Teacher Incentive Allotment Program Expands To All Donna ISD Schools
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has announced that it is implementing the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) in all of Donna ISD’s 23 campuses this 2021-2022 school year. That means teachers from across the district will have the opportunity to earn a performance designation, which in turn allows them to qualify for strategic compensation the following year.
The decision to expand the TIA initiative at Donna ISD was made after the district successfully piloted the TIA program at two schools, M. Rivas School of the Arts and 3D Academy (Donna ISD’s alternative school), last year. Four teachers met TIA requirements and received approximately $5,000 each for their performance, which were based on guidelines set forth by the Texas Evaluation and Support System and their students’ academic growth.
Elyssha Enriquez was one of the recipients who was celebrated last year for her work in the classroom. In a previous interview, she explained how she felt about receiving the recognition and monetary reward. “When I first heard that I was going to be eligible for the TIA, I was surprised to learn about the recognition that came with it and the amount that the program would be offering," Enriquez said. "I teach a General Employability Class and every day I try to come up with different lessons and focus on my student’s needs. So yes, the TIA is encouraging, but honestly, I care deeply about my students and already work hard to give them the knowledge and care that they deserve."
According to TEA’s website, the TIA program was established by House Bill 3 in 2019 as a way to create a path for highly effective teachers from approved TIA districts to receive anywhere from $3,000 to $32,000 a year on top of their annual salary. To qualify, teachers must earn a designation of recognized, exemplary, or master distinction. Teachers who teach at rural and/or high needs campuses (districts with student enrollment of fewer than 5,000) will receive bigger allotments.
Truman Price Elementary 3rd grade teacher Krystal Garate welcomes the challenge now that all Donna ISD teachers are eligible to participate in the TIA program. “It’s exciting to know that all our teachers will have the opportunity to get recognized for their hard work,” Garate said. “Many of us pour our blood, sweat and tears into our students’ education, so it’s nice to know that we will get the recognition and a monetary incentive, which for the most part goes back to our kids.”
In addition to acknowledging and compensating outstanding teachers, the TIA program will enable Donna ISD to have a competitive edge over other districts in rewarding, retaining and recruiting exemplary teachers.
