School district surprises 17 teachers with the news
(Seguin) — Some of Seguin ISD’s top performing teachers are being financially rewarded for a job well done. Seguin ISD administrators along with board members and the Mighty Matador Band spent the day Monday surprising 17 teachers approved for the Texas’ Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program.
Teachers selected represent eight campuses: Jefferson Elementary, Koennecke Elementary, Patlan Elementary, Rodriguez Elementary, Vogel Elementary, Weinert Elementary, Barnes Middle School, and Seguin High School.
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) recently notified the district of these teachers’ approval for the program, which provides them with a pathway to increase their yearly salary. Depending on their TIA designation of Recognized, Exemplary and Master – qualifying teachers each year will receive anywhere from between $3,000 to $32,000 annually for the next five years.
The additional compensation for those selected comes directly from the state. State officials say the program could potentially see top tier teachers earning a six-figure salary.
The first teacher to be recognized in this inaugural batch of Seguin ISD teachers was Laura Jones.
Jones, a teacher at Koennecke Elementary, says not only does it reward her work, but it helps define the quality of teaching in the Seguin ISD.
“We as professional teachers are just proud to be recognized for our hard work and for our children’s hard work and it means a lot to us professionally and personally because we love our jobs. We love coming to school every day and I think Seguin ISD is a wonderful district to work for and it will bring recognition hopefully to our district. I hope it encourages other teachers or for prospective teachers to join the profession,” said Jones.
Also shocked and surprised by her own announcement down the hall was colleague Stephanie Kauitzsch. Kauitzsch today’s accolades is celebrated both personally and professionally.
“Professionally, this means that all the hard work and dedication that I have invested into becoming a better educator over the past 11 years in Seguin ISD, has been not only recognized, but also rewarded. It really is a reminder of why I love what I do, which is helping students grow in literacy and character. I strive to encourage students to become intrinsically motivated critical thinkers and problem solvers, which will ultimately lead them towards successful futures,” said Kauitzsch. “Personally, it is very rewarding to see my efforts through the years pay off in this way. My late mother was a Seguin ISD educator who always encouraged me to be a lifelong learner that continually strives to improve my instructional practices with the ever-evolving methodologies in education. I have no doubt that she is beaming with pride from Heaven with this personal accomplishment. Teaching has never been just a job for me; It has always been my calling and something I am incredibly passionate about. This recognition motivates me even more to continue learning, growing, and doing my best for my students every day.”
Kauitzsch says she appreciates that her work is being recognized and sees this as changing the culture both in the Seguin ISD and across the state.
“The Teacher Incentive Allotment is an excellent way to support and celebrate teachers who go above and beyond here in Seguin ISD and across the industry. It recognizes hard work and incentivizes high quality teachers to continue serving in our schools. It fosters a culture of growth and accountability, which encourages educators to keep improving their practices and making a bigger impact on their students. TIA makes teaching a more attractive career choice by offering better pay for top educators, which addresses the ongoing teacher shortage, and improves retention. When we support our teachers, we’re ultimately supporting our kids, and our whole community,” said Kauitzsch.
Teachers must meet rigorous standards under district criteria to qualify for a Recognized,
Exemplary, or Master designation. Teacher observation and performance data are reviewed by
TEA and Texas Tech University for quality, validity, and reliability before final approval.
Seguin ISD Superintendent Dr. Vijil says teachers work tirelessly to provide all students with the best possible education and is thrilled to see that their efforts are being rewarded by TEA.”
“What this does, it validates what we already know. We have wonderful teachers here and the state of Texas has provided this incentive for teachers who can align their evaluation with the growth that they have for their kids for one year and they have shown immense growth and that’s what this means for them – that they are rewarded monetarily for a job well done,” said Vijil.
Dr. Vijil says they are dedicated to expanding this program across the district.
Plus, she says they are already working with teachers toward the goal of getting their designations next school year.
“Even today, it’s 17 of them and we just know that this is going to grow and grow and grow and it’s what I’ve been telling the board members, just wait, if we get the first round validated, we are off and running. This is a wonderful, wonderful thing for Seguin, for teachers to know they are valued here and that we are doing everything that we can to make them eligible and work with them, so they too are rewarded,” said Vijil.
The Teacher Incentive Allotment was established by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide funding for school districts to not only reward but help retain their top-performing teachers.
The amount allotted could increase if their data moves them to a higher tier with Master being the highest of the three.
It could also change for the following years should the teacher change schools. District officials say campus student socioeconomic data is a factor that goes into the designation. District officials also say that one of the main purposes of the TIA is to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers to work at the campuses with the highest needs.
Should a teacher leave the classroom, then, they will no longer be eligible for their amount.