On February 19, Region 4 District Advancement Champions gathered to hear leadership discuss two major initiatives that will have a lasting impact on education across Texas—Bluebonnet Learning and PrintWorks. 

Region 4 is playing a critical role in ensuring school districts have access to high-quality instructional materials through PrintWorks, a Region 4 service line designed to print and distribute the new Bluebonnet Learning curriculum. 

 

Bluebonnet Learning: Raising the Bar for Student Success 

Developed by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), Bluebonnet Learning is a curriculum built to provide teachers with high-quality, TEKS-aligned instructional materials and tools to foster student success. 

Dr. LaQuita Carter, Customer Relationships Coordinator, spoke about why this initiative is a game changer. “Bluebonnet Learning has been designed as a state initiative, where our state is backing every single educator in the state of Texas, and making sure that they have an instructional curriculum that is viable, that is rigorous, that is aligned to state standards and will make sure that they are achieving student outcomes on grade level,” she said. 

Dr. Sharon Benson, Director of Mathematics, highlighted the curriculum’s role in removing barriers to effective teaching. “This curriculum that every student would have access to [breaks] down a barrier to helping teachers deliver better instruction to students and for students to demonstrate everything that they’ve learned and that they know,” she said. 

 

PrintWorks: A Bold Step for Region 4 

To bring Bluebonnet Learning to classrooms across Texas, Region 4 is rolling out PrintWorks. This massive effort ensures that high-quality instructional materials are efficiently printed and delivered to districts. 

Mike Houser, Chief of the Center for Print Production and Distribution, shared details about the operation, while also offering a field trip opportunity for staff members interested in visiting one of the distribution facilities. "We will have two distribution points—one in Houston and one in Dallas. The one in Houston just happens to be about a 10-minute drive from [Region 4]," he said. 

 

The Road Ahead  

Dr. Rodney Watson, Executive Director, encouraged staff members to embrace the opportunities ahead. "Look at what’s happening at the federal level with education. . . . Look at what’s happening at the state level with education. Now is the opportunity for us to shine with all the gifts we have in this room,” he said. 

With Bluebonnet Learning and PrintWorks in motion, Region 4 continues to be a driving force in education. Every District Advancement Champion plays a role in the success of these initiatives.