Paul Quinn College is dedicated to creating servant leaders and agents of change in their communities. Children in urban school districts face a number of challenges, such as: poverty, violence, and under-resourced schools. Preparing teachers to enter urban school districts as certified teachers, and curriculum and administrative leaders addresses the documented need to improve the caliber of teaching in such school environments and is directly connected to the specific mission of Paul Quinn.
The following information explains the minimum program requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Program, as well as the application process.
The following information explains the minimum program requirements for post baccalaureate admission to the Teacher Education Program, as well as the application process.
Level 1: To address any complaint or concern, the initial step is to communicate with the instructor, staff member, or professor with whom you have the concern or hold the complaint. We are here to help you resolve the issue. After completion of the initial level and left unresolved, where necessary, you proceed to Level 2.
Level 2: File a written complaint with the program coordinator within 15 days of the incident. Within 10 days after filing your complaint, you will receive communication from applicable program staff. If still unresolved at Level 2, and your concern warrants additional support/intervention, you may proceed to Level 3.
Level 3: Within 10 days of decision at Level 2, you may appeal in writing to the Vice President of Academic Affairs (only after Level 2 processes are finalized.) You will communicate with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and any necessary program staff to resolve your complaint or concern. You will receive a response within 10 days after filing your complaint from the Vice President of Academic Affairs. After you have conferred with the Vice President of Academic Affairs and your concern warrants additional resolution/intervention/support, you may proceed to Level 4 and include the written correspondence and steps documenting you have completed the three prior steps.
Level 4: Within 10 days of decision at Level 3, you may appeal in writing to the President of the College. The President and any necessary program staff will examine, address, and/or resolve your complaint or concern within 10 days of receipt where all information, details, and files are complete to evaluate the issue. If you have conferred with the President and desire additional support, you may proceed to Level 5 which includes an external process.
Level 5-External Process: After completion of all prior steps, for certification programs only, you may file a formal complaint with Texas Education Agency www.tea.texas.gov. All complaints filed with the TEA must be in writing. TEA will not accept complaints by phone or complaints that are submitted anonymously. A person or entity may file a written complaint with TEA by filling out the complaint form online or by mailing or faxing a hard copy to the address on the form. You may fax your submission to (512) 463-9008 or email it to generalinquiry@tea.texas.gov. Please note TEA will examine whether you have made contact within the university levels first.
If you are convicted of an offense your teaching certification may be impacted. The Texas Education Agency states, “Criminal histories are evaluated on a case by case basis by considering the following factors:
Candidates who have been admitted into the Teacher Education Program must continue to meet all criteria required for admission throughout their course of study. The program will monitor GPA, course grades, professional and dispositional behaviors, and other program expectations. Failure to maintain the standards of academic performance and failure to demonstrate skills, behaviors, and dispositions specified by the program may result in dismissal from the program.
A candidate may be dismissed from the program based on one or more of the following:
For more information about the Teacher Education program, please contact Dr. Paula Mason, Associate Professor & Program Coordinator, via email at pmason@pqc.edu.
A criminal background check is conducted prior to issuance of any certificate. From the Texas Education Agency, “TEA conducts a national criminal history check on all applicants for certification. Texas Education Code (TEC) §22.0831 states, “The board shall review the national criminal history record information of a person who has not previously submitted fingerprints to the department or been subject to a national criminal history record information review.” For more information, see the Texas Education Agency website.
As a teacher preparation candidate, you are responsible for completing all of the coursework on the respective degree plan AND the following program requirements:
Field Experience: In-School Observations: Teacher Preparation candidates are required to complete a minimum of 30 hours of in-school observation hours under the supervision of a certified classroom teacher. The hours are to be completed over time, leading up to clinical teaching. Fifteen (15) of the hours must be completed by conducting tutoring, small group
instruction, etc. Documentation of completion of the 30 hours must be submitted to the Teacher Education Program Coordinator to be filed for official record keeping. Keep a copy of your observation logs for your own records (will be a required component of your portfolio).
TExES Certification Exam: Teacher Preparation candidates are expected to register and pay to take the Pedagogy & Professional Responsibility Exam (PPR EC-12), Content Exam, and Science of Teaching Reading Exam (EC-6 Candidates) portions of the TExES after scoring 85% or above on practice tests, but prior to clinical teaching/internship. The goal is for candidates to have passed all exams prior to Clinical Teaching/Internship. Note: Candidates are allowed five attempts for each TExES certification test and must request approval from the Teacher Education Program for each attempt on a certification exam.
Clinical Teaching/Internship: Post baccalaureate candidates have the choice of completing Clinical Teaching (traditional Student Teaching) or a one-year Internship. Candidates are cleared to enroll in clinical teaching/internship once all other program requirements, including passing all certification exams, have been successfully completed. Clinical teaching lasts a minimum of 14 week and mirrors the regular school day and calendar. Clinical teachers are not compensated. Candidates are expected to arrange other responsibilities such as employment, sports, campus activities, family obligations, etc. around the clinical teaching experience so there is no interference. The one-year Internship lasts for two full semesters, the candidate is teacher of record and paid as a classroom teacher. Both options require scheduled observations and feedback sessions conducted by the Field Supervisor/Program Coordinator.
