Iris B. Burnham is an American educator. Burnham brought

charter school A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system in which it is located. It is independent in the sense that it operates according to the basic principle of auto ...

s to

El Paso, Texas El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...

. In addition, she founded the El Paso chapter of

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

(NOW) and was a co-founder of the first

domestic violence shelter A women's shelter, also known as a women's refuge and battered women's shelter, is a place of temporary protection and support for women escaping domestic violence and intimate partner violence of all forms. The term is also frequently used to ...

for women in El Paso. In 2023 Iris B. Burnham published two volumes of her ABC Mystery Series: “Missing Teacher,” and the sequel, “Turkish Tango.”

Biography

Burnham came to El Paso in the early 1970s. In 1977, she became a lecturer in the English department of the

University of Texas at El Paso The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is a public research university in El Paso, Texas. It is a member of the University of Texas System. UTEP is the second-largest university in the United States to have a majority Mexican American stud ...

(UTEP). Burnham, as president and founder of the El Paso chapter of the

(NOW) was part of the founding group of women who in 1977 created the first shelter for women facing

abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

in El Paso. Burnham was working as the board president of the Transition Living Center at the time and stated that there was a need in El Paso to provide shelter and resources for women facing domestic violence. She was also involved with supporting the

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) is a proposed amendment to the United States Constitution designed to guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex. Proponents assert it would end legal distinctions between men and ...

(ERA). In 1984, as director of the School for Educational Enrichment (SEE), Burnham received a

grant Grant or Grants may refer to: Places *Grant County (disambiguation) Australia * Grant, Queensland, a locality in the Barcaldine Region, Queensland, Australia United Kingdom *Castle Grant United States * Grant, Alabama *Grant, Inyo County, C ...

for $200,000 from the Texas Department of Community Affairs to help 163

laid-off A layoff or downsizing is the temporary suspension or permanent termination of employment of an employee or, more commonly, a group of employees (collective layoff) for business reasons, such as personnel management or downsizing (reducing the ...

workers find new jobs in El Paso. In 1998, SEE opened the first

s in El Paso, the Burnham Wood Charter School, headed by Burnham. SEE helped students with learning disabilities and behavioral problems. Burnham also worked with at-risk young adults through the Upper Rio Grande Private Industry Council. In 2015, Burnham retired as superintendent of the charter schools she founded. Burnham was inducted into the

El Paso Women's Hall of Fame The El Paso Women's Hall of Fame honors and recognizes the accomplishments of El Paso women. It is sponsored by the El Paso Commission for Women and was established in 1985. The first inductees were honored in 1990. Inductees are women who live in ...

in 1993.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Burnham, Iris Year of birth missing (living people) Educators from El Paso, Texas University of Texas at El Paso faculty American feminists American women academics