As City/County Health officials issued an updated order for all independent school districts and private schools in El Paso County for the reopening of on-campus instruction, delaying the start of in person classes until after September 7th, local school districts have been quick to respond.

The order essentially halts all in person classes until after Labor Day, however does make note that virtual classes will be allowed per the individual school district’s plan.

Below are the statements/releases from the area’s school districts.

Ysleta ISD

Due to the city’s recent public health order and in the best interest of health and safety for students and teachers, the Ysleta Independent School District will delay the start of classes for the 2020-21 school year until Monday, Aug. 17, at which point all students will begin at least three weeks of online learning at home.

“Please be assured we made this decision for the well-being of our teachers and students in order to ensure an excellent academic experience for every child,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Xavier De La Torre.

“We are continuing to finalize plans for the new school year, and over the next few weeks, our parents will continue to have the opportunity to select either face-to-face instruction or online learning for their child for the upcoming school year,” Dr. De La Torre added.

The delayed school start date will prompt two changes to Ysleta ISD’s new year-round calendar, officials said.

The first change affects the two-week break – or intersession – for students in October. Originally scheduled for Oct. 5-16, the break will now be reduced by one week and take place only from Oct. 12-16. That means classes WILL be in session from Oct. 5-9 for both online and face-to-face instruction.

In addition, Ysleta ISD will add one week to the end of the school year, and the last day of school is now Friday, June 11, 2021.

Currently, the district is continuing to provide professional development to teachers in the areas of technology and content in order to equip them with the tools to provide a quality online experience. Ysleta ISD is also enhancing its technology support to ensure all student devices are ready for online instruction, and continuing to make safety its No.1 priority by aligning safety and health protocols with state public health recommendations.

Ysleta ISD parents are being asked to reach out to the district to confirm whether their child will either return to campus for face-to-face Classroom Learning, or participate in Online Learning at home. Parents can do so by calling (915) 434-0280 and taking a brief, three-question survey.

Parents who do not complete the survey will be contacted by their child’s school over the next few weeks to confirm their choice. For more information, parents are encouraged to submit questions through the “Ask The District” tab on the main webpage at www.yisd.net.

IDEA Public Schools El Paso

IDEA Public Schools will be following the City of El Paso and State guidance regarding school opening recommendations. All IDEA campuses in El Paso will begin classes on Monday, August 17 with all students participating in distance learning until Monday, September 7.   

Beginning Tuesday, September 8, parents will have the option to send their children to school, continue distance learning or switch back and forth as needed. On campus start date is subject to change based on guidance from local and state authorities.  

For the upcoming school year, IDEA Public Schools will provide personal technology devices, including computers or tablets,  to all scholars enrolled at IDEA campuses.   

One-to-one personal technology creates opportunities to meet the needs of every student with an intentional focus on structure and rigor to keep all scholars on track regardless of where the learning itself is taking place. Technology allows for uninterrupted learning, regardless of possible restrictions placed on in-person schooling.  

The program also allows schools to extend the learning window, create new opportunities and learning models for students, and boost the home to school connection.   

More back-to-school information is available via this link.

El Paso ISD

The City of El Paso Department of Public Health released new orders limiting face-to-face instruction and requiring school buildings to remain closed to non-essential personnel until at least Sept. 8.

EPISD also will delay the first day of instruction to Aug. 17. The first three weeks of school will be conducted virtually for all students.
We will resume with the phased-in approach to the return to campuses on Sept. 8, or once local health authorities deem it safe to do so.

“EPISD is committed to our mission to serve as a strong community partner,” Superintendent Juan Cabrera said. “We have worked closely with the County and City of El Paso to ensure the health and wellbeing of our students, staff and community. We will to continue to work together for the safety of our community.”

EPISD staff and teachers will continue to work remotely until school buildings are opened. Last week, parents were sent a survey listing the three instructional models that will be offered once campuses are open. The options include continued virtual; staggered schedules (combination virtual and in-person); and daily face to face for certain groups. Parents should still proceed with choosing
an option as soon as possible in order to facilitate planning for campuses. The survey can be found at episd.org/reopeningplan

The city’s order also states:

•All children with special healthcare needs which are considered medically fragile should not return to
school until the 2021-2022 school year.
•Students, teachers, and staff age 2 years and older should wear face coverings, unless medically
contraindicated or if this may pose a risk to the student, teachers, and staff.

