Empower Schools

This Wednesday join rural collaborative leader Mike Gonzalez, ED of the Rural Schools Innovation Zone, The Commit Partnership, and other rural education leaders on how they innovate in rural education. We're proud of the outcomes RSIZ drives in their three-district rural collaborative in south Texas, and hope you'll join them at !

In preparation for , add our session to your schedule to learn about innovative practices that serve the unique needs of small, rural school districts across Texas.

https://schedule.sxswedu.com/2023/events/PP128398

We are so excited to be a part of this presentation tomorrow on our LeadRural Fellowship at the Texas Association of School Administrators Midwinter Conference! Join us, Dr. Chapa from Benavides Independent School District, Robin Graves from Region 15 ESC, and Nicole Colvin at Deep East Texas College & Career Academy at 2:15pm in Room 10C.

To support school leaders deepening their understanding of autonomy and understanding where a school leader may have the power to make significant changes within the areas of their locus of control, we're so excited to partnered with Teach For America Austin & TFA Texas to offer this virtual webinar.

Register here: tinyurl.com/TFA-Empower

Huge congratulations to our partners at Transformation Waco for being 1 of only 2 Texas awardees for the Full-Service Community Schools Program grant from the US Department of Education! A well-deserved and much-needed boost to the amazing community school, partnership wraparound, and academic acceleration programs at TW.

"Transformation Waco’s efforts in providing wraparound health and social services for its students in addition to academic instruction meshed well with the objectives of the Full-Service Community Schools Program.

“We knew we were a good fit and we were hopeful, but it was a competitive grant,” McDurham said. “This grant provided perfect timing to spread our wings. It helps solidify what we’re doing.”

Transformation Waco partners with community organizations including Waco Family Medicine, Communities In Schools of the Heart of Texas, the Waco Police Department, Inspiración, Grassroots Community Development and Prosper Waco."

Read more about how the partnerships work, and what grant funds will drive below.

https://wacotrib.com/news/local/education/transformation-waco-wins-2-5-million-federal-grant/article_6eb3fc5e-991d-11ed-b31a-c38dfa72ac27.html

Transformation Waco wins $2.5 million federal grant Transformation Waco will expand several of its on-campus community services collaborations and launch new ones after receiving a $2.5 million Department of Education grant.

Amazing collaboration and collective work being done at the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative! From student career pathways; innovative higher ed and industry collaboratives with the school districts; and the sharing of resources, PD, and more to address inequity in opportunities and resources - we are proud of the work SWCEC is doing in rural CO!

'Students have the opportunity to participate in five career pathways; education, environmental, tourism, hospitality, and health sciences. SWCEC... support[s] work-based learning opportunities for students to be connected with an industry to learn about their careers and determine if the student would like to pursue that career. “So, what that looks like is that we connect industry leaders and students to do job shadows that offer either hands on or brains on activities for students to get a real taste of what is means to be in the career field that they’re talking about,” Morrison [ED of SWCEC] explains.

Formed in 2021, SWCEC is the first of its kind model in Colorado aimed towards improving educational opportunities for rural students in Southwest Colorado.

SWCEC is a nonprofit organization that brings together K-12, higher education, and industry leaders to build career and college pathways for our region. The collaborative’s overall mission is to help all students have equitable educational access to career and college pathways, that the student will be excited to engage in, that will ultimately grow the next generation of the workforce.'

https://www.sudrum.com/education/2022/11/18/non-profit-aims-to-improve-education-opportunities-for-rural-students/

The Southern Ute Drum | Non-profit aims to improve education opportunities for rural students Tags: Archuleta, Bayfield, Building Our Shared Future, Colorado Department of Education, Colorado’s Statewide Longitudinal Data System, COVID-19 pandemic, Durango, Education, Environmental, Fort Lewis College, health sciences, Higher Education, hospitality, ignacio high school, industry leaders, J...

We are pleased to announce that Alyssa Morton is the organization’s new CEO!

