Teacher Vacancy Task Force Overview
TEA establishes task force to address ongoing staffing concerns
From urban and suburban school systems with large student populations to those districts serving rural communities, public school systems across Texas are faced with growing staffing challenges that have been exacerbated by both population growth and the wide-ranging disruptions of a two-year-long pandemic. The Teacher Vacancy Task Force is working to find teacher-shaped solutions to these challenges - blending a variety of perspectives and experiences from current classroom teachers and school administrators - into thoughtful policy recommendations and an innovative way forward that firmly supports the needs of our teachers.
Understand the challenges districts are currently facing related to teacher vacancies
Share best practices for addressing critical teacher vacancy and shortage areas, including exploring opportunities for certification, placement, and hiring flexibilities
Develop recommendations for regulatory or other policy changes for TEA and the state
Provide feedback on TEA initiatives designed to help impact vacancies
Questions?
If you have any questions or comments related to the work of the Teacher Vacancy Task Force, please contact us at: TEATeacherVacancyTaskForce@tea.texas.gov.
Ideas and Volunteers
If you have an idea, want to volunteer to present, or be a panelist please complete this form.*
*Given the high volume of interest we have received in the Task Force, we will not be able to accommodate all volunteers, but we will consider the ideas shared and synthesize trends for discussion with the Task Force. The deadline for submitting nominations for the additional teacher members of the Task Force was on April 1, 2022. Following the deadline, TEA staff reviewed nomination forms, interviewed candidates, and checked references. For more information on the teacher selection process for participation on the Task Force, please see the Teacher Vacancy Task Force Teacher Selection Updates presentation linked on the TVTF webpage.
Task Force Regional Representation
The Task Force is comprised of teachers and school system leaders in public education hailing from a variety of districts and geographies, and serving student populations that are representative of the diversity of Texas.
Meeting Dates and Resources
The Task Force will meet every other month for one year, with Commissioner Morath and agency leadership regularly facilitating discussions with Task Force members, while including insights gathered from experts and additional education stakeholders throughout the State of Texas.
| Date | Agenda | Presentation Decks | Summary Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 10th, 2022 | TVTF Meeting Agenda | TVTF Charge and Q&A | TVTF Launch Meeting Summary Notes |
| Challenges and Opportunities | TVTF Launch Meeting Summary Presentation | ||
| Certification Flexibilities and Hiring Processes | |||
| Overview of TEA Talent Strategy and Supports | |||
| Austin ISD Successful Strategies Example | |||
| Kenedy ISD Successful Strategies Example | |||
| June 2nd, 2022 | TVTF Meeting Agenda | Coming Soon | Coming Soon |
Additional Resources
| Source | Resource | Type |
|---|---|---|
| TEA | Frequently Asked Questions (Updated April 28th, 2022) | |
| TEA | Teacher Assignment Flexibility | |
| TEA | Use of Retired Teachers to Support Staffing | Webpage |
| TNTP | Addressing Teacher Shortages: Practical Ideas for the Pandemic and Beyond | External Website |
| TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) | External Website | |
| TASB (Texas Association of School Boards) | 7 Ways to Qualify an Uncertified Teacher | External Website |
More resources coming soon.