For updates and details of EPISD’s reopening plan, visit episd.org/reopeningplan

Socorro ISD

Dear Team SISD,

It is my hope that our community is safe and well. When our district previously released our reopening plans for the 2020-21 school year, we emphasized to our community that all plans were subject to change pending guidance from the Texas Education Agency (TEA) as well as local health and government officials. We’d like to update our community on the new developments.

Guidance from Texas Education Agency

TEA has released new guidance to school districts, and I am very proud to report that the Socorro Independent School District is in compliance with the learning models outlined by Commissioner Mike Morath on July 7, 2020. TEA is requiring that all students have the option to receive five day in-person instruction, but parents should be allowed to choose the At-Home (Remote) Learning Model if they don’t feel comfortable with the Traditional Learning Model. Via our Parent Scheduling Survey, we offered SISD students the option to learn all five days from school or from home.

Also, due to TEA guidance, the Hybrid Learning Model is only available to students in PreK through 2nd grade. If you haven’t filled
out our Parent Scheduling Survey, please do so by the end of today.

Additionally, the TEA Commissioner is providing all school districts in Texas with a three-week transition period similar to our SISD model in which we start the school year with three weeks of full remote instruction to provide our teachers and employees adequate time and space to adjust to the strenuous safety protocols and new way of teaching.

Guidance from Local Health & Government Authorities

As all of you may know, there has been an alarming spike in Covid-19 cases not only across our El Paso County but also across the country.
I agree wholeheartedly with the order by El Paso City-County Health Authority Dr. Hector Ocaranza with the support of both County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and Mayor Dee Margo that would prohibit any in-person classes by local school districts until after Labor Day in September.

Therefore, we have made a proactive decision to update our school calendar for the 2020-21 school year, which will meet guidelines issued by both TEA and El Paso health and government authorities. The adjusted calendar will still provide additional flexibility that will allow us to close our district or schools due to potential positive COVID-19 cases as necessary.

It is important to note that the new first day of school for students in the Socorro Independent School District will be on August 17, 2020. Teachers’ first day back to work will be August 3, 2020. We will continue with our plan to begin the school year with full remote instruction only for the first three weeks of school as authorized by TEA.

In-person instruction will begin on September 8, 2020 as directed by El Paso City-County health and government authorities.

Due to the pandemic continuing to get worse with record-breaking cases being reported daily in the El Paso community, we urge our families to do their part in preventing the spread of Covid-19 by practicing social distancing, staying home when possible, wearing their masks, and washing their hands frequently. Socorro ISD desperately needs our community’s help to go “Back to School SAFELY!”

I understand that our SISD stakeholders may have many questions and concerns, but I continue to ask for your patience, understanding, cooperation, and flexibility as our team works through the many issues that must be addressed for the new school year. We are still in uncharted waters; however, I know that together as Team SISD we will figure out the best and safest ways to navigate another challenging school year.

As with all Back to School plans, details may be subject to change pending the state of our local community health and new guidance issued by national, state, and local authorities as we approach the first day of school.

Rest assured that we will continue to update you as we finalize plans and move forward with the best interest in mind for our students and staff. We continue to consult regularly with local health and government officials, TEA, and seek additional guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to ensure that our procedures and protocols reflect the optimal ways to operate and “Keep Team SISD Safe.”

Please continue to check our #TeamSISD Back to School SAFELY webpage (www.sisd.net/backtoschool) as well as our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts frequently for updates and answers to questions you may have.

Our TOP priority remains the physical and emotional well-being of our students, employees, and families. I am grateful for the collaboration and unity that I continue to witness in our outstanding community. By working together, we will launch a safe and successful 2020-21 school year.

I greatly appreciate your continued support and trust in Team SISD. Stay healthy and stay strong. God bless all of our families.

Respectfully,
José Espinoza, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools

Some local officials also added their voices to the discussion, the following is a statement from State Senator Jose Rodriguez:

Earlier this week, the president said he would use every means possible to force schools to re-open, regardless of the situation with COVID-19. Unfortunately, the situation in Texas is deteriorating rapidly, with the governor warning of significant increases in fatalities. Despite record-breaking numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in recent weeks, the Texas Education Agency is pushing local school districts to start instruction next month.

Parents and teachers are concerned that we are moving too quickly during a high-risk period and without sufficient planning. I share those concerns. We must be guided by the best science-based information available, not the politics of the president or some state leaders. Teachers and support staff must be given options that allow them to work without putting themselves or their families at risk.

