Ott's Outlook

We delayed sending out the March edition of Ott’s Outlook because we wanted to share news of an exciting new opportunity for Temple High School students that came out of our March Board of Trustees meeting. Our trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple during that meeting (March 9.) This narrative will shine a bright light on one of the most exciting school district partnerships anywhere.

This new collaboration will implement a STEM+M (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) health professions pathway for high school students. The program will begin in the 2026-2027 school year and is designed to provide both formal course curriculum and experiential health science learning opportunities for our students in both the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program and Advanced Academics programs at Temple High School.

The vision for this collaboration started three years ago and will create coursework and learning opportunities for our students while also putting those students directly in front of the top medical experts in the country. Baylor College of Medicine will help develop the curriculum and provide TISD educators with educational guidance, resources, and professional development opportunities. Baylor Scott & White Health will provide mentoring from health care professionals and hands-on training experiences. When you look at Temple, Texas you see a destination medical hotbed, and it makes sense to mobilize these experts to provide a localized conduit from high school to healthcare.

With this collaboration in place, I can think of no better prepared pathway, for healthcare professions, than what we will now offer at Temple High School. This localized pipeline will train generations of students and supply high-quality healthcare providers in the future. Parents and students interested in becoming a physician, nurse, physical therapist, or physician assistant are going to be excited about this localized option for healthcare preparedness.

Temple ISD is grateful for all of those who have worked on this project over the last three years. With the right medical collaborators, Baylor College of Medicine and Baylor Scott & White Health, anything is possible.

This is one of many innovative and exciting opportunities that occurs when you have local expertise and collaborative spirits working together to produce real results and experiences – unlike anywhere – for children. Temple ISD is truly thankful for the overwhelming support and exceptional partners. I want to personally thank Baylor College of Medicine Temple and Baylor Scott and White Health for this special collaboration that will change lives for generations to come. This was a big vision, but it reminds me of the phrase – “it is not the size of the project, but rather the size of the leaders that counts.” This was an example.

Temple is a community full of amazing leaders, and we are grateful and better for it.

Sincerely,

Bobby Ott

Temple ISD has a long history of excellence and we have had many, many graduates who have gone on to exemplify our vision to become influential and impactful leaders in their local communities and beyond. Temple ISD Alumni Spotlight will feature alumnus and alumna that have represented our community and our district in a positive way.

To nominate yourself or a Temple ISD graduate, please complete our online Alumni Spotlight Nomination Form. Nominations will be reviewed and candidates selected by the Temple ISD Board of Trustees Policy Committee