SISD WIN Academy receives $800,000 grant

The Socorro Independent School District received a big check for one of its educational programs that helps students who have trouble thriving in a traditional classroom setting.

The W.K. Kellog Foundation gave the district’s WIN Academy $800,000 to support its initiatives to improve the way students learn.

SISD initiated the WIN Academy to help struggling students receive more learning time during a nine-hour school day Monday through Thursday, with a double dose of reading and math. Students are also spending more time learning on digital devices.

“We’ve seen tremendous responses from parents and students alike,” Cynthia Najera said, a member of the SISD Board of Trustees.

The WIN Academy allows for a more personalized curriculum with teachers sticking with the same students for multiple years.

“(WIN Academy) It gave her more challenges, but at the same time, it gave her more support, which in turn led us to believe that she’s enjoying the education field a lot more than she has before,” said Rodrigo Arras of his daughter’s time in the program.

Mia Arras attends Ernesto Serna Elementary School and said the program has also helped her outside the classroom.

“I’d like to grow within the WIN program as a student because last year I was a shy little girl and this year I’m starting to talk a lot more,” Mia said.

The WIN Academy was implemented by superintendent Dr. Jose Espinoza who said he used his firsthand experience as a vulnerable child to develop the program that now helps students overcome obstacles and reach their full potential.

After doing some research, SISD said Dr. Espinoza found that Jaime Escalante, played by actor Edward James Olmos in the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, mirrored his own philosophy on education.

The film was based on the true story of Escalante, a math teacher at a east Los Angeles high school with a majority of Latino students from working class families.

Escalante’s students, many of them below their grade level and academic skills, are also faced with social problems that plague the L.A. neighborhood like gangs and violence.

The teacher helps his students improve their math skills with “ganas,” which translates into effort or motivation in English. Escalante’s outside-the-box teaching keeps his students engaged.

“As the superintendent of Socorro Independent School District, my goal is to follow Escalante’s footsteps by putting a non-traditional education system in place that provides our students with the support and resources they need to thrive emotionally and academically,” said Dr. Espinoza.

Espinoza said money from the grant will help purchase costly electronic devices that would typically be paid for by the district’s general fund.

The WIN Academy started at ten schools during the 2015-2016 school year and expanded to six more schools this year.

“The reality is the one-size-fits-all traditional public education system does not meet the needs of all our students,” Dr. Espinoza said.

Espinoza said the grant from the Kellogg Foundation will significantly impact education at SISD.

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation, founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal pioneer, Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States.