Teachers to get more money

From Dallas ISD Staff Reports

A new report shows that Dallas ISD continues to retain a higher number of effective teachers, which in turn is improving student performance under the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI).

Meanwhile, TEI is expected to bring Dallas ISD an additional $28 million in funds from the state under House Bill 3. While more than 700 Texas school districts plan to pursue this state funding during the next few years, TEI qualifies Dallas ISD as one of only several school districts able to access the funding as early as next school year. 

Of the $28 million in funding, at least 90 percent will go toward increasing base teacher salary pay.

TEI is the district’s effort to define, support and reward teacher excellence through three lenses: teacher performance, student experience, and student achievement. District leaders provided a TEI update to trustees on 

Feb. 11.

“With five years of data now available, we truly believe that TEI has transformed how we identify and reward teacher excellence,” said Suzy Smith with Dallas ISD’s human capital management department. “And this is having a powerful impact on our students.”

Under TEI, more than 98 percent of returning teachers received an increase in base salary this school year, at an average increase of 4.3 percent. Eighty-six percent of returning teachers earned at least an additional $1,000 to their base salary, and 13 percent of teachers now earn more than $70,000 in base pay.

Smith told trustees that, overall, teacher effectiveness increases with experience. Just over 40 percent of teachers have more than 10 years of service, but they make up 60 percent of the district’s distinguished population, which are the highest-performing educators.

And under TEI, Dallas ISD since 2014 has reduced teacher turnover while significantly narrowing the STAAR achievement gap with the state.

The district also plans to use $8-10 million from HB3 to support a more equitable distribution of highly effective teachers at high-needs campuses by increasing teacher stipends by campus assignments.

Smith told trustees that the district is looking to address equity through TEI. A 2020-2021 priority is to better level the playing field between highly effective teachers at magnet schools and neighborhood schools, while also providing further incentives for teachers working at higher-needs schools.