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'How accurate is the data going to be?' | Some teachers raise questions about the Teacher Incentive Allotment

TIA was created to provide outstanding teachers an accessible pathway to a six-figure salary.

WACO, Texas — Waco ISD, Copperas Cove ISD, and Temple ISD are among three of out of 481 districts and partners in the process or completed the process of having their local designation approved by the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA).

According to their website, the TIA was established with the goal of providing outstanding teachers an accessible pathway to a six-figure salary. 

Waco ISD just announced that close to 190 of its teachers have received an increase in pay due to the TIA. Crestview Elementary School principal Samantha Craytor told 6 News how this program can help immensely with recruiting.

"It's a greater way to retain our teachers here Waco ISD," Craytor said. "I think getting rewarded with any kind of incentive for students and teachers is a great way to keep them coming."

For Mia Guillen, a Crestview fifth-grade reading teacher who received increased pay after her students test scores increased at incredible rates, she's more happy for her students improvement and the teamwork from the teachers at her school.

"It's not just teamwork but also the bonding of all the educators here," Gullien explained. "We were a team that from the start, we worked very hard together and we're in constant communication."

To help with seeing students continue to succeed and keep those testing levels high, both Guillen and Craytor encourage parents to take the time to work with their kids as much as they can.

On the other side of this, Temple High School social studies teacher James Norman says while all his districts teacher work extremely hard in their classrooms, some teachers who don't teach upper-level courses are at a disadvantage.

"There are insanely talented teachers that didn't qualify simply because the growth measure wasn't enough to be counted or because of the TEA test rating and rubric," Norman said.

He went on to add that all teachers don't teach the same and all students don;t learn the same. So when teachers aren't able to qualify for the TIA program, it could be quite discouraging for the rest of the teacher who work very hard.

"You bring them into this classroom and they might perform exceptionally well for their abilities, but still not do enough to help the teacher," Norman said. "That teacher is then jumping through hoops doing everything she or he can to meet the needs of those students and it's just not enough."

The TIA states they provide training to ensure districts are well-supported throughout the process of developing a local designation system.

Teachers like Norman just hope there is equal opportunity for all teachers looking to sign up for the program down the road.

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