TEMPLE, Texas — 50 Temple ISD teachers were presented with checks totaling nearly half a million dollars on Thursday, Aug. 24.
As part of the state's Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), TISD administrators recognized "exceptional" teachers from across the district by awarding them the checks, which added up to a total of $495,570.
TISD said out of the 50 teachers honored, 26 received recognized designations, 19 achieved exemplary designations and five reached master designations. The teachers were all reportedly part of TIA's Cohort D, which includes reading, math and special education teachers who teach resource/inclusion classrooms.
“The district is excited to participate in the Teacher Incentive Allotment to recognize and reward our teachers for excellence in the classroom,” said Dr. Donna Ward, assistant superintendent of human resources for Temple schools. “The TIA is a great way to not only acknowledge the great things happening in our classrooms, but also provide extra support monetarily. We are proud of all of their hard work and look forward to handing out more money next school year!”
The TIA was created by the Texas Legislature 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".
Participating school districts develop their own local system to designate teachers, which at a minimum include things like a teacher observation and a student performance component.
TISD said their system includes three levels of designation, with "master" being the highest level. Designations are good for five years and teachers can be submitted for a higher designation each year based on performance.
Temple ISD says they are one of fewer than 180 school districts in the state of Texas to have a fully approved local designation system.
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