Program to inspire and guide future educators returns to Riverside High School

Riverside High School is bringing back a program for students who want to pursue a career in education.

The Socratic Institute is a four-year program that will essentially teach students to become educators and prepare them to lead a classroom.

“When we started looking at all the demographics here and what we really needed in terms of teachers, we found that math and science were in high need,” said Evelyne Dovali, social studies teacher at Riverside.

Dovali is also the lead teacher of the Socratic Institute.

For the 2016-2017 school year, the Texas Education Agency reported shortages in other areas, too, like Career and Technical education, Computer Science/Technology applications and special education.

Socratic will return in the fall as the only four-year program in the city. The Ysleta School District is open enrollment and will allow any incoming freshman to join the program.

The program will not only focus on teachers, it will include school administration and coaching.

Freshman students will begin to learn from their teachers on how to run a classroom, learn their techniques and skills, in hopes that one day they can lead their own classrooms.

Jasmine Estrada is finishing her third year as a speech teacher at Riverside, she’s also an alumna of Socratic.

Estrada is one of several educators part of the Socratic program. She said the rigorous curriculum includes lesson planning and classroom management.

Students will also have partnerships with professors from the College of Education at UTEP.

“They’re also going to see the behind-the-scenes of high schools, middle schools and elementary schools because they’ll be taking on those campuses,” Estrada said.

If a student completes the program, internship hours will be accounted for at UTEP.

There will be a meeting on Thursday, June 8 at Riverside High School.

Any current eighth graders who will be freshman next school year are encouraged to attend.