The average Dallas ISD teacher salary is now above $63,000–and the district continues retaining its’ most effective educators, even during the pandemic–under the Teacher Excellence Initiative, district officials told trustees during the Feb. 11 briefing.
TEI is the district’s effort to define, support and reward teacher excellence. Through TEI, Dallas ISD was one of 26 school districts in Texas that received additional state funding ($28 million) under House Bill 3. In total, returning teachers received $43 million in compensation increases this school year, and the average teacher salary is now $10,000 higher than it was when the district first launched TEI in 2014.
Pandemic pivot
In response to the pandemic, Suzy Smith with Dallas ISD’s Human Capital Management said the district is looking to not factor in student achievement data and student survey results for teacher evaluations this school year. If approved, teachers under TEI will still receive an annual evaluation, but it will not impact their effectiveness level or salary.
While this one-year modification impacts TEI locally, teachers may still earn designations through the state’s separate but parallel Teacher Incentive Allotment program and become eligible for additional performance-based stipends at High Priority and ACE campuses in the 2021-22 school year.
District officials also note that teachers, principals and assistant principals will remain eligible for salary increases next year but that may come in an alternate form such as a flat-rate increase, and that more information will be shared during the budget-development process this Spring.
“The data shows that TEI is truly benefiting our incredible educators and students,” Smith said. “And, as we have done every year, we are continually improving the system to best serve our mission of identifying and rewarding teacher excellence.”
