Cleveland ISD becomes model for resolving teacher shortage puzzle

Defying tradition to bring back reverence for the teaching profession

Cleveland Independent School District’s growth is nothing short of phenomenal. In 2019, the Texas Education Agency labeled the academic institution as the fastest-growing district in the entire State of Texas. Cleveland ISD Superintendent Stephen W. McCanless foresees their student population expanding further from over 12,300 currently to 27,000 by 2031. However, what is more interesting is how the school has successfully blended technology and out-of-the-box thinking to address the shortage of teachers that usually accompanies such spectacular growth.

“Many organizations tend to lose their identity as they become bigger; I did not want that with our school,” says McCanless, who witnessed their student count more than quadrupled since he joined the school in 2013. “We needed to focus on things that made Cleveland ISD so great.”

This commitment to keep the school’s heritage alive has been highlighted by its groundbreaking approach to solving the shortage of teachers. The public school offers the IAT (Interim Assignment Teacher) Program. Those with associate and bachelor’s degrees, as well as individuals still completing their teaching certifications, can teach at Cleveland ISD. The school uses eGlass, a lightboard that allows a certified teacher in one class to interact with other classrooms guided by IATs. Cleveland ISD then uses its savings from hiring IATs to financially support their academic journey into becoming certified teachers. More than 300 applicants were hired during the program’s initial implementation in 2022.

“We’ve been so successful that other school districts in Texas have now asked us for our model,” says McCanless. “We are helping change the American education system.”

Learn more about Cleveland ISD at clevelandisd.org.