PEARLAND ISD

In the school district’s mission statement, leaders of Pearland Independent School District (ISD) state their objectives, saying they want to “Prepare students to Perform at their highest potential and Produce global citizens of tomorrow.” This mission can be accomplished through establishing partnerships between the students, teachers, parents, and community.

About Pearland ISD

One of the smaller school systems in Texas Region IV, Pearland ISD currently serves 17,115 students in its eleven elementary schools, four middle schools, three junior high schools, two high schools, and one alternative campus. The school system continues to grow, and demographics experts predict that the district will reach approximately 28,600 students by the year 2014.

Pearland ISD continues to receive state and national recognition for its students’ academic achievements. Of Pearland ISD’s twenty-one schools, one has been rated as exemplary, thirteen are recognized, and three are academically acceptable under the Texas Academically Acceptable School District’s rating system. The school district has also met the adequate yearly progress standards established by the No Child Left Behind Act.

Pearland ISD’s academic success can be attributed greatly to the strong academic programs that the school district offers to its students. Support services such as bilingual and ESL classes, special education, and Pre-K programs offer assistance to students who struggle with specific needs. Advanced placement and the developing International Baccalaureate program are preparing high school students for success in secondary education, and students from Pearland High School already score above the state average in every section of both the SAT and ACT assessments. Pearland ISD sees academic success as a practical step to students’ future success. The curriculum at every level intentionally utilizes technology and focuses on applying the concepts to the “real world” outside of the classroom.

Teaching in Pearland ISD

Because the school system continues to grow, Pearland ISD needs a steady supply of qualified teachers. New teachers earn a competitive starting salary of $43,000 per year, and they will also enjoy working under the average 16:1 student to teacher ratio. First year teachers who live outside the district can enroll their children in any Pearland ISD school, and they will receive a $500 compensation for one child and a $1000 compensation for more than one child. This hiring incentive lasts for a new teacher’s first year and serves to show employees the benefits that the school system offers to both teachers and parents. For more information about teaching in Pearland ISD, including job postings and an online application, please visit the district website: http://www.pearlandisd.org

Alternative Certification Programs

If you would like to be a part of the growing Pearland ISD family but do not have a teaching license, a number of options are available to help you get into the classroom as soon as possible. Those who cannot return to school full-time often turn to alternative certifications programs, including the Web-Centric Alternative Certification Program (WCACP), an online alternative certification program that helps teachers complete the academic portion of the licensure requirements from the comfort of their own homes. Because the coursework for the WCACP is entirely online, students have the ability to work at their own pace. Those who need to work a full-time job or raise a family while they complete their studies can work at the pace that suits their needs. The program prepares students for the mandatory one-year teaching internship they must do before receiving their teaching certificate.

Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university, and they have a minimum 2.5 GPA.