Newly approved second cohort will open up approximately $43 million in funding that is destined for more than 4,600 Texas educators

AUSTIN, Texas — May 27, 2021—The Texas Education Agency (TEA) today announced four additional public school systems have been approved for a Local Designation System as part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA). This announcement paves the way for 4,616 highly effective Texas educators to be recognized and additionally compensated for their excellent work in the classroom.     

Approximately $43 million will be generated and paid out to more than 4,600 deserving designated teachers. This year, Texas also has 108 National Board teachers that earned this special designation; these teachers hold a nationwide certification that focuses on professional development.

Donna ISD, San Antonio ISD, School of Science and Technology (San Antonio), and School of Science and Technology Discovery (Leon Valley) join 26 school systems that were approved to become Local Designation Systems last year. To gain approval, these four new school systems developed a robust plan for evaluating its teachers.

“We stand by our teachers whose talents have diversified and grown during the pandemic, and whose classroom leadership will help students recover from any learning loss they encounter,” said San Antonio ISD Superintendent Pedro Martinez. “This is a pivotal time to make sweeping change to the teaching profession, and we are so appreciative that the State of Texas is allowing us to be part of this moment.” 

Donna ISD Superintendent Dr. Hafedh Azaiez is also thrilled that his district of 13,800 students has been selected for this revolutionary program. 

“As a small, high-poverty district, this is exciting news because TIA will enable us to reward, retain, and recruit highly effective teachers to our district,” Azaiez said. 

For more information on the Teacher Incentive Allotment and a complete list of school systems that have either been approved, or are in the process of being approved, please visit: tiatexas.org.   

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