I applaud the El Paso Public Health Department for issuing an order prohibiting in-person school openings until Sept. 7. This is a prudent move for our community’s health and safety.

***Awaiting comments from:

Clint ISD

Fabens ISD

San Eli ISD

Tornillo ISD

Anthony ISD

The Clint Independent School District joined other area ISDs Monday and released their plans and guidelines for students and staff to return to class for the 2020-21 School year.

Via a Monday news release, officials said that the Texas Education Agency had been providing guidelines for beginning the Fall 2020 school semester through June and into July 2, 2020.

“At this point, Clint ISD has used that information to create and announce our plan for instructing our students. To ensure the safety of our students and staff we have created a plan which we have named – I-LEARN@HOME.”

District officials shared the details as follows:

1. Clint ISD will begin classes on July 27, 2020 as originally scheduled.

2. All Students will attend the I-LEARN@HOME program where our staff will be back in their classrooms, providing instruction, and students will remain safely at home, learning. This will take effect from July 27, 2020 through September 25, 2020. At that time, the District will review the recommendations by the county, state and Texas Education Agency for face-to-face instruction and determine for the next grading period the instructional setting for our students.

3. During the First Nine Weeks, teachers will be in their classroom, utilizing the camera, recording, computer and software systems to provide real-time instruction to our students in their homes. This system has been named the I-LEARN system, or Instructional Learning Environment Audio Resource Network, and is an integrated system of equipment and software that will support our teachers with using technology to deliver instruction.

4. Clint ISD has installed the I-LEARN system in over 700 classrooms and has also purchased the G Suite for Education tools for all teachers. These resources will enable our teachers to broadcast instructional activities direct from our classrooms to our students as well as capture the lesson broadcasts for later viewing.

“The I-LEARN@HOME instructional program will allow our teachers access to the tools they need to provide direction instruction while they remain safe through social distancing and it will also allow our students to be instructed at higher levels while social distancing,” Clint ISD officials stated.

Additionally, District officials announced that employees will be allowed to bring their school-aged children to work with them if they are from the same household and are Clint ISD students.

“Information is still being released weekly by the TEA which the District will continue to review and refine in the upcoming weeks. The District administration will continue to monitor the current situation and create the best plan for our employees and students,” CISD officials added.

For more information on the program, please visit Clint ISD’s Website.

On Thursday, during their regular school board meeting, Clint ISD announced that students would not be returning to classes this school year. Board members also approved pay for Substitute Teachers in the district, hit hard by COVID19.

Officials announced that the current school year would be finished at home, stating that students would not be returning to their campuses this school year.

“Due to increased concerns regarding the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and as directed by the Department of Public Health, District students will not return to school for the remainder of the school year,” district officials shared via a news release.

CISD officials added, “The District will continue to implement all recommendations by the Department of Public Health.”

During the same board meeting, CISD members announced that their substitute teacher would receive pay.

“In an effort to reduce substitute teacher turnover and help ensure the availability of substitute teachers and continuity of operations and staffing upon the re-opening of District campuses, the Clint ISD Board of Trustees during their regular board meeting on April 16, 2020, approved compensating substitute teachers during the District’s closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic,” officials shared.

Substitute Teachers will receive two payments that will be calculated based on the Substitute Teacher’s average gross earnings in the months of January 2020 and February 2020.

The payments will be made in April 2020 and May 2020. Substitute Teachers that did not receive gross earnings during January and February 2020 will not receive the payments.

With masks in high demand and short supply during the Coronavirus Pandemic, Clint ISD found a solution for the safety and well-being of their employees, right in their own backyard.

The solutions came from within the Clint ISD family, providing handmade masks with the assistance of staff and a Clint HS Alumnus.

Several Clint ISD bus drivers, who also repair the district’s school bus upholstery when damaged, are now on a new mission.

Marisela Lopez, Sonia Munoz, Blanca Hernandez, and Aurelia Flores are using their skills for Clint employees who are preparing and distributing meals, sewing mask after mask for them.

Additionally, Elliot Knoch, a Clint High School Alumnus from the class of 2005, is giving back to the community by sewing much needed masks out of his family business.

District officials say the masks will also be provided to  Clint ISD employees, such as maintenance workers and security officers who are keeping the District safe and secure 24/7.

Over 200 of these masks have been distributed to Clint ISD employees with more expected to be ready in the next few weeks.

