Ector County ISD leaders announced Wednesday the school district is now the first in Texas to have a Registered Apprenticeship Program for K-12 Principals. This apprenticeship is a high-quality career pathway where principal candidates are in a full-time, paid position while they gain invaluable job experience.
Approved and validated by the U.S. Department of Labor, ECISD’s registered apprenticeship program will provide mentoring, on-the-job training, principal licensure (and, typically, an advanced degree), and professional learning to ensure aspiring leaders have the skills and knowledge necessary to be effective.
“This is a tremendous accomplishment for our school district, and it fits nicely with the Human Capital work we have already started,” ECISD Superintendent Scott Muri said in a news release. “Since the inception of our strategic plan in 2019, we have invested heavily in recruiting, retaining and rewarding teachers, and now we are doing the same for our principals.”
The Principal Incentive Allotment (PIA), which provides additional money for the most effective principals, a recently-announced Teacher & School Leader federal grant that will provide even more on top of that, and Principal Fellowships with Texas Tech University and the University of Texas Permian Basin are some of the programs already in place to develop leaders for ECISD schools.
The validated Registered Apprenticeship Program gives ECISD access to funding, meaning there is no charge for those in the program.
“Research is clear, the teacher is the biggest influence on student learning, and the principal is the second biggest influence,” added Muri. “Great schools are led by great principals and this Registered Apprenticeship Program will play a key role in developing those great leaders for our schools.”
In September, ECISD announced the approval of a Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers. This is a partnership with Odessa College and the University of Texas Permian Basin that will combine the rigorous college classwork, with hands-on experience with a highly-qualified teacher, and financial support. The Registered Apprenticeship Program for Teachers is the newest of 10 talent development pipeline created to grow a pool of talented, highly-qualified teachers for ECISD.
