Report: Teachers Need Higher Pay, Better Working Conditions & Support

AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced the release of the Final Report of the Teacher Vacancy Task Force Friday that focuses on three primary areas of policy recommendations to address school district staffing challenges in Texas. In March 2022, Governor Abbott directed Texas Education Agency (TEA) Commissioner Mike Morath to immediately create a task force to help school districts address ongoing staffing retention and recruitment challenges.

"Educating Texas students is crucial for the continued success of our great state, and teachers play a pivotal role in that success," said Governor Abbott. "I thank the teachers and school leaders on this task force for their work addressing full-time and substitute teacher vacancies in Texas schools. Their recommendations will help ensure that best practices and resources are available for teacher recruitment and retention. Working with the Texas legislature, we will develop and implement strategies that attract, retain, and support highly qualified educators to provide students across the state with even greater opportunities to learn and grow."

“Teachers are the single most important in-school factor in the educational outcomes of students, and we must ensure they feel valued, supported, and able to remain in the classroom, if they so choose,” said Commissioner Morath. “The work of the task force has further illuminated critical issues facing Texas public schools and has provided concrete steps to move forward. I am grateful for their thoughtful and insightful approach to developing practical policy recommendations that help address these challenges.”

Within three main policy categories—compensation, working conditions, and training and support—prioritized recommendations include:

• Funding an increase to overall teacher salaries through an increase to the basic allotment, an increase in the minimum salary schedule, and expansion of strategic compensation systems, such as the Teacher Incentive Allotment
• Expanding high-quality Grow-Your-Own pathways; teacher apprenticeships; and full-year, paid teacher residencies
• Funding for and increasing the scale of the Mentor Program Allotment (MPA)
• Funding, professional learning, and support for teachers to access and utilize High Quality Instructional Materials (HQIM)
• Conducting teacher time studies and providing technical assistance for districts to develop strategic staffing and scheduling models that respect teacher time  

The 46-member Teacher Vacancy Task Force is comprised of teachers and school leaders representing all 20 Education Service Center regions and school systems of various sizes and demographic makeups.

View the Task Force’s final report here.