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The Texas Education Agency (TEA) announced earlier this month that more than $290 million in Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) funds has been awarded for nearly 25,000 designated Texas teachers during the 2023-24 school year, including teachers in 10 area school districts in the Region 5 Education Service Center area.
The districts are Hardin-Jefferson ISD, Jasper ISD, Kirbyville CISD, Kountze ISD, Newton ISD, Port Arthur ISD, Silsbee ISD, Vidor ISD, Warren ISD and Woodville ISD.
TIA was created during the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019 in order to reward and retain highly-qualified teachers. A recent TEA study conducted during the 2023-24 school year showed that designated teacher retention exceeded the statewide teacher retention rate by eight percentage points.
According to TEA, 481 school systems participated in the program during the 2023-24 school year, with 306 fully approved to award teacher designations. A total of 542 school systems employ a designated teacher eligible to receive TIA funds. Districts receive full approval to award teacher designations following a comprehensive application and approval process using data from classroom observations and student academic growth.
Vidor ISD Superintendent Jay Killgo said the district has been pleased with the program.
“It has allowed us to provide very large stipends to some deserving staff members. During a time when school funding has failed to keep pace with inflation, this program has helped us demonstrate to the teachers involved how much we think about the great job they do,” he said.
A catalyst for helping high-quality teachers remain in the classroom, TIA is credited with creating accessible pathways for teachers to earn up to sixfigure salaries.
School systems participating in TIA determine teacher designations using data from classroom observations and student growth outcomes. Designated teachers remaining in classroom teaching positions generate annual funding for teacher compensation. Districts may include all teachers in the first year of their local designation system, or they may choose to start with a smaller number of eligible teaching assignments and expand their system over time.
Next school year, approximately 600 districts will be participating in TIA.
Also, TEA announced that all Harmony Public Schools teachers will be eligible for up to $32,000 in additional compensation in 2024-25 after designating all seven Harmony regional districts as TIA designees, according to information from the district.
In 2023-24, more than 1,000 Harmony teachers received a TIA bonus. Of those Harmony teachers, more than 100 received $15,000 or more and more than 30 teachers received $20,000 or more.
Harmony also recently approved a new sign-on bonus for teachers receiving TIA bonuses elsewhere, but are now looking for new career opportunities. Harmony will pay new teachers that were previously designated as TIA recipients elsewhere up to $10,000 as a one-time bonus for joining Harmony.