She follows in the footsteps of Chris Gabrieli, who co-founded Empower Schools in 2013. As part of Empower Schools’ partnership operating model, Chris will remain a core part of Empower’s leadership team, serving alongside five fellow Partners: Co-Founder Brett Alessi, Matthew Matera, Cara McKenna, Sarah Robb, and Alyssa Morton, who as CEO is also responsible for overall organizational leadership.

“This leadership transition builds from our first decade of results and sets the stage for a new phase of impact. Alyssa has been key to the organization’s development in her time here, and we are thrilled to have her stepping into this new role.” – Co-Founders and Partners Brett Alessi and Chris Gabrieli

Read more at our website below.

https://www.empowerschools.org/empower-schools-announces-alyssa-morton-as-new-ceo/

Great to see the pathways that rural collaboratives like the Fremont Multidistrict Initiative can provide to their students!
The first-of-its-kind collaborative in Colorado is helping several students get a head start to their possible careers. Canon City Schools Fremont RE-1, Fremont Re-2 School District, and Cotopaxi School District teamed up their resources with each other and with Pueblo Community College's Fremont Campus over the last couple of school years to provide pathways that might not have been accessible to students without the collective partnership. Read more and watch the video in this feature!

https://krdo.com/news/2022/12/14/the-school-buzz-fremont-countys-unique-school-collab-gives-students-head-start/

The School Buzz: Fremont County's unique school collab gives students head start | KRDO A first-of-its-kind collaborative in Colorado is helping several students get a head start to their possible careers. It’s called the Fremont Multidistrict Initiative (FMI). Canon City Schools, Fremont Schools, and Cotopaxi Schools have teamed up resources with each other and with Pueblo Community...

Such amazing opportunities for rural students to earn medical certificates within their high school experience at the Rural Schools Innovation Zone in South Texas! The RSIZ is a first-of-its-kind partnership made up of three school districts and two institutions of higher education in South Texas providing rural students high-quality opportunities for postsecondary success.

Their Next Generation Medical Academy students all passed their EKG and PCT exams, making 5 semesters in a row of 100% pass rates! Congratulations to all of the NGMA students for this achievement, and to the hard working staff across all three of the school districts in the rural collaborative for their commitment to RSIZ students and their educational career pathways!

Empower is proud to support the Lafayette Parish School System's Pre Educator Pathway through the Louisiana Department of Education's Reimagine School Systems grant! LPSS is growing their own, addressing the teacher shortage by making future teachers right here in our own community, and is also sponsoring Educators Rising Clubs at multiple schools, where current students can learn more about becoming an educator.

https://www.katc.com/community/cool-schools/gma-cool-schools-lpss-pre-educator-pathway

GMA Cool Schools: LPSS Pre-Educator Pathway The school system is growing their own, addressing the teacher shortage by making future teachers right here in our own community.

We are expanding our team and currently hiring for an Events Coordinator role. Apply by 12/19 or send to someone you think would be interested!

As the Events Coordinator for Empower Schools, you will work closely with program teams across the organization to plan and coordinate learning events, site visits, and conferences in support of Empower’s work of partnering with communities to design and launch innovative solutions to better meet the needs of students. The location for this position is flexible and currently remote, with a preference for Austin, TX, Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, Boston, MA, Denver, CO, or Indiana, where we have staff on the ground. If public health conditions make travel possible, applicants must be willing to travel up to 40% of the time.

https://www.empowerschools.org/careers/

Careers | Empower Schools Careers Join our team “Empower Schools is a place where we are constantly looking for innovations that can help our most underserved students.” Erika Giampietro, Senior Advisor, Higher Education Opportunities with Empower Schools Position: Senior Manager Communications | Location: Flexible, (TX ...