The PQC Teacher Education Program is accredited by the Texas Education Agency. All teacher candidates pass all required TExES exams before assignment to student/clinical teaching. Program performance for the past five years (candidate exam pass rate) is as follows:
To be recommended for certification, the student must:
Please keep in mind that Paul Quinn can recommend you to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) for Texas Teacher Certification, however, the final authority to confer the teacher certificate rests with the State Board for Education Certification (SBEC). SBEC will issue the teaching certificate after their review of the candidate is complete. SBEC will require the candidate to submit to, pay for and pass a criminal background check prior to any certificate being issued. From the Texas Education Agency, “TEA conducts a national criminal history check on all applicants for certification. Texas Education Code (TEC) §22.0831 states “The board shall review the national criminal history record information of a person who has not previously submitted fingerprints to the department or been subject to a national criminal history record information review.” For more information, see the Texas Education Agency website.
The Texas Education Agency conducts a national criminal history check on all applicants for certification via fingerprinting. You may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense. TEA will provide a Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation (PCHE) for a non-refundable fee of $50. This evaluation is voluntary and non-binding.
Please be advised participation in the PCHE process does not exempt you from submitting to a national criminal history background check at the time you apply for your educator certification. For more information see the Texas Education Agency website.
A teaching career provides stability and benefits while allowing you to impact the world. Starting salaries in N. Texas are just above $50,000 a year with health and retirement benefits. Many teachers interview and receive preliminary offers before graduation. You can review more information about the teacher job market in Dallas/Ft. Worth here.
Coach Keldrick McKinney is a native of Dallas, Texas who enters his third year as the Head Track and Field/Cross Country Coach at Paul Quinn College. After serving one year as Associate Head Coach under the leadership of Coach Maurice West; Coach McKinney was given the opportunity by Paul Quinn’s legendary Athletic Director James “Zip” Summers.
The program has quickly grown from 3 to now 25 student athletes under the leadership of Coach McKinney. In the second year of competing at the Red River Athletic Conference Track and Field Championships, the Paul Quinn Tigers placed two athletes in the Top 10.
Coach McKinney received his bachelor’s in Kinesiology from Prairie View A&M University. After graduation he then opened a training facility where he trained hundreds of athletes. This provided the background and experience for Coach to thrive at the next level. Coach McKinney’s student-athletes not only excel on the track but also in the classroom as well. Coach McKinney’s team maintains over a 3.0 gpa.
Coach Michael Delgado has been coaching at the collegiate level since 2009. He began his coaching career at Howard Payne University, shortly after starting his time there as a collegiate soccer player. He began as a student coach and after graduating with a degree in Spanish Education, became an assistant.
In 2015, Coach Delgado moved back to Dallas to form the Men’s and Women’s Soccer program at Paul Quinn College as the assistant coach and became the head coach of the Women’s team in 2017. From 2015-2021 he was also the Men’s assistant coach.
In 2021, Coach Delgado took over the Men’s program and led the team as the #3 seed (highest in school history) to the USCAA National Championship for the 3rd year in a row, with a 3rd place finish.
Coach Delgado is a Dallas native and graduated from Mesquite Poteet High School as a district MVP & All-State. He holds his Master’s degree from Concordia University in Coaching & Athletic Administration. He resides in the campus neighborhood of Highland Hills and lives daily by his motto, #AlwaysRefuse2Lose.
Brandon Espinosa starts his fourth season as Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Paul Quinn College.
Last season, Coach Espinosa and the Tigers had a historic 19 game turnaround from the previous year going from 7-25 to 26-2 (12-2 RRAC). Coach Espinosa led the 2021-2022 Tigers to the school’s first USCAA Men’s Division I National Championship and the 3rd overall national championship in school history. The Tigers also won the Red River Athletic Conference West (RRAC) regular season title for the first time since joining the conference in 1998. The Tigers finished the 2021-2022 season with the most RRAC wins and highest winning percentage in a season in program history.
The Tigers were the No. 1 seed at USCAA Nationals and had a dominant showing with 3 double digits wins. The championship game featured seven ties and ten lead changes. After trailing by four at half, 38-34, Bryant & Stratton led 67-65 with 6:33 left in the game. Henry Hampton hit a jumper a minute later to give Paul Quinn the lead to highlight a 10-0 run to seal the victory for the Tigers. Ja’Mare Redus led PQC with 18 points while Hampton finished with 17. Spencer McElway added 12, Ja’Mere Redus came off the bench and scored 11, and Steven Tynes chipped in seven points and nine assists.
