MIDLAND Since January 2023, MISD’s Associate Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Ashley Osborne has been instrumental in rapidly overhauling the district’s educational landscape. With improving literacy rates as a top priority, Osborne immediately began working to implement a district-wide K-2 phonics-based curriculum that is already proving to be successful with 60% of students in grades K-2 showing improvement in reading, up 4% from the year prior. Students in kindergarten and first grade saw even greater gains, a news release said.
Additional focuses have been on improving advanced academics, expanding pre-k and cultivating professional learning district-wide. The district has seen marked improvement in the number of National Merit Semifinalists, announcing three for the first time since 2019; added 629 pre-k seats for a total of 1,405 seats for the 2024-2025 school year; and granted 16,794 professional learning credits for the summer and back to school sessions alone.
In October, Osborne is slated to end her tenure with MISD and will continue to lead the talent development work on the national level as a Senior Partner for the National Center for Grow Your Own.
The National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides technical assistance to state education agencies and local education agencies (school districts) that are interested in launching “Grow Your Own” (GYO) programs in partnership with educator preparation providers (EPPs). These GYO programs are able to address staff shortages and build long-term teacher and school leader pipelines. In addition, GYO programs remove financial barriers for aspiring educators, lead to higher retention, and increase educator diversity.
“I am so proud of Ashley. Having worked with her for over 18 years in two different districts, I have seen her step up and lead in a way that transformed our work,” said MISD Superintendent Stephanie Howard. “She built the talent team from scratch prior to coming back to Midland ISD, and she has established this work here in a short time. I am not surprised at all that she has been tapped to lead this work at the national level. Ashley has invested deeply in our work here in Midland ISD since she began in January 2023.”
Osborne began her teaching career in Midland ISD in 2006 as a biology teacher at what was then Lee High School. After serving in education for nearly 15 years, she discovered a passion for developing teacher and school leadership pipelines. Osborne has been instrumental in working with the U.S. Department of Labor to bring the Registered Apprenticeship program to the district. At the time of implementation, MISD was one of only four districts in Texas with this designation.
“She has led multiple initiatives, including a reorganization of our Teaching and Learning department, implementation of K-8 ELAR curriculum, and a return to phonics-based instruction and a structured literacy approach in Pre-K-2, and she has led multiple other initiatives as part of our Strategic Plan,” Howard continued. “We are better because of Ashley’s work and leadership – when we hire strong talent, we run the risk of losing that talent when other opportunities become available. While I am sad to see her go, I am so proud of her and happy that she has this opportunity to lead and impact even more students and teachers across the country.”
The district remains committed to rapidly improving student outcomes and has plans in place to build upon this focus. The Teaching and Learning and School Improvement departments will be combined, with current Associate Superintendent of School Improvement Erin Bueno overseeing the work.
“As we have worked through this transition plan the past few weeks, Ashley has been instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition. We will be returning to the structure we had in place prior to this year, and Erin Bueno will move into the role of Chief Academic Officer and oversee and lead the work of Teaching and Learning as well as School Improvement. This work goes hand in hand, and I have no doubt Ms. Bueno will transition into this role seamlessly,” Howard said.
With developing K-12 education pipelines as a passion, Osborne is looking forward to continuing to use her skillset to help improve the teacher shortage that is faced nationwide.
“I am thrilled to continue my work in advancing teacher and leader pipelines as I join the National Center for Grow Your Own (NCGYO) as a Senior Partner,” said Osborne. “NCGYO’s mission to address educator shortages, remove financial barriers for aspiring teachers, and increase educator diversity aligns perfectly with my passion for strengthening the education workforce. I am eager to collaborate with state agencies, school districts, and educator preparation programs to support the implementation of educator pipelines.”
Osborne continued, “NCGYO’s innovative approach, including their work with the US Department of Labor to recognize teaching and school leadership as eligible occupations for Registered Apprenticeships, ensures that we are building sustainable, long-term solutions for the profession. I look forward to being a part of this critical work and contributing to the success of future educators across the nation.”