The state of Texas is facing a decreased supply of well-prepared teachers. As of 2023, there were 50,000 vacancies. To fill this gap, Texas schools have increasingly turned to individuals without preparation or certification to teach.

In the 2023-24 school year, 57% of first-time teachers statewide lacked teacher preparation or certification. To make matters worse, fewer than 50% of uncertified teachers stay in the classroom for more than 3 years, creating a cycle of staffing instability, increased pressure on other educators, and inconsistency for students.

Students Have Fallen Behind

In classrooms with uncertified teachers, students lose the equivalent of 4 months of reading and 3 months of math learning. This loss is detrimental.

Under current circumstances, only 46% of Texas third-graders have achieved grade-level reading skills

The current situation fails our students. More prepared and supported educators are urgently needed.

Where We’re Headed

While the challenges facing Texas students are dire, the solutions are well known. We’re committed to transforming the educator workforce through strategic, compassionate solutions.

Solving the teacher crisis in Texas requires that we:

• Increase access to high-quality educator preparation options for aspiring teachers, and expand training/support for teacher mentorship of novice teachers.
• Prioritize strategies to address short-term staffing challenges without sacrificing strong educator preparation and certification standards.
• Support teachers through multiple opportunities to improve preparation, compensation and benefits packages, and additional efforts aimed to recruit and retain effective educators.