What an inspiring tour hosted by the Rural Schools Innovation Zone! The tour highlighted IGNITE Technical Institute, one of five specialized academies at the RSIZ, to deep dive into student pathways for Welding, Electrical, construction, and Heavy Equipment Operations. The panel of all three of the RSIZ district superintendents and their local board presidents was a perfect example of what collaborative and collective partnership can do for rural students in South Texas. Can't wait to hear more of the amazing things at all three specialized academies across the RSIZ, who's pathways are available to ALL students from Falfurrias High School, Freer High School, and Premont ISD.

We're hiring a Senior Manager of Communications! At an exciting inflection point, Empower Schools is seeking a Senior Manager, Communications. This role is our first communications-focused position and a reflection of our investment in and commitment to a robust communications function as a key enabler of our organizational success.

If you or someone you know might be interested, please reach out or forward to your connections!

https://www.empowerschools.org/careers/

Careers | Empower Schools Careers Join our team “Empower Schools is a place where we are constantly looking for innovations that can help our most underserved students.” Erika Giampietro, Senior Advisor, Higher Education Opportunities with Empower Schools Position: Senior Manager Communications | Location: Flexible, (TX ...

Proud to partner with the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative who are developing educational pathways and opportunities for students in rural areas! Read more from the The Durango Herald.

"Three years ago, five school districts decided to join forces and form the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative with the specific goal of reworking how high school academics operates in Southwest Colorado. The educational system was failing many students, and it was a problem in every part of the region. The most affected of these students were those in rural areas, some attending schools in towns so small that grades K-12 are all crammed into one building."

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/bayfield-nonprofit-brings-career-pathways-to-students-in-rural-areas/

Bayfield nonprofit brings career pathways to students in rural areas IGNACIO – Three years ago, five school districts decided to join forces and form a nonprofit with the specific goal of reworking how high school academics operates in Southwest Colorado. The education...

We're honored to partner with you all at the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative! Our work is all about empowering the innovative local leaders like y'all who are working collectively to build educational pathways and opportunities for students in the SW Colorado region!

🔉Partner Shout-out!

We want to give a shout-out to one of our incredible partners, Empower Schools!

Empower Schools partners with educators and communities to reimagine local education systems towards more equitable life outcomes for all students. They envision a country where every student – especially those in underserved communities – has the opportunity to succeed in school and life.

We're grateful for Empower Schools for their continuous support for our program. If you'd like to learn more about them, click here 👉 http://ow.ly/LV7v50Lg5Vu

We are grateful, energized, and ready to dive in with this grant award from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation to support the LeadRural Fellowship! This two-year grant funds the pilot of the LeadRural Fellowship—a coordinated and intentional effort to identify, cultivate, and support rural leaders and to give those leaders the ideas, resources, network, and partners to be successful in designing and implementing new solutions in their communities.

We agree with Holly Harrison, Director of the Thoma Foundation who said, “We need strong, empowered leaders with diverse perspectives and experiences in order to foster thriving communities and equitable access to high-quality education in rural areas.” Read more about the award and the LeadRural Fellowship below.

https://thomafoundation.org/news-press/foundation-news/thoma-foundation-awards-200000-to-empower-schools/

Thoma Foundation Awards $200,000 to Empower Schools | Thoma Foundation This two-year grant funds the pilot of the LeadRural Fellowship—a coordinated and intentional effort to identify, cultivate, and support rural leaders and to give those leaders the ideas, resources, network, and partners to be successful in designing and implementing new solutions in their communi...

Congrats to Sally Kim and Marissa Ramos, both educators at the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership who are semifinalists for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year!

“Springfield is fortunate to have hundreds upon hundreds of incredible educators in our schools, but Sally and Marissa certainly stand out across our schools,” said Matthew Brunell, executive director of the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership, a nonprofit that operates 16 city schools.

https://www.masslive.com/news/2022/10/springfield-public-schools-teachers-sally-kim-and-marissa-ramos-named-finalist-semifinalist-for-massachusetts-teacher-of-the-year.html

Springfield Public Schools teachers Sally Kim and Marissa Ramos named finalist, semifinalist for Massachusetts Teacher of the Year The award program is the state’s top award that annually recognizes excellence in teaching

Are you passionate about education and researching opportunities to advance educational equity? Do you enjoy working across a wide range of projects and growing your skills through complex and innovative experiences? Does this make you think of anyone who would be interested? We are currently hiring for a Growth Associate - see the link below for more information and how to apply!