In an effort to share available resources to help the community combat COVID-19 (Coronavirus), officials with Clint ISD announced they are offering needed medical equipment to local hospitals in the El Paso area.

According to district public information officer Laura Cade, the Clint ISD Health Professions Academy located at Mountain View High School is closed and houses equipment and supplies that can immediately be used by local hospitals.

Equipment such as hospital beds and stretchers, as well as supplies such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and hospital pillows will be offered to community hospitals in need.

CISD officials added that they invite other school districts throughout the El Paso area to do the same.

According to the Mountain View High website, the specialty school is open to all students from the area:

“The Center of Health Professions at Mountain View is a health care professional preparation program offered to students throughout El Paso area.

Students that join in can choose from four available pathways where they will gain hand-on experience in a health care setting.”

While students and staff at the Ysleta Independent School District stay safe at home during school closure, teachers and administrators are coordinating a variety of online games and activities to lift spirits and spark friendly competition across the district and El Paso area.

Since the school closure began March 23, Ysleta ISD schools have been busy posting on social media, sending video-recorded thanks to custodians and cafeteria workers, challenging followers to exercise and stay fit, sharing team photos, conducting read-alouds for elementary school students, and organizing popular eSPORTs competitions.

“Keeping students engaged during these difficult times is important,” said Mario Rodarte, an Innovative Technology support teacher at Ysleta ISD who has collaborated with colleagues at Clint ISD to host three Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Tournaments for the Nintendo Switch this week for students, parents, faculty, and staff from both districts.

All three tournaments, which started Monday and continue on April 1st and 3rd, take place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Participants can join all tournaments by selecting “Online” in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, then selecting “Tournaments” then “Search by code.”

In order to compete, gamers must have a Nintendo Switch, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a Nintendo Online account.

“eSPORTS has a tendency to bring students together. I have observed students, who have never met or talked to each other, collaborate and work out a strategy to win the game,” Rodarte said.

“They have the ability to put into practice their social-emotional skills while preventing the feeling of isolation. They can compete in real-time events with real people, and put into practice real-world skills,” he added.

Virtual games aren’t just for students – Ysleta ISD is once again hosting an online Easter Egg Hunt for Central Office employees, long considered a great way to relieve stress while prompting friendly, healthy competition among departments.

Although most Central Office employees are at home this year, the Easter Egg Hunt can be played by one person or a department team, with a small prize being awarded to the top-scoring team after the contest closes Wednesday, April 10.

For more information on the Super Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Online Tournament between Ysleta and Clint ISDs, click here.

On Friday, officials with the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) awarded a total of $42,000 to the Clint Independent School District and the Fabens Independent School District, gifts that will expand each districts’ dual credit programs and improve their student educational attainment.

The Accelerated Certification of Teachers El Paso (ACT El Paso) scholarship fund, established by CREEED in 2015, helps high school teachers complete the prerequisites and gain the credentials needed to teach dual credit courses.

“CREEED is focused on increasing the number of students enrolled in dual credit courses, so we’re investing in districts across El Paso. The earlier we can prepare students for college, the more successful they will be in earning their degrees,” said Richard A. Castro, Chairman of CREEED.

“We also want to alleviate some of the financial burden that teachers face when they enroll in these certification programs, especially as their studies ultimately benefit El Paso’s students.”

Clint ISD was awarded $22,000 in scholarships for 11 teachers. This money will help grow the district’s current roster of dual credit credentialed teachers to 43.

On Thursday, officials with the College of Education at The University of Texas at El Paso and community leaders unveiled the Miner Teacher Residency Program, a full-year teacher placement designed to boost the readiness of aspiring teachers to better serve diverse students throughout the El Paso region.

With funding and technical support from University-School Partnerships for Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP), a national center funded by the Gates Foundation committed to high-quality university-based teacher preparation, UTEP is working with local school districts to pilot an innovative teacher preparation program within the College of Education.

Students seeking a teaching degree will now be eligible to take part in a one-year teaching residency program where they will spend an entire year in a real classroom, co-teaching with an experienced mentor teacher and engaged in an immersive coaching model led by field based UTEP College of Education faculty members. This will provide these aspiring teachers with the hands-on training and classroom management skills they’ll need before entering the workforce.

