'Innovation labs' will be ILA's core instruction; applicants outline supports for English learners and students with disabilities

Innovative Leadership Academy presented its innovation labs as the primary instructional model and described how it would serve emergent bilingual students and students with disabilities.

Tony Fisher, the proposed superintendent, said ILA’s model rests on three pillars—innovation labs (arts + technology), competency‑based learning and leadership development—and that the labs are intended as TEKS‑aligned core instruction rather than enrichment. Dr. Jacqueline Curtis, chair of the Academic Excellence Committee, said the integration of arts, technology and leadership is meant to deepen engagement and literacy across subjects.

Applicants told TEA staff they anticipate about 40% of the…