About Waco ISD

Waco Independent School District (ISD) currently serves over 15,000 students from age 3 through grade 12 in the city of Waco, TX. The district has twenty elementary schools, including two Montessori schools, seven middle schools, and four high schools. Students also have the option of applying to attend one of Waco ISD’s five K-12 Magnet Schools. A lottery system determines which of these unique schools the children who sign up for the program will attend.

As of the year 2005, 46.7% of students in Waco ISD are Hispanic, 36.6% are African American, and 16.2% are Caucasian. More than 80% of students come from economically disadvantaged families, and more than 12% have limited English-speaking abilities.
Waco ISD has formed excellent community partnerships. The 2005 district progress report states that in that year more than 200 individuals and businesses participated in the Adopt-A-School program. The district’s Education Foundation also gave away a $10,000 Hurd scholarship and nearly $75,000 worth of grants to teachers. Thanks to the strong relationship Waco ISD has with the community, the whole city is involved in investing in the lives of the students.

In order to better help students prepare for their futures, the district offers a wide range of career-oriented extracurricular activities, including Junior ROTC and programs in early childhood education, aviation, engineering, finances, technology, and health and human services. For college-bound students, the schools also offer Advanced Placement courses, the International Baccalaureate program, and dual-enrollment courses that all provide the opportunity for students to earn college credit before they graduate.

Waco ISD has invested heavily in providing a variety of opportunities to help their students receive the best education possible. Every classroom comes equipped with access to high-speed Internet and educational television. The district also has a performing arts center and a well-equipped athletics complex. Bilingual education, Montessori classrooms, and differentiated instruction also provide opportunities for students with diverse learning needs. In order to accommodate working families, the district also provides after-school childcare programs.

Teaching in Waco ISD

If you are interested in making a difference in the life of a child, consider joining the Waco ISD family. New teachers earn a starting salary of $38,000. New teachers also have the opportunity to participate in the Texas Beginning Educator Support System (TxBESS), a program which offers mentorship and support to first-year teachers. The program has helped to improve job satisfaction and to decrease the teacher turnover rate. Waco ISD also provides a number of professional development opportunities for educators to strengthen their skills.

For more information about the opportunities available in this school district, including an online job application, check out the following website:

http://www.wacoisd.org

Alternative Certification Programs

If you would like teach in Waco ISD or another school district in the state of Texas but do not have a teaching certificate, you can obtain one through our online program. Our program utilizes chat and videoconferencing sessions so that in addition to enjoying the convenience that an online program offers, students can also benefit from personal interaction with their instructors and classmates.

Students in the WCACP must have a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited college or university.