Big Check Day for ECISD teachers
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ECISD announces $6.3 million in Teacher Incentive Allotment awards
In Ector County ISD we are growing forward, together, and that sentiment is showing up in the number of big checks handed out to teachers who earned a designation in the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program. This year 532 ECISD teachers are designated by the state, including 175 who are newly designated and 85 who improved their designation – leveled up as we like to say. The total amount of TIA money earned by ECISD teachers this year is $6.387 million up from $4.6 million one year ago.
This year the teachers represent 42 ECISD schools and their individual awards range from $3,393 to $22,825.80.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Keeley Boyer hosted an afternoon press conference at Sam Houston Elementary where 9 teachers were recognized, 3 of them having earned the highest designation, Master level.
“This is what we call ‘Big Check Day’ in ECISD,” said Dr. Boyer. “It’s so fun to see our teachers celebrated and recognized for their hard work. This check is because of their academic growth last year with their students so they have also been waiting on this day.”
Cindy Almance is a 4th-grade Bilingual Multi-Classroom Leader at Sam Houston Elementary. She leveled up her designation, rising from Exemplary to Master, and her incentive checked topped $20,500. She described the award ceremony as emotional.
“It’s a great feeling,” Cindy said, adding that the students keep her motivated. “I want every child to know that they can go to college and that they can reach all their dreams and everything is possible. [And] for my children, as well. I want them to have a good role model as a mom.”
The Teacher Incentive Allotment was created by the Texas Legislature in 2019, as part of House Bill 3, to provide a realistic pathway for top teachers to earn six-figure salaries and to help attract and retain highly effective teachers at traditionally hard-to-staff schools. The allotment amount per teacher is based on the level of academic growth their students attained, teacher instructional performance, and the percentage of socio-economically disadvantaged students at their school.
“This is not a gift,” Dr. Boyer added. “This is something these teachers earned with their hard work and dedication and the check goes directly to them. This year 64 ECISD teachers will make more than $100,000 and TIA is a big part of that. Our teachers continue to get better; our students continue to learn and grow.”
There are three levels for which a teacher in Texas can qualify: Recognized, Exemplary and Master. In ECISD, 137 teachers are Recognized, 228 are Exemplary, and 165 are at the Master level. The numbers show that not only are more teachers earning designations but teachers are improving, too, leveling up from Recognized to Exemplary to Master.
Alyssa Graft is from San Diego. She moved to Odessa to attend the University of Texas Permian Basin and is now in her fourth year of teaching at Sam Houston.
“It's still as exciting as my first,” said Alyssa. “I love coming in every single day, seeing that child smile. That is my why. We have the best kids around and I wouldn't change it for the for a thing.”
Thirty teachers earned incentives of $20,000 or more. Six schools have more than 20 teachers who earned incentives. The highest campus totals come from Permian High School with 37 teachers, Odessa High School with 36 teachers, Murry Fly Elementary with 26 teachers and Reagan Elementary with 23 teachers designated.
Not only does a qualifying teacher receive the TIA incentive dollars, they also have the Recognized, Exemplary or Master designation placed on their teaching certificate. The designation remains in place for five years.
ECISD began the rigorous TIA application process in 2019. The teacher’s data is collected for one year, then verified by Texas Tech University and reviewed by the Texas Education Agency. The monetary awards are then dispersed the following year. In this fifth year of TIA payouts, eligible ECISD teachers are: Kindergarten through 8th grade English Language Arts and Math, English I, English II, III, and IV, Algebra I and II, Geometry, Math Models, Special Education Inclusion/CoTeach/Resource; PreK-4 Reading and Math; 3rd grade through 8th grade Science, Biology; US History (8th grade and high school), and Advanced Placement: English III, English IV, US History, Government, Economics, Chemistry, Physics, and Biology, Psychology, Sociology, Environmental Science, Music Theory, Art History, Computer Science, Calculus, and Statistics; 3rd – 8th PE, Spanish I and II, Welding I, II, and III. ECISD adds additional subjects to eligibility each year which increases the number of teachers eligible for TIA.
Read more about Teacher Incentive Allotment in ECISD at https://bit.ly/3YCvf8D and more from the state at https://tiatexas.org/.