Teach Plus Texas names two Katy educators to its sixth cohort of policy fellows

Teach Plus, a national nonprofit that empowers teachers to lead improvements in educational policy and instructional practice, has named two Katy educators among a group of 45 demonstrably effective teachers from around the state of Texas as its 2022-2023 Policy Fellowship cohort.

Chosen were Dwayne Lacy and Karen Sparks of the Katy Independent School District. Lacy teaches at Beckendorff Junior High. Sparks teaches at Tompkins High.

The Fellows, all of whom are classroom teachers, will focus on a range of issues of importance to Texas’ teachers, students, and parents, including teacher preparation, recruitment and retention of teachers of color, assessments and accountability, mental health, teacher compensation, and much more.

“Teach Plus Texas is excited to welcome the sixth cohort of Policy Fellows to our Texas Policy Fellowship,” Kevin Malonson, Tech Plus executive director, said. “We are proud to have over 250 Fellows and alums across the state of Texas and are excited to continue to elevate teacher voice while highlighting the power of teacher leadership. With challenges such as the lingering effects of COVID-19 and the shrinking teacher pipeline, our Fellows are poised to advocate for data-driven solutions that benefit Texas teachers and students. When the 88th Legislative session commences, Teach Plus Fellows expect to weigh in on critical issues such as teacher preparation, education funding, and mental health support for teachers and students.”

Tanitra Robinson, a Tech Plus Policy Fellow and elementary teacher in the Houston Independent School District, said being a Fellow is an opportunity gain an understanding of how educational policies are created at the local, state and federal levels.

“I look forward to developing and utilizing skills that will assist me when advocating for scholars in my classroom, representing educators, and creating new solutions for the greater good of all,” Robinson said.

With 73% of the new Fellows being teachers of color, this Teach Plus cohort is representative of the diversity of the state of Texas and its students. The Fellows’ teaching experience ranges from two to twenty-six years and they teach grades pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade and all subjects including English Language Arts, special education, CTE health science, theater arts, music, social studies, and more. They have attended a variety of preparation institutions, from traditional to alternative teacher preparation programs.

The mission of Teach Plus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Since 2009, Teach Plus has developed thousands of teacher leaders across the country to exercise their leadership in shaping education policy and improving teaching and learning, to create an education system driven by access and excellence for all. teachplus.org

British International School of Houston to host open house

The British International School of Houston, 2204 N. Westgreen Blvd., will host an open house from 10-11 a.m. Sept. 14 at its campus.

For more information, call the school at 713-290-9025.

Fort Bend officials hold school safety briefing in preparation for back-to-school activities

Fort Bend County Sheriff Eric Fagan, Rep. Ron Reynolds, and Rep. Jacey Jetton led an Aug. 2 briefing on increased security and innovative measures to ensure the safety of Fort Bend schools.

“All the school safety policies and procedures in the world are not helpful if there is no follow-through,” Jetton said. “Our state, school, and local law enforcement leadership are working together to ensure our school safety policies are robust and fully implemented. As a community, we have a responsibility to be vigilant in recognizing potential threats and ensure we are reporting concerns to authorities. We must also recognize and stand up for those around us who are in need.”

Law enforcement officials provided updates on the improved methods used to assess and eliminate active-shooter threats and incidents, including improvements to mental health resources. School leaders, Reynolds and Jetton spoke on school safety funding, security policies, and incident response procedures.

Lamar Consolidated Independent School District Roosevelt Nivens urged the public to not forget about school safety as a new school year begins.

“Let's make sure school safety is the first thing on our minds every day,” Nivens said.