Teachers Return to School as Students

For Kelly Edwards, going back to school for a master's degree in reading was a daunting task. She already was teaching at Spring Branch Independent School District, and with two children at home, adding a course to her schedule didn't seem realistic.

Now, thanks to a collaborative effort between her school district and four universities, including The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Edwards is finding it more convenient to pursue an advanced degree.

Spring Branch ISD has launched a "corporate university" for its teachers who want to earn master's degrees in reading or instructional technology. There also is a master's program for teachers who want to become school administrators. Teachers can also take graduate-level courses offered in collaboration with the University of Houston, University of St. Thomas and Texas A&M University. Now, however, they don't have to travel to the college campuses. They can earn their master's without ever leaving the school district.

"The corporate university is a major commitment from the leadership of our district to develop the means to attract the best teachers and keep them in our classrooms to teach our unique student body," Superintendent Hal Guthrie said.

UT-Houston is helping the school district start the corporate university and is assisting with the development of the curriculum, said Dr. Gil Castro, assistant vice president of the Office of Education Access and Equity. The curriculum offered through the Spring Branch Corporate University ensures that the teachers are taking classes that meet state and national standards.

"This is one of the biggest, most ambitious projects that we have been involved with," he said. "This is part of our contribution to public school education."

Dr. James T. Willerson, president of UT-Houston, said he is proud to commit institutional support to this unique and far-reaching endeavor.

"We are embarking on a new era in which UT-Houston intends to undertake innovative and bold initiatives in research, teaching, health promotion, patient care and community service to better the health and education of the people of Texas," Dr. Willerson said. "We will need strong partnership with other institutions to be successful. We see the opportunity to continue to work with Spring Branch in this high-caliber venture as reflecting that intent."

Ray Garcia, chief academic officer for the school district, said the corporate university appears to be the first of its kind for schoolteachers in Texas.

"Leading-edge corporations have corporate universities for their employees, but I couldn't find any other school in the state that had a corporate university model," Garcia said.

Garcia said one of the goals of the corporate university is to improve the quality of teaching in Spring Branch by showing instructors how to apply in the classroom their theories on education and learning. Already, the programs are a success. Dozens of teachers have enrolled in the corporate university and some are on the waiting list.

Edwards, a reading specialist at Wilchester Elementary School, said there are 32 people in her class at Spring Branch Corporate University who are working toward a master's in reading from the University of St. Thomas.

"It's been convenient, because I don't have to travel to a college campus," Edwards said. "It's a good program, and it's creating an opportunity for teachers. It's also benefiting the students, because we are taking what we learn back into the classroom."

Liz Cameron, a biology teacher at Stratford Senior High School, said the Advanced Program in Educational Leadership is helping her to better understand all the components of school administration - from discipline to finances to legal issues. Cameron, who wants to become an assistant vice principal, said the program is flexible and offers practical, hands-on experience rather than theory.

"It's given me different ways to think about teaching," she said.

Dr. Castro, who also is interim executive vice president for academic affairs, said the corporate university serves as a tool to recruit teachers and promote professional development within the school district. It also could set the standard for other school districts that want to promote a higher education for their teachers, as well as their administrators, Castro added.

The corporate university is the latest in a series of activities the Office of Education Access and Equity has initiated with the Spring Branch ISD through a partnership that began in 1995 in conjunction with Interconnections With Universities and Public Schools, or InterCon. This outreach program promotes education and encourages careers in the medical profession.

Interaction with Spring Branch is part of UT-Houston's long-term recruitment program that targets students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Of the 32,000 students in Spring Branch ISD, about 8,000 speak English as a second language, and almost half of the student population is on the free lunch program. More than 1,800 teachers instruct classes in the district's 40 schools.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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