In March 2022, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) created a task force, comprised of teachers and school leaders, to help school districts in the state address ongoing staffing retention and recruitment challenges. Teach Plus Texas partnered with TEA on the recruitment and selection of the teachers serving on the 46-member task force, and assisted and supported its facilitation and the final report. Six Teach Plus Texas alumni served on the task force: Kisaundra Harris, Raymond Falcon, Jean Streepey, Eric Hale, and Melina Recio. Josue Tamarez Torres served as the task force’s chairman.
The final report focuses on three main policy categories: compensation, working conditions, and training and support. Recommendations include:
- Funding an increase to overall teacher salaries through an increase to the basic allotment, an increase in the minimum salary schedule, and expansion of strategic compensation systems, such as the Teacher Incentive Allotment
- Expanding high-quality Grow-Your-Own pathways; teacher apprenticeships; and full-year, paid teacher residencies
- Funding for and increasing the scale of the Mentor Program Allotment (MPA)
- Funding, professional learning, and support for teachers to access and utilize High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)
- Conducting teacher time studies and providing technical assistance for districts to develop strategic staffing and scheduling models that respect teacher time
View the task force’s final report here.
Read coverage of the report in the Austin American-Statesman, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, and on CBS News.
“What’s good about the report is its inclusion of teacher voices. The task force’s recommendations are achievable.”
— Texas Policy Manager Natalie Brown
