TAMIU IS ONE OF SIX U.S. MINORITY-SERVING INSTITUTIONS SELECTED FOR BRANCHED’S NATIONAL TEACHER PREPARATION TRANSFORMATION CENTER
Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) is one of six educator preparation programs at minority-serving institutions (MSIs) across the U.S. selected to participate in the Branch Alliance for Educator Diversity’s (BranchED) National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center, providing an immersion process aimed at producing highly effective and diverse teachers.
BranchED’s president and CEO Dr. Cassandra Herring, said TAMIU’s selection enables its participation in the Transformation Center, a three-year innovative experience and program.
“Through participation in the Transformation Center these colleges and universities join a unique community of practice where each institution’s faculty and their respective school district partners can access enhanced resources and professional development, network with others, share data and learn from each other to move forward with sustainability and innovation. The larger goals of BranchED’s Transformation Center include both diversifying the teaching profession and intentionally addressing critical issues of educational equity for all students,” Dr. Herring explained.
“No other entity in the country takes the approach to diversifying the nation’s educator workforce the way BranchED does. Our approach is ‘grassroots’ in that we work directly with the MSI educator preparation providers to draft and implement an individualized plan for systemic and sustainable improvement with the goal of ensuring program graduates are competent and confident in their ability to teach all students – particularly students of color and those from low-socioeconomic backgrounds,” Herring added.
TAMIU president Dr. Pablo Arenaz said the University’s national selection underscores the quality of its educator preparation program and its dedication to continued excellence and transformation.
“Our teaching, research and service as a Hispanic Serving Institution has a robust 50+ plus year legacy. Our College of Education prepares the majority of educators within a 150-mile radius of Laredo. We’re very proud of our students, our graduates and our programs and the measurable contributions they make in classrooms everywhere. Our selection as a BranchED National Teacher Preparation Transformation Center member provides a dynamic opportunity to grow our teaching mission and our passion, and we are eager to do so,” said Dr. Arenaz.
TAMIU College of Education dean Dr. James O’Meara said the University has already established measures for the success of its transformation.
“We will measure the success of our transformation against the following four outcomes: the quality of integrated student support provided to our candidates; the volume of expanded and enriched learning time beyond the traditional curriculum; the frequency of family and community engagement, and the impact of collaborative leadership and practices,” Dr. O’Meara said.
TAMIU's Quality approach is to recruit, educate, train, and support teachers that meet or exceed the needs and expectations of the state and local school districts. In order to do this, we have implemented quality systems and processes that are continually being improved to satisfy the changing needs of our state and region
At TAMIU, we strive for and demonstrate excellence in the field of education. TAMIU has been providing high-quality educator preparation programs to laredo and surrounding areas for many years and will continue to carry on. We are committed to the continuous improvement of our educator preparation programs using the latest research and data, producing the best PreK-12 teachers to educate the children of Texas. Our commitment to quality permeates all facets of how we educate and prepare future Texas teachers.
Objective A
TAMIU builds teacher candidate competency to meet the needs of Lation and low-income students.
Objective B
TAMIU demonstrates commitment to using the latest data for continuous improvement.
Objective C
TAMIU ensures teacher educators are effective.
Objective D
TAMIU is responsive to K-12 school systems and the communities they serve.
A Message from the Chancellor
To Texas Educators:
The Texas A&M University System has prepared highly qualified teachers for Texas schools and beyond for more than 100 years. The eleven universities of the A&M System prepare more highly qualified educators than any system in the State.
We TEACH Texas!
The A&M System prepares strong and effective teachers ready to engage all learners and deliver world-class education for the children of Texas. Education is critical for both individual success and the success of our state and nation. The A&M System leads the way in accomplishing this critical outcome.
Although the current global health crisis has created many challenges we have not faced before, the determination of our educator preparation programs to meet student and district needs has not waned. This pandemic has us working to rapidly develop unique and effective strategies to meet unexpected future circumstances. Stories of hope and innovation continue to unfold as we collectively rise to the challenges of meeting the needs of Texans.
Our educator preparation programs take pride in the reality that We TEACH Texas! We created this site, We Teach Texas, to share helpful resources and share our commitment to producing the highest quality educators who are prepared to deliver and lead world-class education for the children of Texas and beyond.
Sincerely,
For more about the Series, contact Dr. O’Meara at james.omeara@tamiu.edu Information on College of Education programs and resources is available at tamiu.edu/coedu