“Students Earn When They Learn”
Texas Tech Forum Highlights Workforce Needs Well-Prepared Teachers
Lubbock, Texas – Education leaders, public officials, and community members gathered this morning at Texas Tech University to address the threat that unprepared teachers pose to the Texas workforce. Attendees discussed possible legislative solutions to improve teacher recruitment and retention.
The breakfast forum at the university’s McKenzie-Merket Alumni Center was hosted by The CH Foundation, Texas Tech University and Philanthropy Advocates. The gathering featured a large turnout and dynamic discussions aimed at ensuring the future success of Texas students and the state’s economy.
By 2031, nearly two-thirds of Texas jobs will require a postsecondary credential, which requires students to learn foundational skills in reading and math. Yet, only 53 percent of Texas students are on grade level in reading and only 41 percent in math.
The event spotlighted that more than half of first-time teachers last school year were uncertified, risking students’ ability to achieve critical benchmarks in reading and math.
While the number of teachers has rebounded since the pandemic, many lack the preparation needed to excel in the classroom.
Attendees explored actionable strategies to combat the crisis, including high-quality teacher preparation programs and stronger support systems for educators.
“There is not a single career in our economy that students are equipped to enter without good teachers. The supply of well-prepared teachers is a real challenge for our district,” said Dr. Kathy Rollo, Superintendent of the Lubbock Independent School District. “To combat this challenge, we have invested in Grow Your Own preparation programs, high-quality residency experiences and leveraging the Teacher Incentive Allotment to retain our talent.”
Jacob Kirksey, Ph.D., a faculty member at Texas Tech University, shared key data insights.
“More than half of first-time teachers in Texas are uncertified, and students lose three to four months of instruction when they have an uncertified teacher,” Dr. Kirksey said. “Students with well-trained teachers are more likely to attend college and earn higher salaries. Fortunately, Texas has strong models of preparing teachers, like teacher residencies, that prove to have a positive impact on student achievement and teacher retention.”
Dr. Jessica Gore, Chief Academic Officer of Snyder Independent School District, emphasized that regardless of the size of the school district, the quality of the teacher workforce is the most important resource we have to support student success.
“We are implementing the residency model of training to support new teachers and principals in our efforts to grow and retain the workforce we need,” said Dr. Gore. “We have seen significant improvement in our teacher retention since implementing the Teacher Incentive Allotment, and we are excited to grow the impact of that in Snyder ISD.”
And Ryan Franklin, Managing Director for Policy & Advocacy with Philanthropy Advocates, dug into how state leaders can help address the challenges raised at the forum.
“Students earn when they learn, and they learn with well-trained teachers,” Franklin said. “Going forward, 63% of Texas jobs will require a postsecondary credential. For Texas students to compete for modern jobs, they must be equipped with the knowledge and skills to either directly enter the workforce or succeed in institutions of higher education. Without action to strengthen our teacher workforce, Texas risks a generation of students not having the skills necessary to pursue jobs of our future and compromising our economic edge. Governor Abbott’s 2022-2023 Teacher Vacancy Task Force identified actionable solutions, and lawmakers have the opportunity to turn these proposals into reality.”
Attendees left energized and committed to advocating for strategic investments in teacher training and support during the upcoming legislative session.
