ABOUT US
Who We Are
Region 8 Education Service Center is one of 20 Regional Education Service Centers within Texas, which assists school districts in improving student performance and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of school operations. As a non-regulatory agency, our relationship with our clients is collaborative and supportive.
Region 8 ESC is governed by:
• A seven-member Board of Directors, elected by local school board members; and
• An Executive Director, appointed by the Board of Directors, with the approval of the Commissioner of Education.
In addition, a Regional Advisory Committee serves in an advisory capacity to the Center and its Board of Directors to assist in evaluating the Center’s programs and services. This committee consists of one representative from each school district and one representative from each college or university with a teacher education program.
Our Location
The Region 8 Education Service Center is located at 4845 US Highway 271 North, Pittsburg, Texas. The Service Center's original location was in the old Mt. Pleasant High School Building on Riddle Street. In May of 1986, staff moved into a new building at 2230 North Edwards Street in Mt. Pleasant. An attached conference center was added in 2003 to allow the service center to accommodate the growing number of school district personnel they service.
In August of 2012, the ESC relocated to the former Pilgrim's Pride World Headquarters building just north of Pittsburg. The move to this larger facility provided for additional square footage for office space, storage space and classrooms.
Historical Information
ESCs have a long history of providing assistance to districts of all sizes. ESCs are intermediate educational units that provide training, technical assistance, administrative support, and an array of other services as determined by the legislature, the Commissioner of Education, and the needs of local school districts, charter, and private schools.
ESCs are reviewed annually, and their quality and effectiveness are reflected in an analysis of both student achievement and client satisfaction measures. In recent years, the ESCs have taken the lead in preparing staff to meet the ever-increasing accountability demands for student performance. Additionally, the ESCs have been sharply focused on assisting the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in promoting the financial health and viability of Texas school districts during rapidly changing and more complicated financial times. ESCs will continue to play an active role in helping clients understand compliance requirements, develop strategies to successfully implement accountability systems, and ultimately ensure the success of all students.
1965 – The 59th Texas Legislature authorized the State Board of Education (SBOE) to establish media centers throughout the state.
1967 – The 60th Texas Legislature expanded the Regional Education Service Centers’ (RESCs) services and designated the roles of each service center in coordinating
educational planning for respective regions. The SBOE divided the state into 20 regions, assigning each media center to begin operations and serve in each region.
1984 – The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 72, which directed the RESCs to work closer with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and school districts to raise the quality of district programs and enhance uniformity and consistency in district operations.
1992 – The SBOE adopted revised rules for the operation of RESCs. Under these rules, the commissioner of education would participate in the selection and approval of the hiring of executive directors, annually evaluate each executive director’s performance, and approve each center’s operating budget.
1997 – The 75th Legislature reauthorized the existence of the RESCs by passing Senate Bill 1158. Section 8.002 of the Texas Education Code (TEC) defines the RESCs mandate as:
• Assist school districts in improving student performance in each region of the system;
• Enable school districts to operate more efficiently and economically;
and
•Implement initiatives as assigned by the Texas Legislature of the Commissioner of Education.
RESCs have been working diligently to fulfill this critical mandate for more than 50 years by providing Texas educators the tools needed to improve student performance. As public agencies which cannot levy taxes, the programs and services provided are financially supported by federal, state
and school district funds.
Today, 20 Regional Education Service Centers make up the RESC system. These centers, located throughout the state, serve more than 4.1 million students, over 550,000 administrative and campus staff and play an integral part in ensuring the success of Texas’ education system.