Texas must pay teachers more, train them like doctors, task force finds

DALLAS -- Along with boosting teacher pay and working conditions, Texas should take a cue from medical professions by funding a residency program that helps new educators prepare for the classroom.

These ideas – and several others – were proposed by the state’s Teacher Vacancy Task Force in its long awaited analysis, published in February. The group said Texas should take multiple approaches to stem the loss of educators and recruit new ones.

While the group did not set a price tag on their asks, they urged the Legislature to allocate additional funding needed to ensure “successful implementation.”

Texas education Commissioner Mike Morath said he expects the task force’s recommendations to “land on very receptive ears.”

“I’ve heard from the governor, from the lieutenant governor, from the speaker that there’s a pretty significant appetite to increase teacher pay,” he said.

Some of the recommendations would be up to local districts’ discretion in how to implement them.

The task force pushed for meaningful action to ensure every child is placed in a classroom with an effective teacher. The group said the work can’t be done in an isolated way.

“Compensation, working conditions, and teacher training must be addressed in tandem to see real results,” said chair Josue Tamarez Torres, a Dallas ISD teacher.

Tackling the teacher shortage problem means understanding how dire it is, according to the task force report. Texas does not provide statewide data on teacher vacancies, making it harder to target recruitment plans and get a full picture of the need.

The Legislature should fund a statewide web application that gives real-time data on teacher vacancies and job availability across Texas, the task force recommended.

The state...