As the Growth Associate at Empower Schools, you will work closely with your teammates to identify and support opportunities to sustain Empower’s work of designing and launching innovative solutions that can better meet the needs of students.

www.empowerschools.org

Celebrating the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative for a well deserved shoutout by Governor Jared Polis in the The Durango Herald - highlighting the innovative work happening at the SWCOED Collaborative in building bridges for students to post K-12 opportunities, and building pipelines of strong educators and administrators in the greater SW Colorado region.

"We are making it easier for high school students to get degrees or receive career training through innovative programs, like the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative, and helping retain and attract great school administrators and teachers to Durango and the region."

https://www.durangoherald.com/articles/delivering-on-what-matters-most/

‘Delivering on what matters most’ Southwest Colorado embodies the freedom, natural beauty and pioneering spirit that our state is known for. As governor, I am focused on protecting our way of life, lowering the cost of living, and cre...

Celebrating Benavides Elementary on this huge win - highest score in campus history! Well done to Benavides partners, leaders, teachers, and students!

Props and congrats to the School Innovation Collaborative team for this huge progress in their San Antonio ISD partnership schools!

HUGE results coming from the Leadership Academy Network, an innovative partnership between Fort Worth ISD and Texas Wesleyan University. LAN Senior Officer Priscilla Dilley, TexWes President Slabach, FWISD Chief Innovation Officer Dr. Saenz, and Superintendent Dr. Scribner all agree - it is a testament to the hard work of the LAN students, teachers, staff, and the innovative partnership model that enables resilience, responsiveness, and recovery through the pandemic.

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"We are very proud of our scholars' accomplishments, especially given all the challenges of COVID-19," said David Saenz, Ed.D., chief innovation officer at Fort Worth ISD. "Thanks to this unique model of education and the commitment of our exceptional teachers and leadership, LAN is making impressive gains for our young scholars to succeed in college, career and community leadership."

Each LAN campus demonstrated progress in 2021-22. The rating increase is especially notable at the Leadership Academy at John T. White, which improved from an F to a B.

"Our educators went to extraordinary lengths to keep students up to speed during remote learning — designing easy-to-navigate online lessons, providing packets for scholars who struggled with virtual learning and staggering lessons to accommodate families with limited internet connectivity. When students returned, the LAN redoubled its efforts to address any learning loss. These ratings reflect that dedication and the success of the LAN approach to education."

The LAN jointly leverages the strengths and resources of Fort Worth ISD's Office of Innovation and Texas Wesleyan's School of Education.

Fort Worth ISD partnership with TXWES pays dividends Leadership Academy Network schools met and exceeded goals in the 2021-22 TEA Rankings.

Huge props to Dr. Adrian Vega for speaking at TEDxMidland on the the power of the collective impact model in addressing the root causes of "wicked problems" in education, and developing collaborative solutions driven by Education Partnership of the Permian Basin - like their Early Childhood Action Network and the Grow Your Own Action Network teacher model!

"I serve as the ED of a collective impact organization - the
Education Partnership of the Permian Basin. The sole purpose of the EPPB is to improve educational outcomes in our region from cradle to career."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRF0tidpLsw

Collective Impact: An Approach to Addressing Large Social Challenges | Adrian Vega | TEDxMidland NOTE FROM TED: TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storag...

Amazing to see the important work of connecting, creating, and expanding high-wage, high-demand career pathways at Whitley County Consolidated Schools be sustained and expanded by innovative grant funding like the Next Gen SIG from the Indiana Department of Education!

