Sharon Henry Stephens has worked in education since 1985. Not as a teacher, but in various paraprofessional roles.

She wanted to be a teacher, but in her words, it just didn’t work out.

Now the athletic secretary at Cypress Springs High School in Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District (CFISD), Stephens kept praying and never gave up hope.

Her persistence finally paid off – Stephens joined nine fellow CFISD staff members announced as the inaugural teacher certification cohort in partnership between the school district and Harris County Department of Education’s (HCDE) Center for Educator Success (CES). Personnel from both organizations were busy April 10-11 making surprise visits to all 10, breaking the news to each, catching those raw emotions and posing for photos to capture the first memories of this journey.

“I’m thankful that CES has given an opportunity for those who have been paraprofessionals and faced challenges in being in the teaching field,” an emotional Stephens said. “I’m just so excited that they have faith in me to be able to participate in this pilot program. I plan to make you proud.”

The CFISD cohort is the latest partnership for CES, which also has teaching certification initiatives in Channelview, Goose Creek, Sheldon and Spring independent school districts. The program is sponsored through the Houston Endowment grant, supporting the 10 teacher candidates for three years from pre-service requirements and exam preparation to their first and second years in the classroom.

CFISD’s Board of Trustees approved the agreement with HCDE at its May 5 regular meeting.

Candidates were screened to find paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes invested in the school district. Special education and other high-need subject areas were prioritized as well. Writing and teaching samples, recommendation letters and interviews helped narrow the pool.

CFISD human resources assistant director Brooke Parker worked with CES recruitment manager Julie Vu to finalize the cohort. The group represents eight separate CFISD campuses at varying grade levels and also includes an early childhood programming assistant in the district’s Special Education department.

“We really wanted to make it a big deal because we’re so excited for them taking this next step in their education journey,” Parker said.

In the first year of the three-year program, candidates will stay in their current role while working on pre-service requirements and certification exam preparation. Once all exams and requirements are completed, candidates will start as teachers in the second year.

In the third year – second year in the classroom – candidates will still receive support from CES and district personnel as part of the cohort.

“We’re excited about the partnership,” said Lauren Gray, CES officer of partnerships and recruitment. “We’ll support them, so they’ll be in the program for three years with two of those years teaching.”

A key factor of the cohort is its sponsorship through the Houston Endowment. The private foundation supports local organizations and their efforts to improve systems and address the evolving needs of the Houston community.

“Usually, certification programs are quite a few thousand dollars and these are paraprofessionals and long-term substitutes, so money can be a barrier for them to pursue their teacher certification,” Parker said. “The fact that they don’t have to pay anything for this program is absolutely amazing.”

Like Stephens, other cohort members have their own origin stories into education.

Olivia Tieman was inspired by her mother, a longtime elementary educator, but didn’t immediately take that route. Now the counseling secretary at Cypress Springs High School, she aspires to be a school counselor and becoming a certified teacher is the next step in her journey.

Evangelia Hemphill is now in her third year as a substitute. The former engineer moved with her family to Texas from South Carolina right before the COVID-19 pandemic, so as life and plans changed, Hemphill became a substitute after joking with her children.

“I told them, ‘Hey, I’m not on contract right now, I’ll go sub so I can see you all day,’” she said. “I actually subbed my first day at their school – it was in middle school – and fell in love with it.”

Now a long-term substitute at Cypress Woods High School, Hemphill enjoys the break from years of meetings and minutia from the private sector. She uses her engineering experience and skills to connect classroom lessons to real world applications.

“I love it,” she said. “That makes them want to learn it because they know they’re really going to use it. Yes, you really are going to use what we’re teaching.”

Soon, these 10 individuals will embark on the journey to become CFISD teachers, each aspiring to make a meaningful impact. The surprises were emotional, full of smiles and hugs. They were also meaningful, with each cohort member surrounded by their support system, from principals, counselors and directors to district and CES personnel.

“They told me I was going to have to wait until April 11,” said Stephens, who was surprised April 10. “So, when I came out into the hallway and saw my colleagues excited about the journey I’m about to take, I was so excited. I can’t wait. I’m going to be a teacher.”