“This pilot effort is an incredibly important opportunity to provide student teachers with the most realistic, relevant, and rigorous preparation possible,” said Clifton Tanabe, Ph.D., dean of the College of Education.  “We think this will be a game changer for our students and for the schools that hire them as first year teachers. Given the ‘closed loop’ educational ecosystem in El Paso – UTEP graduates comprise 75 percent of El Paso’s teachers, and El Paso students comprise 80 percent of UTEP’s student body – we expect this program to have a profound long-term impact.”

Aspiring teachers who go through the residency program will be part of an exciting paid internship initiative funded by Workforce Solutions Borderplex, the Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED), and the El Paso Community Foundation.

“Our partnership with these generous local organizations will allow our students to focus completely on their training and not have to work the ‘graveyard shift, after working in the schools all day, just to make ends meet,’ said Tanabe.

19 UTEP College of Education students will make up the first cohort participating in the residency program.  They will be placed within El Paso ISD and Socorro ISD classrooms and paired with seasoned and effective teachers to mentor them through their year-long program. The goal is to have all participants gain extended, hands-on practical teaching experience alongside a highly qualified, trained mentor teachers and faculty UTEP members, as well as priority consideration for full-time employment after they complete their residency.

“UTEP is a wonderful partner with EPISD in the development and training of innovative educators for the El Paso and West Texas region,” said EPISD Superintendent Juan Cabrera. “The Miner Teacher Residency Program will further our combined efforts to provide the children of the Border with the best-prepared corps of teachers who will use the latest research-based techniques to help our students meet their academic goals.”

“Team SISD is proud to be part of this innovative program to further invest in our future educators,” said SISD Superintendent José Espinoza, Ed.D. “Our commitment is to ensure SISD has highly qualified and effective teachers and we provide numerous opportunities for aspiring teachers to succeed thanks to powerful partnerships, such as this one, with UTEP and other local organizations and agencies dedicated to improving our overall educational community in El Paso.”

The new initiative replaces UTEP’s previous semester-long teacher training program with more intensive year-long placements in high-performing local elementary schools.  It is based on the model pioneered in 2015 by US PREP, which has been utilized by programs at Texas Tech and Lubbock and the University of Houston, among others.

“CREEED was happy to facilitate the partnership between UTEP and US PREP earlier this year, and we are delighted to be supporting the new teacher residency program,” said Amy O’Rourke, Choose to Excel Director at CREEED.  “To improve education outcomes and increase educational attainment in our region, we must invest in our teachers and aspiring teachers so they have the tools, training, and experience they need to lead students in innovative and transformative classroom instruction.”

After the success of this pilot program, UTEP hopes to incorporate the full year of hands-on in classroom training as part of all future teacher graduate requirements.

“The further you go in education, the better your professional prospects; it’s that simple,” said Joyce Wilson, President & CEO of the Workforce Solutions Borderplex.  “If we want to attract high-paying jobs with advancement opportunities to El Paso, we need a workforce with the requisite level of training. That starts in elementary school with well-trained and experienced teachers.”

Student teachers under the semester approach and in the residency program will benefit from close supervision and regular feedback from teachers who will serve as their mentors and supervisors, all of whom were recruited, selected, and trained by UTEP.  In addition, each elementary school hosting residency students will also host two full-time clinical faculty members to serve as site coordinators and liaisons between UTEP and the school districts.

“We are excited to bring the proven US PREP model for teaching training to El Paso,” said Stephanie Otero, Vice President of Operations of The El Paso Community Foundation.  “The additional staff UTEP has hired to support the program will enhance communication, collaboration, and data sharing between the university and the school districts, making for a better experience for student teachers and better outcomes in their classrooms.”

Like the students they teach, most of the student teachers in the Miner Teacher Residency Program are Latinx and bilingual.  A committee made up of college and district representatives selected the finalists from a pool of 40 applicants based on GPA, faculty input, and the candidates’ openness to learn and seek feedback.

Where, oh where has the summer gone?  That’s the question that’s on the minds of thousands of students and parents as both Socorro ISD and Clint ISD open the 2019-2020 school year Monday.

CISD students, staff and teachers now join SISD in a near year-round-schedule, although Clint officials call the change a ‘balanced calendar.’

Via a news release, officials say Clint’s new balanced calendar will allow students to have breaks which are more frequent and evenly spread out throughout the academic school year.

“This calendar will also allow for intersessions in the fall and spring in which accelerated instruction and opportunities for enrichment can be provided for students,” district officials shared via an emailed news release. “The financial benefits of the balanced calendar will assist the District in funding needed activities aligned to adding instructional initiatives for all schools.”

