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President Profile
Beyond addressing student needs and helping teachers, Valdez, director of instructional television at Weslaco ISD, has developed programming that interests a broader viewership: parents. His lineup showcases programs such as varsity sporting events, talent shows and spelling bees. As he sees it, parents who miss their kid's football game want to be able to turn on the TV and watch it later — sometimes with their child. Valdez's approach helps drive positive parental and community relations. This public-relations-focused philosophy is one reason why Valdez is poised to make an impact during his tenure as president of the Texas School Public Relations Association. He stepped up to the position at the annual conference in February. TSPRA works to promote effective public relations practices, provide professional development for members, and improve communication between Texans and other public schools. "My perspective on the TSRPA presidency is restoring honor to the profession of public relations, along with a strong work ethic," says Valdez, 46, who left his career as a television news reporter to serve in education. "The word 'honor' used to be assigned to educators. Being a teacher was among the most honorable professions in our society. But we've lost some of that honor. I want to help our PR professionals recognize honor and promote people who display honor in education." Valdez already has brought honor to his position as director of instructional television at Weslaco ISD. He has served there for 19 years and, during that time, built one the state's largest school television staffs. In his district of only 17,000 students, Valdez has worked from the beginning to establish deep roots for the TV station. By ensuring that the programming meets the needs of the student population, promotes academic success and caters to the needs of busy parents, the station has weathered budget cuts for nearly two decades. "My background in TV news helped me because as the department started to grow, we didn't have an engineer on staff," Valdez says. "It was nice to know what type of equipment we needed to buy, and I was comfortable enough to work behind the camera or on air. In the early days, I would write, shoot, edit, voice — I did everything." Welasco ISD's television station is one of only a handful in the state to broadcast on both a cable-access channel and via Internet streaming. Programming streams online 24/7 for the convenience of parents. Beyond sporting events and spelling bees, the station also broadcasts school board meetings, graduation ceremonies and other school events. Anything a parent would want to watch becomes a broadcast assignment for Valdez's department. Valdez earns his keep, in part, by managing advertising for the stadium's JumboTron. He sells ads for display on the big screen, which generates about $80,000 a year for the school district. Valdez's team members also produce splashy videos that air on the scoreboard before the game starts, and they handle the instant replays. Valdez figures the entertainment of Friday night football has increased hugely because of these efforts. When Valdez isn't heading up the district's television station, he's spending plenty of time with his wife and children. He also enjoys working with his hands and often jokes that if he weren't running a television station, he would probably venture into woodworking. He has built everything from lamps to pergolas. He describes himself as a weekend carpenter. "People ask me what I am going to do when I retire," Valdez says. "There's plenty of things you can do with tools and with time. The combination of tools and time is wonderful. I love being alone. I just turn on the radio and I can be outside all day by myself working on projects with my hands." Valdez is currently working to secure entertainment icons for TSPRA's next conference. So far, he has booked John Quinones, co-anchor of ABC's "Prime Time," and he is working on a yet-to-be-named television personality from a well-known comedy show. With his background and commitment to honor and hard work, Valdez says he believes he can make a lasting impression on TSRPA. "TSPRA installing me as its first president from the broadcasting world is an indication of our diversity," Valdez says. "As a public relations professional, you can't just be a good writer anymore. You have to be good at social media, photography and video. Public relations is so much more today than what it used to be." JENNIFER LECLAIRE has written for The New York Times, the Associated Press and The Christian Science Monitor. |
When it comes to educational television programming, Steven Valdez takes a different approach than many other directors across the Texas public school system. He puts a heavy emphasis on publicity.