Closing the Gap of Computer Science Educators

Future CS-certified teachers honored at UT El Paso event

byDamian Hopkins

Nov. 7, 2024

Feature Story

Future CS-certified teachers honored at UT El Paso event

The Expanding Pathways in Computing team at The University of Texas at Austin partnered with The University of Texas at El Paso or “Honoring the Teachers,” an event held on campus to honor K-12 CS educators who are studying to pass the CS certification exam. CREDIT: Photos by Damian Hopkins, TACC

Across the United States, research shows that computer science (CS) courses teach a range of transferable skills that help students as they enter the workforce. But in Texas, only five percent of high school students took a CS class offered at their school during the 2022-2023 school year. Reasons for this lack of engagement vary, but one issue is clear: there are not enough CS educators in the U.S., let alone in Texas.

To address this growing issue, the Expanding Pathways in Computing (EPIC) team at The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) partnered with The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) for “Honoring the Teachers,” an event held on campus to honor K-12 CS educators who are studying to pass the CS certification exam.

Joined by UTEP President Heather Wilson, CS Department Chair Salamah Salamah, and EPIC Director Carol Fletcher, a total of 19 educators were recognized. The teachers in attendance received certificates from Texas State Representative Mary González recognizing their efforts and pathway to becoming certified CS teachers.

UTEP President Heather Wilson (right) presents Fabens ISD teacher Cynthia Pacheco (left) with a pin in recognition of her efforts to pass the CS certification exam.

“Through this partnership with UT Austin, we will increase the number of qualified CS teachers in public schools in West Texas,” Wilson said. “The children of today need more education than their parents and grandparents did. We must provide that not just for our own kids, but for every kid in every neighborhood across Texas.”

In the 2022-2023 school year, 37 out of 56 high schools in the El Paso region had at least one certified CS teacher, according to the EPIC research team’s Texas CS Education Data Dashboard.

The UT Austin-UTEP partnership is part of the Texas CS Pipeline (TXCSP), a statewide K-12 CS teacher professional development initiative coordinated by the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) with the support of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Funding for the TXCSP is provided by the Texas Legislature.

“The Texas CS Pipeline initiative reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: ‘When worlds collide, magic happens,’” Rep. González said. “Any support these teachers may need along the journey toward earning their CS teaching certification, the Legislature is here for them.”

To date, EPIC’s WeTeach_CS program has helped more than 600 teachers earn their CS teaching certification.

Texas State Rep. Mary González presented teachers in attendance with their certificates of recognition. The teachers are expected to challenge for their CS teaching certifications by December 2024.

“Schools aren’t teaching these classes because they don’t have a certified teacher, so training new CS teachers is vitally important,” Fletcher said. “If Texas wants to remain a leader in the innovation economy, we must deal with the teacher supply issue before we can increase access and broaden participation in CS education.”

“This program has provided ways for me to learn new concepts and bring CS education to my school district,” said Priscilla Terrazas of Anthony ISD. “All three schools in our district are Title I, so having CS education in our classes shows students that they could have a career in technology.” In Texas, a school is given a Title I designation based on the number of low-income students who are considered at-risk for academic achievement.

Said Sergio Morales of Tornillo ISD: “I love coding — seeing a problem, exploring the code, and going through the steps to resolve the issue. Teachers from every discipline can challenge themselves to learn CS education and bring these skills into classrooms.”

The EPIC team is guided by a simple principle: regardless of background or socioeconomic status, every student deserves access to high-quality CS education. For Fletcher, this is a challenge well worth the effort.

“At UT Austin, we have a saying: ‘What starts here changes the world’,” Fletcher said. “By preparing more teachers to bring CS education to more classrooms, we can equip more students to do just that.”

Priscilla Terrazas of Anthony ISD (left) and Rebecca Bethany of El Paso ISD (right) pose for a photo.

List of Teachers Honored

Luz Aguirre-Rodriguez, El Paso ISD

Eliana Alvarez, Canutillo ISD

Rebecca Bethany, El Paso ISD

Jaime Campo, Canutillo ISD

David Esquivel, Canutillo ISD

Miriam Johnson, Fabens ISD

Leslie Llamas, Burnham Wood Charter District

Victor Medrano, El Paso ISD

Karina Melendez, Fabens ISD

Sergio Morales, Tornillo ISD

Cynthia Pacheco, Fabens ISD

Lisa Roskosky, Canutillo ISD

Esteban Salazar, Ysleta ISD

Hugo Salazar, Clint ISD

Berenice Sotelo, Canutillo ISD

Priscilla Terrazas, Anthony ISD

Shawn Trousdale, Ysleta ISD

Omar Varela, Socorro ISD

Kirsten Wieseman, Canutillo ISD

The teachers listed are expected to challenge for their CS teaching certifications by December 2024.

Are you an educator thinking about earning a CS teaching certification? The WeTeach_CS Certification Incentive Program provides a $1,000 stipend to any Texas educator who earns their certification. This stipend represents a small “thank you” to the educators bringing CS to a broad range of students.

Explore the state of CS education at your school and in your district with the Texas CS Education Data Dashboard from the EPIC research team. The dashboard offers an interactive look at CS enrollment rates, equity in access, and more.

Are you a donor interested in supporting the work of WeTeach_CS? Please contact Carol Fletcher for information on how to donate. The WeTeach_CS program offers scholarships and stipends for teachers to get CS certified — your help could go a long way in supporting that effort.