Conroe ISD has enlarged an incentive program to include over 200 educators and is wanting to add more teachers and campuses in following the state legislatures creating a path for high-performing teachers six years ago.
Conroe ISD has 26 campuses and 267 teachers involved in the incentive program that is designed to keep teachers at economically disadvantaged schools, according to Conroe’s Teacher Incentive Allotment Program coordinator Terral Jackson. Jackson said she is looking to “expand” the program.
As part of House Bill 3, the program got underway in 2019 with a purpose to retain, recruit and reward the highest performing teachers at the campuses with the highest needs.
As state funding for districts’ lag, the program is filling in a gap for teachers. In August, Conroe ISD gave the okay to the district’s new budget of $711.97 million. This budget does not include any additional state funding of employee raises. The budget also has an $11.9 million shortfall.
There are two ways the teachers can get the designation for the program. Teachers can qualify through national board certification which is a voluntary, nationally accepted advanced professional certification for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The other way to earn designation is by way of the district’s locally designated system. The system is developed through required components from the Texas Education Agency. It’s about a two-year process.
There are three levels of allotments according to Jackson. They are tied to the percentage of identified economically disadvantaged students annually. From the first level the amounts go from $3,000 to $9,000 per year. For the second level it’s $6,000 to $18,000. At the master’s level, the teacher pulls in between $12,000 to $32,000 more a year.
The state, according to Jackson, reimburses the districts for the funds. Due to the lengthy process, certified teachers have been paid the allotment twice since it was begun. The designation on a teacher’s certificate is good for five years.