Students will have intersession breaks beginning September 30-October 11 and March 9-13, with the last day of school falling on June 4, 2020.  To view the complete Clint ISD Schedule, click here.

Just down the road, Socorro ISD students make their familiar trek back to the classrooms as well.

SISD officials say they will welcome more than 47,000 students for the 2019-20 school year on Monday, and they be greeted by more than 3,500 educators across their 49 campuses.

For SISD students, the new opportunities for the 2019-20 school year include a new open enrollment policy, the opening of a new elementary school, three new early college high schools, the new Dual Language Academy, more technological devices and resources to enhance student learning, and improvements and renovations at existing facilities through Bond 2017.

With the opening of three new early college high school programs, SISD will be the only district in the region to offer an early college high school program at each one of its comprehensive high schools.

The new early college programs are Empire Early College at El Dorado High School, Falcon Early College at Eastlake High School, and Pebble Hills Early College at Pebble Hills High School.

Early college high schools give students the opportunity to graduate with up to 60 college credit hours or an associate degree along with their high school diploma.

Two significant milestones are also in store for two of the district’s campuses, as Montwood High celebrates it’s 30th anniversary, while over in the High Desert, Eastlake High School will celebrate its 10-year anniversary this school year.

The district’s newest campus, Cactus Trails Elementary, is opening for the 2019-20 school year in the Pebble Hills area. It is the 49th school in the district and welcomes some 900 students in Pre-Kindergarten to fifth grade. The school was the first Bond 2017 project to be completed.

For more information on SISD, click here.

Stephenville High School took on the Clint High Friday afternoon, with the Yellowjackets edging the Lions 3-1

Gallery and Photos by David Lord, Special to the Herald Post.

The Horizon Scorpions left the High Desert and headed into the Mission Valley to take on the Bulldogs at their historic home field behind Socorro High.

It was Homecoming Night for the Bulldogs, and while the Scorpions ended up beating Socorro 21-14; the Bulldog faithful still celebrated the magical night.

Our very own Kevin Venegas were there – and we bring you his view of the game in this Story in Many Pics.

Austin — Five public school administrators from across Texas were selected as state finalists for the annual Superintendent of the Year (SOTY) award.

Sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB), the SOTY program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and achievement in educational leadership since 1984.

The 2018 finalists are Mark Porterie, Port Arthur ISD, Region 5; Tim Harkrider, Willis ISD, Region 6; Kenneth Border, Shallowater ISD, Region 17; Juan Martinez, Clint ISD, Region 19; and Brian Woods, Northside ISD-Bexar County, Region 20.

Martinez serves a population of about 11,500 students. He has been in education administration for 24 years and has served as superintendent of Clint ISD for five years. The committee noted Martinez’s sense of accountability for the district’s success and his view of his role as one of service. The committee also noted the district’s Cradle to College program through which the district reaches out to new parents with gifts to start their child off on the right foot.

Martinez earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctorate from The University of Texas at El Paso.

Porterie has served as an administrator for two decades and has led Port Arthur ISD for four years. The committee cited Porterie’s efforts to stay in touch with both district staff and the community and his willingness to roll up his sleeves and tackle any job. Last year Porterie led his district of around 8,300 students through the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, enabling Port Arthur schools to bring the hard-hit community together. Porterie earned his bachelor’s degree at Lamar University, master’s degree at Prairie View A&M University, and doctorate at Nova Southeastern University.

At the helm of Willis ISD for five years, Harkrider serves about 7,400 students. He has eight years of administrative experience. The committee noted Harkrider’s commitment to putting students first when making decisions and his efforts to share the district’s story with the community. Committee members also cited Willis ISD’s mentor program for sixth-grade students, which pairs them with business partners through graduation.

Harkrider received his bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University and master’s degree from The University of Texas at Arlington.

Border has 18 years of administrative experience. He has been superintendent of Shallowater ISD for three years and serves approximately 1,700 students. His desire to see students enjoy their education was cited by the committee, as well as his belief that children are more than their test scores. Border also extends his compassion to his community with a program to support local senior citizens.

Border received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from The University of Texas of the Permian Basin and his doctorate from Baylor University.

Woods has led Northside ISD for six years, where he serves more than 106,000 students. He has been in education administration for 21 years. Of particular note to the committee was Woods’ commitment to advocacy for public education and his desire to grow the number of voices speaking up in support of public schools. He believes that public schools add value to their entire communities, and through Go Public, he works with fellow San Antonio-area districts to spread that message by sharing great stories about public education.