“We will develop deeper collaboration between our district and community to develop and expand high-demand career pathways in high school that integrate coursework, career connected learning opportunities and intentional mentorship from within our community to ensure that all of our students are able to achieve at the highest level, are prepared for college and career, and are on a path to earn family sustaining wages while still in high school.”
- WCCS Superintendent Dr. Laura McDermott

https://www.thepostandmail.com/news/wccs-one-of-six-schools-awarded-nearly-4-million-grant/article_5d5050e0-fee8-11ec-a04f-572c8da43a45.html

WCCS one of six schools awarded nearly $4 million grant There’s been a lot of work done already to develop programming to prepare local youth for their futures. These efforts recently gained even more support thanks to a nearly $4

The Rural Schools Innovation Zone and the Southwest Colorado Education Collaborative presented this morning at the Achieving the Dream K12 Partnerships Institute in Portland, Oregon on “Innovation through Collaboration: The Opportunity of Rural K12 and Higher Ed Partnerships”. So energizing to see them speak to a packed room of participants with high engagement on the innovative rural work they're each doing!

Now more than ever we have a unique opportunity to recruit and retain diverse teachers and leaders in our schools. So great to see innovative programs like the Equitable Pathways to Leadership program at the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership.

"'We are a diverse population and our leaderships roles should reflect that,' said Tracy Little-Sasanecki, the president of the Springfield Education and Teacher’s Association... Over the last five years, the Empowerment Zone has increased diversification numbers... through the Equitable Pathways to Leadership program."

https://www.wwlp.com/news/local-news/hampden-county/springfield-program-increasing-diversity-among-teachers-administrators/

We are excited to announce a new initiative called the LeadRural Fellowship, which is an opportunity led by Empower Schools and Steady State Impact Strategies to catalyze rural leaders who are seeking to bring innovation to their communities, learn new ideas, and connect and network with other rural leaders across the state.

The LeadRural Fellowship is a cohort model that will bring leaders together through a series of 4-6 formal, in-person learning opportunities during the 2022-2023 school year. The fellowship is ideal for rural leaders that want to make a difference in their communities, are committed to personal development, are big picture thinkers, and are in a position to enact the change they want to see in their communities. If you are interested in being a LeadRural fellow or would like to nominate someone to be a LeadRural fellow, please complete this form by June 30.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1bhPSUbk1XRinZNBX7z9vq4kjr8bft9DkspNsdZILpKI/edit

Learn more about LeadRural here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n3roUZrPRjBhYOC_yPlVUQzYixdqZvy_yVEy5kkaBME/edit

LeadRural Application/Nomination Form The LeadRural Fellowship is an opportunity to catalyze rural leaders who are seeking to bring innovation to their communities, learn new ideas, and connect and network with other leaders across the state and country. Led by Empower Schools and Steady State Impact Strategies, the LeadRural Fellowship...

We are hiring a Senior Manager in Indiana! If you are passionate about equitable school systems, love connecting and collaborating across all levels of stakeholders, and have an eye for developing strategy and ex*****on - learn more and apply below!

https://www.empowerschools.org/careers/

Careers | Empower Schools Careers Join our team “Empower Schools is a place where we are constantly looking for innovations that can help our most underserved students.” Erika Giampietro, Senior Advisor, Higher Education Opportunities with Empower Schools Position: Manager | Location: Louisiana (Flexible) Position Summar...

Happy Teacher Appreciation week from the Leadership Academy Network, and from our Empower team to educators everywhere!

Leadership Academy Network | Teacher Appreciation Week See our special thank you to all of our Teachers and Educators courtesy of LAN Administration and some of our LAN Network Students!

Are you a strategic thinker? Do you take creative approaches to growth and problem solving? Passionate about early college, CTE, or career pathways?

We are hiring a Manager or Senior Manager in CA! Please visit our careers page for more information and to apply.
https://www.empowerschools.org/careers/

Careers | Empower Schools Careers Join our team “Empower Schools is a place where we are constantly looking for innovations that can help our most underserved students.” Erika Giampietro, Senior Advisor, Higher Education Opportunities with Empower Schools Position: Manager | Location: Louisiana (Flexible) Application Dea...