(EL PASO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT – June 23, 2026) — While many students are enjoying summer vacation, hundreds of El Paso ISD teachers spent part of their break preparing for the year ahead.

Hundreds of educators gathered at Navarrete Middle School for the district’s Academics Summer Teacher Conference, a two-day professional learning event designed to equip teachers with new instructional strategies, technology tools, and district updates before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

The conference offered a wide variety of sessions for educators from pre-kindergarten through high school, including workshops focused on academics, special education, classroom culture, educational technology, artificial intelligence, and the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program. Teachers were able to customize their experience by selecting the sessions that best matched their interests and professional goals.

"The Summer Teacher Conference helps our educators prepare for the district's future initiatives and really get grounded in best practices so they can carry that knowledge with them into the new school year," said Chief Academic Officer Adalberto Garcia.

Garcia said the strong turnout demonstrates educators' commitment to continuous learning and student success.

"This year's Summer Teacher Conference has been great," Garcia said. "We've had more than 240 teachers take time out of their summer to continue learning, and it's really encouraging to see our educators gaining new skills and strategies they can take back to their classrooms."

Among those attending was Gloria Alvarez, a fourth-grade dual language teacher who participated in the conference to stay current on district initiatives and gather ideas for the start of the school year.

"I love to learn new things and I want to prepare before the new school year starts," Alvarez said. "During the summer, our district is good at giving us updates, and that's why I attend so that I can get the latest information before the new school year starts. That way I can get an idea of what I want to plan for the first few weeks of the new school year."

Alvarez attended multiple sessions throughout the conference, including one focused on artificial intelligence and emerging classroom technology.

"I'm still old school in some ways, but it's very convenient because new technology is helping us save time and focus on other pressing matters," Alvarez said.

In addition to instructional sessions, educators also had opportunities to learn more about district initiatives, including the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, which recognizes and rewards highly effective teachers for their impact on student achievement.

The conference was designed to provide meaningful choice while helping educators enter the new school year with fresh ideas, updated resources, and practical strategies they can immediately implement in their classrooms.

By investing in professional learning during the summer months, El Paso ISD teachers are already laying the foundation for student success long before the first day of school.