees will not change.

The amendment adds a reference to the ACTAA Professional & Ethical Standards of Conduct in the purpose of the Ethical Practices Committee. (AI §6(2e))

Finally, the amendment restructures the Tournament Advisory Committee (TAC) to be a defined seven members, including the President, the ASC Permanent Director, and the Student Congress Permanent Director serving ex-officio and four general members appointed by the President. The amendment also establishes clearer committee expectations, including who TAC complaints should be reported, who should be included in conferring, and examples of potential outcomes. (AI §6(2j))

Amendment Language.

The following document outlines the amendment in two versions.

• The first version (pages 2-12) is in markup⎼⎼showing the changes highlighted in red text, with stricken language being removed and underlined language being added to the document.
• The second version (pages 13-20) is a “clean” version⎼⎼showing the document as amended with the changes incorporated in the document.

Membership Comment Period.

In compliance with ACTAA By-laws, Article VII, section 2, before the amendment can be ratified and engrossed, the Board approved amendment will be published via email to the membership for a thirty (30) day period for members to submit comments on the amendment. 

Members can submit comments using the following form:  https://forms.gle/PwSf6oukTBMeCCGu9

If the amendment receives no comments from the membership after the thirty (30) day comment period, the amendment will be ratified effective December 18. If the amendment receives any comments for proposed changes during the thirty (30) day comment period, the Board of Directors shall review the comments at its January 5 meeting, where the Board will: "(1) approve the amendment with recommended changes; or (2) approve the amendment “as is,” with no changes, by two-thirds vote."

At its October 21 meeting, the  National Federation of State High School Associations' (NFHS) Speech, Debate & Theatre Advisory Committee adopted the following items as Points of Emphasis for the 2024-25 academic year.

Implicit Bias

Every person is influenced by implicit biases, which can affect our interactions with others. It is the right of every student to compete free from discrimination. It is, therefore, also the responsibility of every coach, judge and peer to acknowledge and resist their own biases. Participating in pre-tournament training can help everyone consider their own assumptions about others and make the choice to abandon them prior to competition. Students should be judged solely on their competitive merit. https://nfhslearn.com/courses/implicit-bias

Artificial Intelligence

AI has become an invaluable tool in professional and educational spaces to make certain tasks more efficient. At their best, these tools should be used to grow student skillsets (i.e., research, brainstorming and practice). The expectation is that AI may assist in, but not replace, a student’s work. It can help students learn and understand information and apply that knowledge to their original work.

Access

Speech, debate and theatre are powerful activities that have the potential to impact and transform lives. Every student has the right to access these programs, and a lack of resources should never be a hindrance to participation. Coaches and directors should work to provide equal access to ​​electronic resources, supplies, attire, etc. and reasonably provide accommodation for those members of our community who lack access. The focus of the performing arts competition should be on commending and improving the student’s content instead of shutting down points of view or being critical of that which is outside of the student’s control.

Support

Speech, debate and theatre are a community. Though students may perform on the stage alone, they do so with a team cheering them on, coaches guiding them, and parents encouraging them all the way through. That community is our most vital resource and should be available for individual members to lean on. Coaches are encouraged to aid their colleagues and competitors; students are encouraged to build personal connections beyond the boundaries of their team; and parents shall remember that every child deserves the dignity of a respectful community.

As an association, I truly believe ACTAA is poised for a bright future.

Since accepting the nomination for second vice president four years ago, we have made so much progress in how we provide communication instruction to students, what competition looks like, and what theatre production means in a post pandemic world. As the world continues to evolve, we have learned to be better educators, servants, mentors, and leaders for each other and our students. We have restructured the Board of Directors, invested in advocacy, and modernized our association’s process in many areas.

State of ACTAA Address - Video

As our journey together continues, I see so many other opportunities for growth in our near future. Just this weekend, we engaged in meaningful discussions about refocusing our work on promoting and advancing communication studies in the curriculum, expanding opportunities for our students, and better supporting educators at the local level with modern resources.

But just as we see opportunities, there are challenges ahead as well. We face a massive teacher shortage, and smaller membership roster in the wake of the Great Resignation. Competition for students have spurred districts to offer more extracurricular activities, creating competition for our students. Parental initiated drive for student achievement has pushed districts to offer more CTE, AP, and concurrent courses that have replaced time on schedules for electives. The growth of our sister organizations (i.e., ABA Mock Trail, Arkansas Thespians, etc.).that used to need ACTAA to operate, are now fully independent operations. All of these items influence the world which our association exists, and we must confront their impacts on our activity and seek to find new ways of advancing our work.

As I look at the horizon, I see the work we have to do that is both technical and adaptive, as the challenges before us are both technical and adaptive.

The work is the responsibility of not just the association, but you as a member as well. It will take everyone of us working together at a local and state level to realize our vision of a “future where every student in Arkansas has the opportunity to be transformed through participation in communication, debate, and theatre arts." I see this work in three categories: service, leadership, & outreach.

