Seventeen Archer City ISD teachers have received Teacher Incentive Allotment designations.
TIA is a program that provides financial incentives to schools for rewarding and supporting teachers and principals.
By providing financial incentives to teachers who demonstrate effectiveness in the classroom, the TIA seeks to attract and retain skilled educators, particularly in high-needs areas or subjects, according to the TIA website.
High school principal Jamie Krenek said teachers had to reach specified standards to qualify.
“Teachers have to meet a requirement that’s based off of student growth and teacher evaluations,” Krenek said.
Elementary principal Amy Huseman said teachers may be designated as recognized, exemplary or master based on their performance and effectiveness. Each designation comes with a different level of financial incentive.
Teachers designations will determine the amount of additional compensation they can receive through the TIA. Each designation has different levels of funding attached: Recognized = $3,000-6,000,
Exemplary = $6,000-12,000 and
Master = $12,000-22,000.
“This time, I was able to qualify with a higher designation, which I am very excited about,” Haley Owen said.
Teachers must undergo a performance evaluation that assesses their effectiveness. This evaluation can include measures such as student growth and achievement and teacher observations and appraisal.
“Receiving TIA is an honor. Of course, the extra money is welcome, but the validation that your students are successful due in part to the teaching practices and strategies facilitated in the classroom is reassuring,” Becky Nogle said.
The allotment allows districts to design their own teacher incentive programs, promoting local control and flexibility in how schools can reward and support their educators.
“I think Archer City has many wonderful teachers who are equally deserving of this achievement. The practices that work well in my classroom are not unique to me. Some of these things are intentional groupings with frequent changes, student-centered learning, chunking content, and frequent discussion. Most importantly, no class time is wasted, and there is little to no downtime,” Owen said.
The teachers receive their allotment in one of the following months: May, June, July or August. Payment is dependent upon when ACISD receives the funds from TEA.
