About Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (ISD) is an award-winning school system encompassing 186 square miles of Harris County, TX. Twelve of the district’s seventy-four campuses have won the National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence award, and four have won this prestigious award for the state of Texas.

The mission statement of Cypress-Fairbanks ISD indicates that teachers and administrators hope to educate students who will become effective communicators, competent problem solvers, self-directed learners, responsible citizens, and quality producers in a world that continues to grow and change.

Ever since the school system emerged in its current form in 1939, Cypress-Fairbanks ISD has experienced tremendous growth. The district has a projected enrollment of 98,884 students for the 2007-2008 school year, a population second only to Houston ISD. Despite the challenges that such a large school system can present, students in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD have consistently been successful. The high school completion rate for the class of 2006 was nearly 97%. The school system boasts fifty National Merit finalists and a number of other commended scholars. The mean SAT scores are above average for the state of Texas, and the ACT scores are above the national average. The high schools offer a variety of honors and Advanced Placement courses in order to help these students continue to excel in their education.

Teaching in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

Such an explosion of growth also creates numerous opportunities and challenges for teachers. Cypress-Fairbanks ISD expects teachers to serve as positive role models for their students as they create a warm and productive learning environment. The starting salary for first-year teachers in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD is $42,000, with stipends of up to $3,000 available for teachers who specialize in certain critical subject matter or who are willing to participate in leading extracurricular activities for the students.

For more information about Cypress-Fairbanks ISD and for an online application for a teaching position, check out the school district’s website: http://www.cfisd.net

Alternative Certification Programs

If you are interested in joining the more than 5,700 classroom teachers in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD or in becoming a teacher in another Texas school district but lack the proper certification, an alternative certification program can help you become fully certified in a short period of time.

One such program, the Web-Centric Alternative Certification Program (WCACP) is an online teaching certification program that future educators can complete over the Internet at their own pace from the comfort of their own homes. This program, conducted entirely online, prepares students for the one-year teaching internship they will complete as the final step toward receiving their teaching certificates. WCACP utilizes chat sessions and videoconferencing so that students have the benefit of personal interaction with the convenience of online coursework. Because the program is designed for students to work at their own pace, many choose to maintain a full time job while studying, while others who can afford to devote more hours per day to their studies may complete the coursework in just a few months. Students who wish to expedite the certification process can complete some of the online classes concurrently with their internships.

Candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a 2.5 GPA.

WCACP is the perfect tool for any future elementary, middle, or high school teacher to use to obtain a teaching certificate. The program provides a quality education that will prepare students to teach in Cypress-Fairbanks ISD or any other Texas school system. For more information about WCACP, including an online application for the program, please go to the following website.