Alumni Educators Changing Education in Permian Basin

GREAT EXPECTATIONS:

ALUMNI EDUCATORS CHANGING EDUCATION IN PERMIAN BASIN

Macie Ziehe never imagined she would uproot her life in California and move to Midland, Texas to become a teacher, but 2020 had other plans.

ZIEHE STARTED IDEA IN 6TH GRADE but asked her parents to send her to a nearby traditional public school by 9th grade. "I thought I would go to a traditional public school with some of my friends and it would be great, but the teachers were horrible," she recalls. "I was just a number. No one prioritized going to college, the goal was just to pass the year. I told my parents I wanted to go back to IDEA, and I loved it."

After graduating IDEA San Benito in 2016, she attended Azusa Pacific University in California on an acrobatics and tumbling scholarship. She focused on pursuing a career in the medical field when COVID struck the U.S. "My grandmother was a teacher and always said I would make a great teacher," says Ziehe. "I had a life in California. It is where my job was and where I lived. But when she died in December 2019, I knew I needed to be back in Texas and think about teaching."

COVID shutdowns made Ziehe’s relocation back to the Rio Grande Valley an easy decision. She considered applying to IDEA schools in the RGV when she heard about IDEA’s Relay Residency Program. The program is an opportunity for individuals with bachelor’s degrees to gain entry to the education field.

The residency takes place on an IDEA campus and prepares individuals to become lead teachers the following school year. In year one of the residency, individuals work full-time as co-teachers while also attending regular classes with the Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay GSE) to gain a teaching certification and a Master of Arts in teaching.

In addition to paid tuition, residents receive mentorship from successful IDEA teachers while gaining hands-on experience in the classroom. In year two, if all requirements are met, residents become lead teachers on an IDEA campus and continue evening classes with Relay GSE to complete the master’s degree.

The program was an ideal path to gaining professional mentorship while earning master’s degree in education, and Ziehe loved the IDEA of learning the art of teaching at IDEA. Karly Gelardi, IDEA’s National Director of Empowered to Teach suggested relocating to the Permian Basin for the launch of IDEA Travis. "They asked me to watch a presentation by Hailey McCarthy, who was going to be the principal of IDEA Travis in Midland," says Ziehe. "And five minutes into the presentation, I texted Karly that I was moving to Midland."

McCarthy, former principal at IDEA South Flores Academy, was instrumental in making the campus an A-rated school and the highest performing academy campus in the district.

McCarthy’s trajectory to Midland began in June 2019 when Texas’ 86th Legislature passed an important bill aimed at providing greater options to school districts that are struggling with student performance. Authored by State Rep. Tom Craddick, House Bill (HB) 4205 allows a campus slated for closure to be re-purposed to serve existing students if it is operated under a contract with a high-quality non-profit organization with a track record of success.

The push to introduce HB 4205 gained traction when Travis Elementary in Midland, Texas, received failing marks from the Texas Education Agency for the fifth consecutive year, one of the longest streaks in the state. At the time, the Texas Education Code stated that when a school fails for more than three years after it has begun a turnaround plan, the state requires closure of the campus or state takeover of the entire district and appointment of a board of managers.

Craddick’s HB 4205 would prevent the campus from displacing students and instead allow for Midland ISD to form a partnership with IDEA Public Schools for an in-district charter arrangement.

McCarthy knows first-hand what it takes to make a campus successful and was up for the task as founding principal of IDEA Travis in Midland. "The foundation of a successful campus is adult culture. When the adults in the system get it right, the children succeed," says McCarthy. "At IDEA South Flores, I have the privilege of working with not only very talented teachers, but also teachers that hold themselves and others accountable for our shared vision of excellence. That’s what it is going to take to make IDEA Travis just as successful."

Erick Trujillo-Vasquez is another IDEA alumnus turned Relay Resident at IDEA Travis in Midland, who believes high expectations for both students and teachers is what drives IDEA’s success.

Trujillo-Vasquez moved to the United States with his family from Mexico when he was in 6th grade and attended a traditional public school before starting IDEA Mission as a founding student in the 7th grade. Though his family moved to the U.S. for greater opportunities, college was not on his radar before IDEA.

"The idea that college was important and necessary was something I learned at IDEA," he says. "As I matured, I began to realize how much a college education could change someone’s life."

After graduating IDEA Mission in 2014, Trujillo-Vasquez attended the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley and studied political science and English. After a working in sales and finding he enjoyed teaching customers new things, he began to consider teaching as a career. "I did my research, IDEA is always looking for people who are ready to be coached into the best teachers," he says. "When I read about the residency program and earning a degree in education, I was sold."

Though both Ziehe and Trujillo-Vasquez expected to begin their teaching careers assisting as co-teachers under a mentor, they were surprised to learn that because of the pandemic and COVID-19 protocol, they would be manning their own classrooms this year. "It was very surprising to say the least," laughs Ziehe. "But IDEA makes great teachers by putting them in it. Giving them the opportunity to learn hands-on while giving extensive coaching, feedback and development."

Like Ziehe, he was not expecting to end up in Midland, but believes he is exactly where he should be.

"The students here, the families—they needed help," he says. "The students told me they used to be yelled at and not given much to do. There were no expectations, no positive reinforcement, nothing."

Success does not just happen, however. Trujillo-Vasquez says there is a lot of coaching and feedback required of "I am a math teacher, and my students began the school year not able to read more than a few words," he adds. "Sometimes they would cry from frustration because they didn’t know what to do. Now, they are volunteering to read word problems."

IDEA Travis has seen some impressive gains in the first half of the academic year with some students seeing as much as approximately eight months to one year's worth of academic growth in Renstar math and reading results within the first three months of instruction. The data is a testament to IDEA’s belief that all students are capable of success through rigorous academics and high expectations. "As former students at IDEA, we have seen how amazing our teachers are," says Ziehe. "I wasn’t just a number that needed to be graded. IDEA teachers really invested in us as students. I am still in contact with most of my teachers." "The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to never underestimate our students," adds Trujillo-Vasquez. "Sometimes I will think that the lesson I have planned might be too challenging, but then our students pick it up on the first try. It just proves that every child wants to learn and succeed, and our job is to make sure that happens." ♦

IDEA ALUMNI

MARCOS CADENAS