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ECISD to receive multi-million dollar grant from the Permian Strategic Partnership to invest in teachers
The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (National Board) announced this afternoon a partnership with the Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) that will provide a multi-million dollar investment to support Ector County ISD teachers pursuing National Board certification. This generous gift will help the District recruit, retain, and develop its teachers.
“On behalf of our school system, thank you to the PSP for this tremendous investment and belief in the work that our teachers do with children every single day,” said Ector County ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Scott Muri. “And thank you to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards for truly creating the gold standard; the ideal for what teachers should know and be able to do; for truly changing and elevating the profession that we call ‘teacher.’
Over the next 3 years, this game-changing grant from the PSP will provide support and mentoring for more than 300 ECISD teachers pursuing certification through the National Board. More than a decade of research shows that students of National Board Certified Teachers (NBCTs) learn more than students taught by other teachers.
“We are so excited about this work to support educators in the Permian Basin region. NBCTs are leaders, positively impacting students, schools and communities. The PSP partnership will provide financial support, mentoring and resources for teachers. It will make a difference,” said Peggy Brookins, NBCT, president and CEO of the National Board.
By supporting teachers to achieve National Board certification, this project will help mitigate many common teacher recruitment and retention barriers. This project will support teachers to increase their salary through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, provide them with meaningful professional learning opportunities, and give them the tools they need for career advancement. This investment will make it more attractive for teachers to come to and stay in these schools.
“The PSP seeks to accelerate educational improvements by supporting initiatives that expand and strengthen teacher talent available to Permian students, improve the professional development of educators and leaders, and equip school districts’ leadership with resources and partnerships for enhanced strategic planning, innovation and execution,” said Tracee Bentley, CEO of the PSP. “Children in school today will be joining the workforce of tomorrow and quality education is critical for success. Our schools must have the resources to provide the next generation with access to highly qualified teachers and a robust curriculum. This investment will make it more attractive for teachers to come to and stay in these schools, and we are thrilled to partner with the National Board.”
The PSP announced it is making similar investments in the school districts in Eddy County and Lea County, New Mexico, too.
Currently in ECISD, only Superintendent Dr. Scott Muri is a Board-certified teacher, having gone through the rigorous professional training early in his career.
"It changed my life," he said. "It turned this teacher into a reflective practitioner. It turned this teacher into an individual that didn’t just pay attention to the class as a whole; I began to pay attention into individual student needs. It turned this teacher into an individual that was able to develop evidence that work we were doing in the classroom, the work I was doing with students, was making an impact on their lives.
"This is a significant opportunity for our teachers and, ultimately, kids win.”
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About the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (www.nbpts.org)
The founding mission of the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is to advance the quality of teaching and learning by: maintaining high and rigorous standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do; providing a national voluntary system certifying teachers who meet these standards, and advocating related education reforms to integrate National Board Certification in American education and to capitalize on the expertise of National Board Certified Teachers. Recognized as the “gold standard” in teacher certification, the National Board believes higher standards for teachers means better learning for students.
About PSP
The Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) is a coalition of 20 leading Permian Basin energy companies who joined together to work in partnership with leaders across the region’s communities to address current and future challenges to the responsible development of the vast oil and natural gas resources of the Permian Basin in the states of New Mexico and Texas.