Teacher incentive program is a godsend for rural schools
Pandemicinduced pressure on Texas’ teachers was to be expected. The Teacher Incentive Allotment can help.
As a school superintendent, I’m keenly aware that one of the most important factors in providing a high-quality public education is to ensure students consistently and equitably possess access to opportunity. In our new normal, heavily influenced by COVID-19, adhering to that principle is as necessary as ever.
One of the ways equity is achieved is by attracting and retaining the best and brightest educators. It is why at La Pryor ISD we are counting our blessings that we were selected to be one of the first 26 Texas public school districts to receive financial benefits through the Teacher Incentive Allotment, a result of historic House Bill 3, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2019. But to more fully appreciate what this selection means to our small district, you need to know our story.
La Pryor ISD is in South Texas, 45 miles from the border with Mexico and 90 miles from San Antonio, and 86 percent of our students are classified as economically disadvantaged.
Our district sits inside Zavala County. For context, when all of Texas’ 254 counties are ranked from wealthiest to poorest in an analysis by Syracuse University, Zavala County ranks 254. That is not exactly a helpful selling point when attempting to recruit prospective teachers.
In the last five years, we have had openings for teaching positions and we would only get one or two applicants per opening. A few of our openings have gone unfilled for extended periods due to a lack of interest. Staffing was a scramble, and our team spent many nights wondering how we could fix this glaring problem.
When I first heard of the Teacher Incentive Allotment, I immediately fell in love with its potential to change outcomes here and in other Texas school districts. This program was the game changer our district desperately needed when it came to teacher recruitment and retention. After acceptance into TIA’S first cohort, we received letters of interest from teachers across South Texas inquiring about our many open positions — a far cry from years past.
At a high level, the TIA’S impact on La Pryor ISD is twofold.
First, this program provides a pathway to monetarily reward our hardworking and effective educators. The TIA awards teachers based on student growth, not simply passing a test. When we notified eligible teachers of the distinctions they earned and the amount of money they would receive — a direct result of their incredible hard work and commitment to our students — there was not a dry eye in the room.
For many of these educators, the financial rewards are literally life changing.
These are just a sampling of the kinds of responses our TIA teachers shared with palpable relief. For me, as a longtime district leader, this was an incredibly rewarding feeling.
Secondly, now when we advertise employment opportunities in La Pryor ISD, we can offer prospective educators the chance to earn up to an additional $32,000 per year — a huge advantage for our district. Our application pool is growing, and we are able to choose from a wide pool of qualified applicants.
But the TIA’S impact is much more far-reaching than just money and personnel choices. It means greater equity for our 500-plus dedicated students. It gives our district and community a better chance at long-term success — and that’s why I implore the Legislature to continue its innovative commitment to public education through programs like the TIA.
The Lone Star State will be brighter for it.