Latest news with #OpportunityCulture
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Opinion: How Some Texas Teachers Are Earning Six Figures — Without Leaving the Classroom
Ask teachers how much their pay matters, and they often shy away from a direct answer, feeling ashamed to admit they do their job for anything beyond a sheer love of helping students. District leaders more openly acknowledge the importance of compensation, especially for teachers who must work a second job to make ends meet, and in regions that struggle to hire and retain educators. But they can do more than just help their educators escape a two-job grind. In Texas, one district has made it possible for teachers to earn six-figure salaries without leaving the classroom — and without having to wait for decades. Every state and district should make this their teachers' reality. How is it happening? Take a look at Midland Independent School District, in the Permian Basin. First, the district created teams headed by teacher-leaders, following the Opportunity Culture Multi-Classroom Leader model provided by my employer, Public Impact. Participating districts around the country offer educators with records of strong student learning growth and the ability to lead adults the chance to fill these roles, reaching more students as they continue to teach while guiding small groups of colleagues to attain similar results. Each team typically has four or five classroom teachers and a specially trained paraprofessional who supports them, especially by focusing on small-group tutoring. The leaders have dedicated time each week for observing and coaching the team, co-teaching, modeling instruction, and leading planning and data analysis. They are accountable for the results of all students taught by members of the team. For all this, they receive a pay supplement that in 2023-24 averaged $13,500 nationally and reached as high as $25,000. The supplements are funded by reallocations of regular budgets, making them sustainable. Related Team leaders repeatedly call this combination of teaching plus leadership the best of both worlds, seeing an immediate impact from providing targeted, on-the-job support and feedback to a manageable number of people. In Midland, the district goes a step further by adding state incentive funding to the mix. Texas districts can receive annual state Teacher Incentive Allotments, based on how many of their educators the state designates as outstanding. Districts distribute those dollars, using locally designed criteria, to high-performing teachers — from $3,000 to $32,000 apiece. With Midland educators a dozen or so years into their career already earning well above $60,000 a year, 37 team leaders reached the six-figure mark in 2024-25 after adding in stipends of $17,000 or more and state incentive allotments. And in February, the district received notification of 77 more teachers designated as outstanding, many of them already on multi-classroom teams. The combination of a leadership role and higher pay can be disruptive — in a good way. Since the Opportunity Culture initiative began over a decade ago, principals have repeatedly told me that if the program had existed when they were teaching, they would never have left the classroom. One even confessed to planning to step back from the principalship and become a team leader, returning to direct work with students — the reason most educators choose their career in the first place. In fact, Midland officials now have to consider how teacher-leader pay is affecting the ranks of assistant principals, as becoming an AP can mean a pay cut. But that is by design, and more of the district's teachers are staying in the classroom rather than moving up the administrative ranks. At the same time, the district is seeing improved recruitment and retention, because educators earning higher pay feel valued. The program could well create an opportunity to attract people to teaching who might not have otherwise thought about a career in education. And unlike typical grant-funded supplements or bonuses, teachers can trust that this higher pay has been designed to last. In the end, the math adds up to a sweet sum: Great educators + higher pay = supported and satisfied teachers + strong learning results. It's something all teachers and students deserve, and that all states and districts should provide.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Midland College helps tackle teacher shortages in the Basin
MIDLAND, Texas (KMID/KPEJ) – Midland College recently hosted a job fair with plenty of resources for students interested in becoming educators. Shelly Haney, the Executive Director of Teacher Preparation & Childcare at Midland College, said teachers play a critical role in shaping future generations. 'I know right now education doesn't have the greatest reputation, but it is a very rewarding, family-friendly career that I would encourage anyone who has a heart for children to seriously consider,' said Haney. Midland College also offers programs like the Teacher Incentive Allotment and Opportunity Culture so teachers can earn a sustainable income, and get a direct pathway to their profession. 'We have an Associate of Arts teaching degree that students can earn here at Midland College,' said Haney. 'And then we have really strong relationships with university partners for them to transfer to finish their bachelor's degree and teacher certification.' Midland College also partnered with UTPB to strengthen the pathway for future educators. The benefits of the partnership include: A clear and seamless pathway from dual credit to an associate degree at Midland College straight to completing a bachelor's degree at UTPB A streamlined pathway to get into the classroom as an educator quickly Early and continuous advising through students' academic plan Access to scholarships designated for this pathway and partnership Shared data to measure student progress, outcomes and make adjustments if needed Access to practical learning experiences through observation hours at the Midland College's state-of-the art Pre-K Academy and training site Shared faculty allows the ability to offer in-person and hybrid class options, for maximum flexibility for students Host sites for Texas Association of Future Educators (TAFE) meetings Students at Midland ISD also have support from Midland College. 'We work with Midland ISD. I'm lucky to get to be involved with their 'TAFE,' the Texas Association of Future Educators programs in three high schools here in Midland. So that gives me a chance to meet students who are aspiring to be educators, plug in with them, and encourage them to start their next steps at Midland College,' said Haney. You can read more about Haney's work at Midland College by clicking here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Made in MISD: Recent grad returns as registered apprentice