Woods earned his bachelor’s degree at The University of Texas at Austin and received his master’s degree and doctorate from The University of Texas at San Antonio.

The state selection committee, which interviewed regional winners August 24-25 in Austin, targeted such issues as advocacy, accountability, the importance of the various roles in a school district, and the district’s relationship with the community.

Candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality, ability to build effective employee relations, student performance, and commitment to public involvement in education. Superintendents from any of the state’s local school districts are eligible for nomination by their school boards.

Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to the state selection committee.

Regional winners nominated by regional selection committees are:

Daniel Treviño Jr., Mercedes ISD, Region 1

Max Thompson, Banquete ISD, Region 2

Jeanette Winn, Karnes City ISD, Region 3

Mark Henry, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD, Region 4

Susan Morton, Winnsboro ISD, Region 7

Michael Lamb, Sulphur Springs ISD, Region 8

David Vroonland, Mesquite ISD, Region 10

Robin Ryan, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD, Region 11

George Kazanas, Midway ISD-McLennan County, Region 12

William Chapman, Jarrell ISD, Region 13

Tim Seymore, Breckenridge ISD, Region 14

Ross Aschenbeck, Sonora ISD, Region 15

Bryan Davis, Dimmitt ISD, Region 16

Denise Shetter, Kermit ISD, Region 18

The 2018 Superintendent of the Year will be announced September 28 at the TASA/TASB Convention in Austin. The districts of the winning superintendent and state finalists will receive an award from Balfour, program underwriter.

TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards. School board members are the largest group of publicly elected officials in the state. The districts they represent serve approximately 5.4 million students.

Live coverage of your favorite high school team is just a click away thanks to our partners over at TownTalk Sports El Paso.

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Saturday night, ESC Region 19, in conjunction with Teachers Federal Credit Union, announced the 2019 Teacher of the Year Awards Celebration Winners.

Out of 21 nominated teachers, Anna Peden, elementary school teacher from Clint ISD and Eduardo Hinojos, secondary teacher from Socorro ISD, were announced as this years teachers of the year.

Peden is a 5th grade teacher at Desert Hills Elementary School and Hinojos teaches government and political science at Americas High School.

The awards ceremony took place at the El Paso Convention Center, in front of scores of educators, friends, and family.

Peden and Hinojos will now go on to represent the region, competing for the Texas teacher of the year title.

On Wednesday it was announced that EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College Program has been recognized as a finalist in the Examples of Excellence in the associate level.

“EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School programs are having tremendous results in getting youth in our region on a path to higher education,” Dr. William Serrata, EPCC President said. “The data shows that students who take just one college course in high school are more likely to pursue a college degree and be successful.”

The EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College Program gives students opportunities to earn college credit while still in high school.

EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School program was one of only 21 finalists selected from more than 139 nominated programs from 27 states, DC and Puerto Rico.

The four 2018 Examples of Excelencia will be announced October 11th at the Celebración de Excelencia in Washington, DC.

“We are honored that Excelencia in Education has selected El Paso Community College’s Dual Credit and Early College High School Program as an Example of Excelencia.  This nation-wide recognition highlights the work we are doing to provide students in our region the opportunity to take college courses while in high school,” Tonie Badillo, Dean of EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School Programs said.

“These students have the opportunity to save time and money by getting a head start on their college career.”

Since being established more than a decade ago, EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College High School program has addressed the region’s low educational rate in comparison with Texas and the Nation.

The program has become a nationally recognized model for its success rates. Students in EPCC’s Dual Credit and Early College programs have high graduation and completion rates in the courses they take and when they continue to 4-year institutions. The data shows that 58 percent of students who take just one college course in high school pursue an advanced degree versus 33 percent for those who do not.

Students in EPCC’s Early College High School Programs have a 75 percent success rate in completing their associate degree while still in high school which outperform the national and state averages which are less than 30 percent.

EPCC offers Dual Credit in the majority of area high schools. There are 12 Early College High Schools spread out through area school district partners including Canutillo ISD, Clint ISD, El Paso ISD, Fabens ISD, Socorro ISD and Ysleta ISD.

¡Excelencia in Education! is an organization that works to accelerate Latino student success, enhance our workforce, leadership, and economy. Examples of Excellence recognizes institutions and practices that bring attention to evidence-based practices that work for Latino students in education.