EARLY, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – Early Elementary School welcomed some special visitors Tuesday morning from the Texas Education Agency (TEA).

TEA Commissioner Mike Morath spent the morning walking from class to class assessing how well the teachers are doing.

“Early has a very strong track record in growing literacy skills in kids and growing strong mathematics ability in kids,” said Morath.

This was one of the first visits from TEA since the pandemic, and even though this was only one of many schools Morath visited Tuesday, he says Early’s programs left a lasting impact.

“You have kids in different stations using different tool sets,” said Morath. “The work that teachers do to pour love and skill into kids is amazing.”

This year teachers have had to redefine what the classroom looks like, but the principal at Early Elementary says it was important to keep their literacy program as strong as it was before the pandemic.

“We have teachers that go above and beyond,” said Early Elementary Principal Julie Schafer. “We need that foundation, we know that’s our goal here, is we start young and we build that foundation for our kids so that we can send them not only to the next grade, but the next campus, and then eventually out into the world.”

Morath says teachers are like brain surgeons, molding minds, and after his visit, he says he’s confident he has good ones in the Big Country.