CITY & SCHOOLS
News from Plano & Plano ISD
District looking to address staffing shortage with online certification
BY JAKE REYNOLDS
get certified and help them be a great teacher in Plano for our students.” The same program is being used by Forney ISD and has several benefits, Eppler said. PISD plans to take the program and tweak it so it aligns with the goals of the district. This includes a better support sys- tem for teachers, more resources and a smoother transition from student to teacher. “In the post-COVID[-19] world, recruitment, and finding talented instructors and support staff has been extremely challenging,” Assis- tant Superintendent for Employee Services Jed Reed said. As of Jan. 4, PISD had 173 teach- ing vacancies. Of those vacancies, 125 were filled with long-term substitute teachers, many of whom were retired teachers, Eppler said. PISD officials hope to launch the program in July.
PLANO ISD The school district is planning to simplify the certi- fication process for prospective teachers. During a Jan. 24 work session, the Plano ISD board of trustees discussed the Pathway for Teacher Certification program, an initiative that seeks to aid the recruitment and retention of educators in the district. According to PISD Certification Officer Sherri Eppler, the program makes use of an already existing partnership between Teachworthy, an alternative teaching certification program, and Indiana Wesleyan University, a university based out of Marion, Indiana. “The main reason we really like this program is the influence we have over the experience that our candidates have,” Eppler said. “We get to help them get their degree,
Plano approved an interlocal agreement with DART during its Feb. 13 meeting.
JAKE REYNOLDS/COMMUNITY IMAPCT
City slated to receive $28 million from Dallas Area Rapid Transit
BY MICHAEL CROUCHLEY
cleaning, and to offset the lost fare revenue. DART officials did not spend all of that funding and directed approximately $214 million to be distributed to the cities it operates in, according to the agenda item. Projects submitted by the city DART’s consideration include arterial street maintenance, sidewalk improvements, traffic signal system replacements and expansion of the Public Works Complex.
PLANO The city of Plano is set to receive $28.4 million from Dallas Area Rapid Transit to help fund transportation projects. Plano City Council approved the agreement with the transit company during its Feb. 13 meeting. DART received relief funds from the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic to help fund COVID-19-related supplies and
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