While the team’s collective efforts were the deciding factor in their success, several outstanding individuals led them both on and off the court. Coach Brandon Espinosa was recognized as the USCAA National Coach of the Year. In addition, senior forward Spencer McElway was selected as a USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 2nd Team All Conference. Sophomore forward Trevoin Shaw was voted USCAA 1st Team All American, USCAA All Tournament Team and RRAC 1st Team All Conference. Sophomore guard Ja’mare Redus received USCAA Tournament MVP as well as USCAA 2nd Team All American Honors. Sophomore guard Torron Mingo Jr. earned the USCAA Academic All American award. Junior guard Caleb Thompson received the RRAC Champions of Character award.
During his first season with Paul Quinn, Espinosa led the Tigers to the most conference victories since 2012-2013. In addition, PQC had two players receive RRAC All Conference honors; Spencer McElway was 1st Team All RRAC and Mateo Escheik received 2nd Team All RRAC honors. McElway also joined the schools 1000-point club.
Espinosa also serves as the Director of EYBL and 17U Head Coach for Drive Nation which was founded by former NBA All-Star Jermaine O’Neal. This summer Drive Nation qualified for the 2021 Nike Peach Jam and currently has the most ESPN Top 100 ranked players in the country.
Espinosa has held coaching positions at Bossier Parish Community College, Ranger College and with the Dallas Mavericks NBA G-League affiliate, Texas Legends.
Espinosa is a native of Houston, Texas. He played collegiately for Dallas Christian College, where in 2010 they won the ACCA National Championship. Espinosa earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration in 2011.
Paul Quinn did not compete in 2020-2021 due to Covid-19.
Camille Smith is in her first season at Paul Quinn College.
Smith was hired in early March and her most recent position was as an Assistant Coach for the WNBA Dallas Wings.
Prior to coaching, Smith played professionally for 10 seasons internationally and 12 seasons in the WNBA before retiring in 2019. Smith was drafted to the San Antonio Silver Stars in the 2007 WNBA Draft as the 17th Overall pick. Amid the start of the 2008 WNBA season, Smith was selected in the Atlanta Dream dispersal draft before being traded to the Seattle Storm where Smith played and won a championship in 2010! In 2015 Smith was traded to the Connecticut Sun, then to the Phoenix Mercury in 2017, where she finished her career.
Internationally, Smith played on multiple teams in Israel (2015 Israel League Champion) and China. She also played in Turkey, Limassol, Cyrpus, Ragusa, Sicily (2016 Cup Champion), Lebanon (2017 Arab Cup Champion), Montpelier, France, and Venice, Italy (2018 Euro Cup runner-up).
As a former student-athlete at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Camille graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in interpersonal communications. A four-time All-ACC selection, she finished her college career with over 1,700 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists, and 250 steals. As a senior, Camille averaged 13.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game along with 99 steals to help the Tar Heels reach the Final Four. Camille is ranked among the top 20 all-time scorers at UNC and was named Honorable Mention All-American by the Associated Press following her junior year. She averaged 11.7 points and 5.5 rebounds as a junior. As a sophomore, Camille averaged 13.3 points and 8.0 rebounds in the ACC tournament, including a 23-point game against Duke in the finals. In 2004, she was named ACC Rookie of the Year and was the only freshman selected as a finalist for Kodak All-American honor. Camille became the first Tar Heel to be named first-team All-ACC as a freshman.
In high school, Camille was named Associated Press NC Player of the Year and NC Miss Basketball (Class 3A; 2003). Camille was also awarded State Player of the Year by the Charlotte Observer and NC Gatorade Player of the Year (2002 and 2003). In 2001, Camille shared AP Player of the Year honors at Carver High School and helped her team finish with a 30-0 record and State Championship. Camille is a three-time All-State Selection and averaged 20.2 points and 11.1 rebounds per game during her senior year. She holds the record of 2,168 career points during her high school career, was a McDonald’s High School All-American, and played in the 2002 USA Basketball Youth Development Festival. Camille was also named Piedmont Triad All-Conference, four years in a row, and Piedmont Triad Conference Player of the Year, three years in a row.
Camille Smith & her husband Jeremis Smith are happily married & live in the Historical Stop 6 Community.
Coach Patrick Gonzalez is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He has a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with emphasis in Criminal Justice from Texas Wesleyan University. He also has a M.Ed. in Sports Administration from Concordia University in Austin, Texas. He has coached volleyball for over thirteen years. He has coached on the high school, club, and collegiate level.
He currently coaches for 360 Volleyball Club in Arlington, Texas. Coach Gonzalez brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the Paul Quinn College volleyball program. He served as the women’s assistant volleyball coach at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee for five seasons. While at Fisk University, Coach Gonzalez served as an Admissions Counselor and Director of International Student Services in the Office of Student Engagement. He has also worked at Howard University in Washington, D.C. and served as the Associate Director of Minority Outreach in the Office of Admissions. He most recently was selected into the Big XII Reach & Teach Volleyball Diversity Program.