MISD signed a new agreement with Texas Wesleyan, a college in Fort Worth. The signing marks the beginning of the partnership that gives students the choice to get ahead in college credits if they plan to become an elementary school teacher.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled about the art of this partnership with MISD and the opportunity that it is going to provide for students to be able to accelerate their college education and to do it in a very financially reasonable way,” president of Texas Wesleyan University Frederick Slabach said.
The Texas Wesleyan’s Early Childhood – Grade 6 (EC-6) Teacher Education Program is designed to help control the lack of available teachers in Texas. By the time the student graduates high school, they could have half of the required credits to get a bachelor’s degree. As a sophomore, students will have the option to enroll in dual credits and have the opportunity to earn 52 college credits by graduation.
“I think you would do yourself a great favor by following in my footsteps and considering this as an opportunity for your future education,” Mansfield ISD Superintendent Dr. Jim Vaszauskas said.
To stay in the program, students will be required to maintain an 80 or above average in their classes. Not only does the program help the teacher shortage, it will also give students an opportunity to get ahead in their education. Once they graduate with their credits, they can be transferred to Texas Wesleyan college and immediately complete the rest of their credits to become a certified teacher.
“I bet if I asked each one of you you’d be able to name a teacher that’s made an impact in your life and this memorandum of understanding is going to give us an opportunity via TWU and MISD to pay it forward as it were,” Associate Superintendent of Human Resources Karen Wentworth said. “In other words, we’re going to take an investment in our students that are right here in our community.”
