EDUCATION Central Texas school districts seek solutions to retain, recruit teachers
METHODS TO KEEP STAFF
BY BROOKE MILLER
Financial solutions: AISD started the 2022-23 school year with 997 teacher vacancies and is projected to have about 180 vacancies for all sta for the 2023-24 school year, said Arnoldo Gutierrez, the assistant superinten- dent of talent strategy systems. Gutierrez said he believes vacan- cies have gone down due to speci c recruitment e orts orchestrated at AISD, including a 7% raise for the 2023-24 school year for teachers and librarians districtwide. District data shows LISD increased its teacher pay 4% for the 2023-24 school year. LTISD approved a 3% raise for employees for the 2023-24 school year, said Evalene Murphy, the district’s assistant superintendent for employee and community relations. Thinking outside the box: Beyond raises, LISD is educating prospective applicants on non-traditional ways to become a teacher, including alternative certi cation programs, Gibbs said. At LTISD, Murphy said substitute teachers are on call for any teachers who need them, and at HCISD Blanchon said the district has o ered free health care to their teachers for a few years. Additionally, AISD is o ering bene- ts for employees to access housing, said Darla Caughey, the district’s director of employee experience. “We’re trying to create opportuni- ties for our really dedicated teachers to actually get the chance to experi- ence Austin,” she said.
Following increasing vacancy rates, school districts throughout Central Texas are implementing incentives to retain and recruit more teachers. FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR 2023 24 SCHOOL YEAR
Following several years of dropping teacher retention rates at Central Texas school districts, o cials at Austin, Leander, Hays Consolidated and Lake Travis ISDs say they are using traditional and out-of-the-box thinking to retain and recruit teachers. In addition to pay raises, adminis- trators say they are more frequently combining other methods to bolster retention, including discounted teacher housing and discounted health care. “It all stems from the same thing,” said Ginger Blanchon, director of talent acquisition and human resources for HCISD. “Compensation, not feeling valued, having to do all these extra duties outside of work … as a district, we’re combatting that.” De ning the issue: Representatives with multiple local districts said teacher retention fell after the COVID-19 pandemic began. LISD had its lowest retention rate during the 2021-22 school year, with retention dropping from 85% in 2020-21 to 79% in 2021-22, said Lisa Gibbs, the district’s human resources director of talent acquisition and employee support. O cials in AISD, LTISD and HCISD also said they saw a signi cant drop in retention rates. “You don’t have enough college students deciding they want to be teaching,” said Amie Ortiz, executive of talent engagement and talent strategies at AISD.
Austin ISD • 7% raise for all teachers and librarians • $4 -per-hour raise for hourly sta • Sliding scale pay increase of 3%-5% for administrative positions Lake Travis ISD • Increased all minimum wage to $17 an hour • Approved 3% all-sta raise • $3,000 student teacher stipend • $400 teacher referral program • Mentor program o ering up to $1,900 for guiding two teachers
Leander ISD • 4% midpoint raise for teachers • $500 mentor teacher stipend • $1,250 incentive for student teachers and an additional $1,250 for students teachers who return • $200 classroom decorating and supplies stipend for new teachers Hays CISD • $2,000 master’s degree stipend • $4,500 doctoral degree stipend • $7,100 bilingual teacher stipend • Teacher incentive allotments up to $20,000 for qualifying teachers • Overtime salary of $30 an hour
NON FINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR 2023 24 SCHOOL YEAR
Austin ISD • Discounted housing rates for teachers • Free career coaching • Community discounts for teachers • Employee recognition for good performance • Mental health resources Lake Travis ISD • Annual substitutes on standby for teacher emergencies • Can wear jeans every day • Two built in days for professional development
Leander ISD • Alternative pathways to become teachers o ered • Virtual job fairs for comfort and accessibility • Health bene ts including a free breast cancer screening • 24/7 recruitment resources for incoming teachers Hays CISD • Continued free health care packages • Inspire Hays professional development program • Continued discounted coverage for all insurance other than health care
SOURCES: AUSTIN, HAYS CONSOLIDATED, LAKE TRAVIS & LEANDER ISDS COMMUNITY IMPACT
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NORTH NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • AUGUST 2023
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