July 21, 2016
East Texas Baptist University and Marshall ISD announced a new Professional Development Scholarship for "qualified, eligible, and approved" MISD employees at a press conference held at ETBU's Ornelas Student Center on July 21.
Dr. J. Blair Blackburn, President of ETBU and Dr. Jerry Gibson, Superintendent of MISD presented an educational partnership plan which will provide MISD employees the opportunity to earn master's degrees through East Texas Baptist. The schools' partnership affords employees of the district to pursue graduate education at ETBU for professional development in curriculum and instruction, business administration, educational leadership, and counseling.
Dr. Blackburn and Dr. Gibson committed to provide financial support from the University and District to make a private graduate education possible for MISD employees. ETBU will grant a 1/3 professional development scholarship for Marshall school district employees. MISD will match that scholarship with a 1/3 employee professional development tuition grant. The employee would be responsible for 1/3 of the tuition costs, making the completion of a master's degree affordable and accessible to district educators. With the scholarship support from ETBU and MISD, the cost of graduate education at ETBU is significantly reduced and made comparable and even less than other public state institutions.
ETBU currently offers master's degrees in education, sports and exercise leadership, business administration, counseling, religion, and ministry. To meet the professional development needs of teachers and educational administrators, the University is developing new graduate degree programs in educational leadership with principal certification, Superintendent certification, school counseling, kinesiology, and college and university leadership.