WT joins Raising Texas Teachers program

West Texas A&M University is among six new Raising Texas Teachers partner universities announced by the Charles Butt Foundation, which will offer thousands in scholarships to future teachers.

WT and its Department of Education in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences joins over 24 partner teacher preparation programs across the state collaborating with the Foundation to address persistent challenges in teacher preparation through innovative thinking and use of data.

Over the past four years, WT has worked with the Charles Butt Foundation and other stakeholders to scale evidence-based clinical practices, improve coursework and training to include practice-based pedagogies, develop strong district partnerships, and advance the teaching profession by sharing lessons learned. 

“We are excited to welcome these universities as Raising Texas Teachers Partner programs. Their commitment to providing high-quality preparation and support to their teacher candidates is commendable, and we know their addition will strengthen the Raising Texas Teachers program, through which we strive toward a future where every student, in every classroom across Texas, has an effective teacher every year.” said Thea Ulrich-Lewis, vice president of programs at the Charles Butt Foundation. “The teacher preparation programs working as a part of Raising Texas Teachers demonstrate a commitment to high-quality programming and have established a strong foundation in continuous improvement.”

All Raising Texas Teachers partner universities are eligible to recommend their teacher candidates to receive the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers, an $8,000 scholarship that can cover expenses up to the cost of attendance for up to four years. To date, the Foundation has awarded more than $15.7 million to over 1,000 scholarship recipients. More than 600 scholar alumni have graduated from their teacher preparation programs and entered the teaching field.

Recipients of the scholarship are committed to teaching in the Texas public school system in either a Title 1 or majority economically disadvantaged school or in a priority subject area that has historically been hard to staff (math, science, special education, or bilingual). Applications for the Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers opened Oct. 5, Texas Teachers’ Day.

“Our department is thrilled that we can now offer this scholarship, for which students are eligible in a variety of content fields,” said Dr. Betty Coneway, head of WT’s Department of Education in the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences and the Geneva Schaeffer Professor of Education and Social Sciences. “We encourage students interested in the field of education to consider applying for this incredible opportunity to support their journey into the teaching profession.”

WT opened in 1910 as West Texas State Normal College, a school that trained teachers. Today, about 75 percent of all teachers and administrators throughout the Panhandle region have at least one degree or certificate from WT.

In addition to teachers and school administrators, the Terry B. Rogers College of Education and Social Sciences is responsible for the preparation of school psychologists, social work professionals, and students for graduate programs in psychology, sociology, the law and public services and administration, as well as direct engagement with the community through its programs in criminal justice and emergency management administration. The College currently serves about 1,700 students, making it the second-largest College at WT.