Spring Branch ISD Featured News

Two years ago, Ross Blake was navigating the longest bus route in Spring Branch ISD (SBISD). Today, he’s walking the halls of Spring Woods High School (SWHS) — not as a driver, but as a teaching fellow. Students now greet him with fist bumps and hallway hellos, recognizing him not just as a familiar face, but as their teacher.

Blake’s journey shows what can happen when a school district doesn’t just fill positions — it creates pathways for people to grow.

He joined SBISD’s Transportation Department in September 2022 as a bus assistant while working toward his commercial driver’s license. By November, he was behind the wheel. When the district’s longest special needs route opened up just before winter break, he stepped forward — and found out he was the only one who had. The route was intense, both physically and mentally. But he didn’t walk away. He kept showing up for the students on his route, day after day, for a year and a half.

During that same stretch, Blake also worked part time with the district’s IT department, clocking in and out across departments — all while raising a 19-year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. His schedule was full, but something deeper was starting to stir — something he hadn’t felt in a while.

Before the pandemic, Blake trained lifeguards in long, demanding sessions that mixed physical work with classroom teaching. He hadn’t realized how much he enjoyed that part of the job until he considered doing it again. Around that same time, his wife was exploring a career shift into education. When SBISD launched the Thrive program, they attended the information session together. By the end of it, they both saw the same thing: a door that had just opened.

Thrive wasn’t just a certification path. It was structured, supportive and rooted in SBISD’s commitment to growing its own. Blake immediately noticed the difference. While peers in his University of Houston-Victoria classes were navigating the process without district-level support, he had a team walking with him through every step. Thrive provided a clear path to a teaching fellow role — and, more importantly, people he could lean on.

Balancing work, classes and parenting hasn’t been easy. Between studying for exams, managing multiple timesheets, and trying to be present at home, Blake has had to stay incredibly focused. But it’s the small, meaningful moments that keep him going.

There was the first time he joined a lesson planning meeting with his mentor teacher and the rest of the team — and realized he belonged there. Or the students who now approach him in the hallway, not with hesitation, but with connection. These moments have made it clear: he’s in the right place.

Looking ahead, Blake hopes to teach technology, either at Spring Woods or the Guthrie Center. He’s no longer just imagining the next chapter — he’s already writing it.

“Two years ago, I didn’t think this was even possible,” he said. “Now, I’m working toward a career that gives me more time with my daughter — and a chance to actually make a difference.”

Ross Blake’s story reflects the heart of SBISD’s T-2-4 vision: helping every student succeed in a technical, two-year or four-year program — by starting with the adults who support them. Through Thrive, SBISD isn’t just preparing teachers. It’s helping employees see a future they might not have thought was within reach — and giving them the tools and opportunity to get there.

#SBISDProud