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A great teacher reflects on remote instruction shortfalls

By Sharon Kebschull Barrett, first published by EducationNC, September 22, 2021

Jimmel Williams knows great teachers. After all, he is one, with the student results to show for it. But last fall, he says now, his teaching fell short.

With his Charlotte students all learning remotely, his efforts felt off, though he couldn’t fully put his finger on what wasn’t working. He kept making changes each week to get students more engaged in their learning, but the tweaks weren’t enough. Finally, he realized what he needed — to both take tighter control and give some up. Read More…

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District hires associate super

From OA Online, September 15, 2021

The Ector County ISD Board of Trustees voted 6-0 to approve Anthony Sorola as associate superintendent of operations. Sorola, who was OK’d during a Tuesday night workshop, replaces Stephanie Howard, who is now superintendent at Crane ISD….

… An evaluation of Opportunity Culture conducted by Texas Tech University indicates that the program is working well in Ector County ISD, especially during a pandemic year. According to the presentation, students perform better on standardized tests when taught by teachers in the Opportunity Culture program. Read More…

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One teacher’s message for Secretary Cardona

By Sharon Kebschull Barrett, first published by EducationNC, August 16, 2021

When multi-classroom leader Kenyatta Davenport got the chance to talk to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, her message was simple: Teachers haven’t given up, but we need your support to get students back on track after the coronavirus — and fast.

Simple — and short, since she had limited time to speak to Cardona when he visited Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools on July 12. But Davenport would definitely tell him more if she had the time. Read More…

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Education Partnership gets Grow Our Own update

From OA Online, August 17, 2021

Grow Our Own, one of the newer committees under the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin, is busy gathering data to figure out next steps. This was one of several committee reports shared in an Education Partnership of the Permian Basin Zoom meeting Tuesday. Grow Our Own focuses on strengthening educational pathways and experiences for students that are parallel to the workforce needs of Permian Basin businesses….

….“From a retention perspective and a recruitment perspective, it’s a significant opportunity for teachers in our area,” ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said. “… We will have teachers in ECISD that will make over six figures next year for the very first time. That’s because of TIA and coupled with Opportunity Culture.” Read more…

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College of Education Offers New Paid Teacher Residencies For Students

From Sam Houston State University, July 30, 2021, by Wes Hamilton

Sam Houston State University’s College of Education is partnering with Aldine and Klein Independent School Districts to offer paid teacher residency programs for Bearkat students. Opportunity Culture, is providing year-long, paid teacher residencies designed to bring a fresh approach to teacher training.

“Expanding our partnerships with Klein ISD and Aldine ISD through Opportunity Culture increases our ability to provide innovative, impactful ways for future teachers to have the dynamic preparation experiences needed to make this kind of difference,” said Stacey Edmonson, dean of the College of Education. “These partnerships open doors not only to expanding high-impact preparation for current teacher candidates, but also to increasing access to the teaching profession for future candidates.” Read More…

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State grant to fund more teacher preparation in Hamilton County Schools

From Chattanooga Times Free Press, June 28, 2021, by Anika Chaturvedi

Lipscomb University received a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Education to further develop its partnership with Hamilton County Schools and other school districts through the Grow Your Own teacher preparation program.

The Grow Your Own program aims to increase the number of teaching candidates from various backgrounds and education levels, and the grants fund tuition, fees, supplies and licensure for participating students. It’s one of several initiatives with Hamilton County Schools, such as Project Inspire, to boost the quantity of teachers and recruit more diverse candidates. Read more…

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MISD principal named OC fellow

From Midland-Reporter Telegram, June 21, 2021

Public Impact is pleased to announce that Midland ISD Principal Christin Reeves of Emerson Elementary, and an Ector ISD principal, Susan Hendricks of Ross Elementary, have been selected as members of the 2021–22 Opportunity Culture Fellows.

This cohort of Opportunity Culture Fellows is made up of eight principals from North Carolina, Texas, Arkansas, Illinois, Tennessee, and Maryland who have achieved strong results in their schools and districts. The national Opportunity Culture initiative, founded by Public Impact and now in more than 45 sites in 10 states, extends the reach of excellent teachers and their teams to more students, for more pay, within schools’ recurring budgets. Read more…

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Public Impact Announces Opportunity Culture Fellows

From OA Online, June 18, 202

Public Impact has announced the seventh cohort of Opportunity Culture Fellows, made up of eight principals, including one from Ector County ISD, who have achieved strong results in their schools and districts.

Fellows provide support to their cohort, take one another’s ideas back to their schools, write columns or lead webinars about their experiences, and speak locally and nationally about their Opportunity Culture roles. Their feedback and leadership are invaluable in helping to improve the Opportunity Culture initiative, and all materials related to it. Last year, for example, fellows shared their expertise in these webinars and columns. Read more…

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Lincoln Named Opportunity Culture Model School

From Washington County Enterprise-Leader, June 16, 2021, by Lynn Kutter

Lincoln Middle School helped to pilot a new program during the 2019-20 school year, and for 2021, it has been named a model school for the program.

The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education with the state department of education recently announced that Lincoln Middle School and Forrest City Junior High School had both been named a 2021 Arkansas Opportunity Culture Model School for their efforts to “improve student access to a high-quality education by extending the reach of excellent teachers to more students.”
Read more…

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Opportunity Culture innovates West Texas education

News West 9, May 20, 2021, by Mason Storrs

Many local teachers and students are seeing increased opportunity and educational success due to the resources they are receiving from Opportunity Culture, a program that restructures pre-K through 12th grade school staffing.

The partnership between Midland ISD, Ector County ISD, The University of Texas Permian Basin, Public Impact and US Prep is aimed at offering educators an opportunity to reach more students, for more pay, within their schools’ budgets. Read More…

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