EPISD teachers get money for advanced degrees

More students will soon have a chance to earn college credit while in high school.

The El Paso Independent School District is expanding the dual credit program with some help from the business community. High school students who take dual credit classes are able to earn college credit consecutively. Oftentimes, students are able to receive enough credit towards an associate’s degree by the time they graduate high school.

The Council on Regional Economic Expansion and Educational Development (CREEED) recently awarded EPISD a $100,000 grant that will pay for 10 of the district’s high school teachers to earn or finish their master’s degrees. The grant also pays for books and supplies on top of tuition at either Sul Ross University or the University of Texas at El Paso.

CREEED is a nonprofit group made up of local business leaders dedicated to improving the quality of public education in El Paso County. Its chairman is Richard Castro, the owner of El Paso’s franchised McDonald’s restaurants.

“(CREEED is) interested in supporting the growth of dual credit opportunities in the region,” Karen Blaine, EPISD’s executive director for advanced academics, told ABC-7. In order to teach dual credit classes, teachers must have a master’s degree in their concentration, or a master’s degree in another field with 18 hours toward their field.

“In order to expand (dual credit) opportunities next year, we need more teachers who can be credentialed,” Blaine said.

A big perk of dual credit is that it helps financially strapped students avoid paying for college classes because they already earned the credit in high school, Blaine said.

“Research has shown that if students take up to 15 hours of college credit in high school, they are more likely to persist through college,” she said.

Missy Saldaa, an English teacher at the Rocket New Tech Academy at Irvin High School, is one of the teachers who will get a full ride at UTEP to finish her master’s degree.

“I’m excited that I’m able to help contribute to producing smart kids and college-ready kids here in El Paso,” Saldaa said. The 13-year teaching veteran said she’s also looking forward to exposing students in the New Tech program to the college experience.

“We want to have dual credit and AP classes available early on for freshmen in our academy,” she said. “We feel these students are capable of the rigor that is needed to pass an AP test or to survive in a college-level course.”

EPISD is seeking to expand dual credit opportunities on every high school campus by increasing the number of classes each year. The minimum goal is to eventually have each campus offer dual credit in core content.

Watch Stephanie Valle’s report on Good Morning El Paso between 6-6:30 a.m. or on ABC-7 at 6 on April 1.