Nixon-Smiley CISD honors TIA designated teachers

The first group of Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) designated teachers were recognized at the Monday, May 13 Nixon-Smiley CISD Board meeting.

Roxanne Villasana (Master), Cynthia Stowers (Master), Tabitha Miller (Exemplary), and Kimberly Moses (Master) were honored for achieving designations through the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program. Additionally, though not in attendance, Laura VanGundy (Master) and Patrice Turner (Master) earned designations.

Texas has put a program in place where districts can put forth teachers that demonstrate high effectiveness through classroom observations and student growth outcomes in an effort to further compensate teachers, incentivizing good teachers to remain in the classroom.

Efforts began in January 2020 with stakeholder meetings where staff and community members learned about the incentive compensation plan offered by the Texas Education Agency and collaborated on producing a local designation system. An application was approved in June 2022 and systems were put in place to collect data on teacher observations and student growth measures for the 2022-2023 school year.

The first year, 14 teachers participated in the data collection process. Seven teachers met state thresholds and were put forth for designation. The data is submitted for validation to Texas Tech, where it is run through rigorous tests. The district is now preparing to write those designation allotment checks to teachers earning them.

Funding varies throughout the state, depending on each campus’s rural status. For Nixon-Smiley, teachers can currently generate annual allotments for the district anywhere between $7,692 and $29,074, depending on the level of distinction earned (Recognized, Exemplary, and Master level).

The allotments earned for the first year of designations total $172,316, which will be paid to the district by TEA. These allotments are set in place for five consecutive years and then the process starts over in demonstrating effectiveness and applying for renewed designation.

The district has allocated significant resources, specifically in the time campus and administrative staff have dedicated to the process, in demonstrating a valid local system for designating teachers.

It is with great pride these teachers are being recognized for their consistent hard work in the classroom and dedication to our students. The district is continuing this process, as 25 teachers have participated in data collection for the 2023-2024 school year and anticipates growing the number of teachers that Nixon-Smiley designates through the TIA system.