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Tyler ISD board approves 1882 partnership with UT Tyler to pilot three specialty campuses
Summary
The Tyler ISD board approved an 1882 partnership agreement with the University of Texas at Tyler to pilot programs at Pete (early literacy), Clarkston (paid teacher residency) and Bonner (biomedical STEM); the district will submit the agreement to the Texas Education Agency for review.
The Tyler ISD board of trustees voted to approve an 1882 partnership agreement with the University of Texas at Tyler, authorizing a pilot that will place distinct program models at three campuses: an early-literacy model at Pete, a paid teacher-residency model at Clarkston and a biomedical STEM pathway at Bonner.
Dr. Bobby Markle, Tyler ISD's chief innovation officer, told the board the district chose the 1882 option "not for turnaround because we're not in that position" but "from an innovation standpoint," calling the UT Tyler partnership "an exciting opportunity to not only build the future for teacher preparation, but also build the future for STEM preparation and education for our students here in Tyler ISD." He described a staged rollout and said the district will begin the work at the three campuses where capacity and need align.
The board was briefed on program details. At Pete, the district and UT Tyler will focus on the science of reading and intensive professional development to make Pete a model early-literacy campus. Clarkston will pilot a residency-style teacher-preparation program in which residents complete their clinical phases on-site and are paid a salary during student teaching. Bonner will host a biomedical-sciences/STEM program tied to UT Health and UT Tyler to create a local pathway from early grades through medical training.
Board members asked about scale and logistics. A district staff member confirmed the three campuses together account for 1,185 students as listed in the packet’s addenda. The board also questioned governance: the agreement contemplates a separate governance board UT Tyler will select to oversee the three campuses; Tyler ISD trustees will not sit on that governing board, though district leaders said they will work collaboratively through designated liaisons and an executive director who will report to the UT Tyler governance board.
On staffing, board members sought assurances current teachers would not be displaced without cause. Dr. Markle said teachers with a district contract who are "in good standing" would be eligible to remain employed at the campuses and that HR processing (hiring paperwork and payroll) would continue to be handled through Tyler ISD while the executive director and principals coordinate selections for campus staff and faculty.
A board member moved and another seconded approval of the agreement; one board member voiced opposition, and the chair declared the motion carried. Following the vote, Dr. Julie Philly, president of the University of Texas at Tyler, addressed the board and pledged UT Tyler’s commitment to the work and said she would provide updates on progress.
District staff noted this approval is the first procedural step; the district will submit the agreement to the Texas Education Agency and has a roughly three-week window to negotiate with TEA on the 1882 application before final action by the agency.
