Schools began using Opportunity Culture® in:
2021-22
Learn more about the Opportunity Culture® initiative in El Paso ISD by visiting the district website.
Details:
In 2020, El Paso ISD (EPISD) began designing their Opportunity Culture® plans for implementation in fall 2021. El Paso ISD designed Opportunity Culture® with paid teacher residencies in partnership with the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
The university is a member in the University-School Partnerships for the Renewal of Educator Preparation (US PREP). As a members of US PREP, the universities will spend the next three years piloting, scaling and sustaining the Teacher Preparation Quality Objectives, which will result in the training of teachers who are ready to meet the needs of their K–12 students. Taken together with the Opportunity Culture® model, candidates will receive compensation during their residency year.
In a joint statement, Tamekia Love Brown, EPISD’s chief academic officer, and Clifton Tanabe, dean of the UTEP College of Education, said:
“The value in the partnership between UTEP and EPISD cannot be understated. Together, we are making a commitment to our community to ensure that every child has a Day One-ready teacher upon leaving the teacher education program at UTEP. Eighty-five percent of students who go to college out of EPISD go to UTEP. This work is an intentional investment in the teacher pipeline.
“Moreover, this work will increase the number of teachers serving in teacher leadership positions, increase the number of college students who experience a yearlong residency, increase the number of residents who transition into EPISD Day One-ready, reduce the achievement gap for EPISD’s learners, and enhance the partnership between public and higher education.”
El Paso ISD Demographics
When El Paso ISD began designing its Opportunity Culture® in 2020, the district had 89 schools serving 58,000 students. Of those students, 84 percent were Hispanic, 9 percent were white, and about 76 percent were economically disadvantaged.
Learn More:
- Public Impact® Press Release: Texas Initiative to Add Paid, Financially Sustainable Opportunity Culture® Teacher Residencies Expands