El Paso ISD seeks to approve innovative education recommendations

The El Paso Independent School District Board of Trustees is poised to usher in what it calls a new era of education.

For months, teachers, administrators and community leaders have been working on how to overcome challenges in learning and education and become a District of Innovation.

“(Being a) District of Innovation allows local school districts to avoid certain Texas laws that make innovation difficult for schools,” Dr. Dave DeMatthews, an assistant professor of leadership and foundations in UTEP’s department of education, told ABC-7.

“Sometimes a rule that works well for most districts doesn’t work well for all. And the innovation allows school districts to really think locally,” DeMatthews said.

According to the EPISD website, District of Innovation is a concept passed by Texas’ 84th legislative session in House Bill 1842. It gives traditional independent school districts most of the flexibility available to Texas’ open-enrollment charter schools. To access that flexibility, a school district must adopt an innovation plan.

The board of trustees appointed 21 educators, school administrators, parents and business leaders to the District of Innovation committee, which was charged with identifying areas in state law that were getting in the way of the district serving the students most effectively.

Some of the recommendations include relaxing requirements regarding documentation of students who are not in class 90 percent of the time, shifting the start of the calendar year and the school day and expanding pre-kindergarten and dual language programs.

At Andress High School in Northeast El Paso, students are already trying out innovative education methods, including Club Day.

“The focus is always on how do we do things better, how can we meet more kids’ needs and how creative can we be?” Principal Lynn Gill said as she showed ABC-7 students gathered in small groups throughout the school. In Karaoke Club, a boy sang a popular country tune by singer Josh Turner while his fellow club members bobbed their heads to the beat and mouthed the words. In Zumba Club, boys and girls danced to a fast-paced song by Bruno Mars.

Gill told ABC-7 that the students were asked at the beginning of the year to nominate club themes in which they were interested. Teachers chose which club they would like to sponsor, and students were able to choose the top three clubs that they wanted to join. The 40 groups, which range in theme from Anime Club to Ultimate Frisbee Club, meet once a month.

“Employers and our society need kids who are caring, who are responsible and work well with others — problem solvers and critical thinkers,” Gill said. “All of those kinds of things have to happen within a school, but not necessarily always within an academic classroom.”

Gill, who was a member of the District of Innovation committee, said that if the District of Innovation plan is approved as is, things like Club Day would be part of social/emotional learning and would be included in the school day.

“Social and emotional learning (helps students) find ways to be better citizens when they grow up and interact in our society,” Gill said, adding that the idea of becoming a District of Innovation is exciting for her.

“I don’t want to be restricted by policies,” she said. “I want them there to help me implement things that are good for kids so more of our kids can be successful.”

The EPISD website says the EPISD Board of Trustees approved the draft of the local innovation plan on March 15 and moved to notify the commissioner of education of its intention to adopt it.

The Board of Trustees is expected to formally approve the plan at its April 19 meeting.

Before the plan is discussed and approved, parents, teachers and students are encouraged to look over the plan and offer input.

Find the link to the District of Innovation plan here.

Watch Good Morning El Paso anchor Stephanie Valle’s story on Monday between 6:00-6:30 a.m. and on ABC-7’s evening newscasts.