Whitesboro Intermediate School’s 5th grade science and social studies teacher, April Ollila, has been appointed to the State Board of Education’s Social Studies TEKS Working Group.
The group reviews and updates statewide social studies standards across Texas. This impacts the material students learn, what’s included in textbooks, how subjects are assessed and with what knowledge students will graduate.
With a Master’s degree in curriculum and instruction, Ollila has a passion for impacting students beyond the classroom.
In the spring of 2024, she applied for Teach Plus, a nonprofit organization that trains and empowers teachers to drive change in education policy and practice.
After an intense interview process that included essays and group and individual interviews, Ollila learned she had been chosen as a first-year fellow for the program. Only 50 teachers are chosen from across the state, and many of those are returnees.
As a fellow, Ollila has been able to help identify areas in education that need to be changed at the local, state and (possibly) federal level.
She has spent time in Austin, Texas learning about policy landscape and how to advocate for solutions.
As a Teach Plus fellow, Ollila has also had opportunities to work directly with local legislators, State Representative Reggie Smith and State Senator Drew Springer and help write bills to impact education.
In a social media post, Teach Plus announced it is proud to see teacher leadership at the state level.