Services

For several years, I believe our association has been at a inflection point. Needing to answer the question, “what service do we want to provide our members?” I believe we have done good work through the DEI Taskforce, Theatre Ad Hoc, and strategic planning process to answer this question. As we look to the year ahead, we need to commit to providing more regular virtual professional development opportunities outside of conference. PD opportunities that capture the attention of our theatre colleagues, and support the hundreds of communication only teachers out there. We have to invest in our new member on-boarding process. Asking ourselves how to automate, engage and support new members that join outside of conference. And, what valuable resources can we provided educators. We annually talk about slapping conference presentation slides on the website, but how can we truly provide quality useful resources to everyday teachers to improve their classroom?

Some work has already been done to address ACTAA services to members. Since accepting the presidential gavel, we have completely restructured the website to better support members. We are investing in our Student Advisory Board; committing to provide leadership opportunities and training for the students to grow as captains and leaders in their communities. And, the Board adopted new opportunities for ACTAA to help you advocate for your students and tell the story of your program through additional student recognition. At Fall Conference, the Board approve to offer All-State and Academic All-State designations this year and developed an award system for a student to receive national recognition through the NFHS Heart of the Arts award program.

Leadership

Realizing this and our larger vision of speech, debate, & theatre in every school, will take leadership. Leadership from the Board, leadership from our officers, but also leadership from you – our members. Like I have mentioned, it will take every one of us working together at a local and state level. I know we are all busy and its not easy managing 4-7 preps plus a team or production on your own. But, if this business is important and critical for our students and the state, as we like to say it is, we each have to make a commitment to attend committee meetings regularly, keep each other accountable in our volunteer roles, and show up when input and feedback is solicited.

I don’t ask the membership anything more than I have asked of myself or the Board. This summer, the Board agreed to new rules to hold itself accountable. And, this weekend we committed to meeting bi-monthly as opposed to traditionally 2-3 times a year. We understand that our vision takes work, and we have to become accountable to the work in real time. Additionally, this weekend the Board adopted the new "ACTAA in Action” Strategic Plan. The plan outlines a series of initiatives and action items that prioritize and guide work of the membership on how each discipline, each community, and each member can contribute to achieving our vision.

Outreach

Although, I believe we must commit ourselves to the work, we can’t engage in the business of transforming the lives of every student in Arkansas through communication education alone. We have to reach outside of our current membership to attract new members and partners to help us advance the work. I challenge us to commit real time into exploring how can we reach new teachers entering our fields? How to connect with existing teachers in our disciplines that feel alone in their building an content area? How can we better support teachers in the school we already have members, but perhaps don’t serve every teacher in our subjects as well?

As we work on answering these questions, the Board has made real investments in seeking strategic partners to help empower, equip, and champion our mission & vision with us. This summer, the Board approved a sponsorship program that will allow us to fundraise to better support our activities and have a purse that will allow us to expand our work. We have reorganized how we communicate with members and outside audiences with streaming our newsletter and media releases. We hope these efforts better gain traction with media outlets. And, we have invested in a plan for social media so our work is not just promoted two times a year with student congress and state, but year around.

As we live out the next year, I challenge every member to ask how you can do a little more advance how ACTAA serves, leads, & outreaches.

I know there is a lot of work ahead, but if we continue to commit to work for “future where every student in Arkansas has the opportunity to be transformed through participation in communication, debate, and theatre arts," than the future of ACTAA is bright as we equip the next generation of leaders to think, speak, and act for a brighter future.

Yours for better discourse,

Zackery Tucker, ACTAA President

During the organization’s annual conference, the Board of Directors approved a strategic plan that which outlines a series of initiatives and action items that prioritize and guide work of the membership on how each discipline, each community, and each member can contribute to achieving our vision of a “future where every student in Arkansas has the opportunity to be transformed through participation in communication, debate, and theatre arts."

A draft of the “ACTAA in Action” plan was shared with the membership ahead of Summer Workshop, July 21-23. Following the Summer Workshop, I incorporated the outstanding initiatives of our DEI Taskforce in the action plan.

“Two years ago, we adopted our core values and the Think, Speak, Act Arkansas branding,” shared ACTAA President Zackery Tucker at the announcement of the plan. “This summer, I challenged us to work to develop an action plan to strategically and intentionally live out our values, expand opportunities and prepare Arkansas’ students to be leaders in their communities and workforce. This plan does just that. It challenges us as educators to think, speak, and act in four core areas, or goals:

The plan include new priorities for ACTAA like, develop new communication course for CTE pathways, develop a strategic partner program to encourage support form outside of the organization, expand Arkansas Speech and Debate Month to a day at the Arkansas Capitol, and modernizing board and committee operations.

A full copy of the ACTAA in Action is accessible on website, actaa.org/vision.

2024 ACTAA in Action Strategic Plan