In Newsweek magazine’s American Education series released last week, the Cleveland Independent School District and its Superintendent, Stephen W. McCanless, were highlighted for the district’s impressive growth and innovative approach to education.
Recognized by the Texas Education Agency in 2019 as the fastest-growing school district in Texas, the Cleveland Independent School District’s student population has soared to more than 12,300 and is projected to reach 27,000 by 2031.
Superintendent McCanless has overseen this incredible expansion since joining the district in 2013. Despite the rapid growth, Superintendent McCanless believes it is important to maintain the district’s unique identity and community spirit.
“A lot of organizations tend to lose their identity as they grow, and I didn’t want that to happen with our school,” he told Newsweek magazine. “We needed to focus on what made the Cleveland Independent School District so great.”
He added that the focus on preserving school traditions has been a cornerstone of the Cleveland Independent School District’s success.
One of the most pressing challenges for rapidly growing school districts is a shortage of qualified teachers. Cleveland ISD addressed this issue with an innovative solution: the Interim Teacher Assignment (IAT) program, which allows individuals with associate and bachelor’s degrees, as well as those in the process of obtaining teaching certification, to teach in Cleveland ISD.
Central to this effort is the use of eGlass technology, a lightboard that allows certified teachers to interact with multiple classrooms simultaneously, with IAT providing on-site support.
The philosophy of the IAT program is to not only address an immediate need for educators, but also to build a pipeline of future certified teachers. Savings generated by IAT hiring are reinvested in supporting these individuals on their path to full certification. In its first implementation in 2022, Cleveland ISD hired over 300 applicants.
“Our work has been so successful that other school districts across Texas are asking for our model,” McCanless told Newsweek. “We’re helping to transform the American education system.”