Mar. 20—MIDLAND — Midland ISD's innovative teacher pipeline is already making an impact, and 2024 Coleman High School graduate Natalie Bracamontes '24 is a prime example of its success. Bracamontes, now a freshman at the University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB), is one of 33 registered apprentices across the district, gaining hands-on experience in the classroom while working toward her goal of becoming an elementary teacher. Bracamontes always knew she wanted to be a teacher. During high school, she participated in dual credit Education and Training courses through MISD's Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, which provided her with a strong foundation in lesson planning and classroom instruction. She is now a registered apprentice at Midland ISD and a full-time Reach Associate at South Elementary. As a Reach Associate, Bracamontes supports teachers by assisting in the classroom, leading small groups, and even teaching lessons on her own. She gains firsthand experience crafting lesson plans and observing how educators interact with students. She is also part of the Opportunity Culture program and participates in monthly Teach Like a Champion training, which equips her with valuable instructional strategies. "Being in the classroom and working with students every day is an incredible learning experience," said Bracamontes. "I love seeing how students view the world and how they learn. This program is helping me build my skills and confidence as a future teacher." MISD's registered apprenticeship program, which was approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, provides aspiring educators like Bracamontes with real-world teaching experience while they pursue their degrees. The program is designed to create a seamless transition from college student to certified teacher, ensuring that apprentices receive guidance, mentorship, and financial support throughout their journey. The district's long-term vision is to develop a strong local pipeline of highly qualified educators who will stay and grow within the Midland ISD community. Bracamontes is already looking ahead to her future and will join MISD as a certified educator after completing her degree and certification. "We are committed to growing our own educators here in Midland," said Chelsea Reyes, Director of Talent Development. "Natalie is a great example of how this program is helping to develop the next generation of teachers who will make a lasting impact on our students and schools." With more students like Bracamontes joining the program, MISD is laying the foundation for a stronger, more sustainable future for education in the community.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ECISD cited as example in national report by Education Recovery Scorecard
Feb. 11—Ector County ISD have announced that the school district has received an encouraging mention in a new report released Tuesday by Education Recovery Scorecard, titled Pivoting from Pandemic Recovery to Long-Term Reform: A District-Level Analysis. This report was produced by five researchers from Harvard University, Stanford University, and Dartmouth College. The research pointed out that the highest income districts are nearly 4 times more likely to have recovered both math and reading than the lowest income districts. However, Ector County ISD was noted, with six other school districts from across the country, as high poverty districts that are bucking the nationwide trend and showing recovery, if not yet full recovery, in performance. ECISD is named on page 3, bullet point 4 of the full report. "This is a great recognition of the work that has been, and is currently being done by our ECISD team," Keeley Boyer said in a news release. "Our focus is always on students' learning. Our virtual tutoring program has had a positive effect on thousands of students, and our teacher pipelines are designed to recruit, retain, and reward high quality teachers which directly impacts our students' achievement, too. This is an honor for our entire district and community." Boyer was recently named the sole finalist for ECISD superintendent. This report from Education Recovery Scorecard profiled ECISD and acknowledged the Virtual Tutoring program utilizing outcomes-based contracts and teacher development pipelines as practical efforts that showed positive results. Partnerships with local colleges, "grow our own' teacher programs," Opportunity Culture, and the state's Teacher Incentive Allotment were identified as key investments by ECISD that could serve as models to be studied further and possibly replicated by others. This mention of ECISD has been picked up in articles by other publications like the New York Times and Chalkbeat. The report released Tuesday summarizes the academic struggles schools are facing and offers four recommendations: 1. States and districts should double-down on academic catch-up efforts previously funded by federal relief. 2. Mayors, employers and other community leaders should join schools in tackling student absenteeism. 3. Teachers must inform parents when their child is not on grade level. 4. We must learn from what's working (and what is not) in recent reforms. This report is a follow up, deep dive look into the results of this year's National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Reading and Mathematics, also called The Nation's Report Card which was released Jan. 29, showing the nation's fourth- and eighth-graders are not making the level of progress needed to regain ground lost during the pandemic, although there are some signs of progress. Ector County ISD teacher pipeline programs — OC to UTPB Teach in 3 — Teacher Residencies (for college seniors, full-year residencies with a master teacher) — Odessa Pathway to Teaching (alternative certification program operated by ECISD) — Future Teachers of Odessa (high school pathway) — Registered Teacher Apprenticeship
