Texas Border Business
AUSTIN – Governor Greg Abbott announced more than $750 million in Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) funds have been awarded to more than 65,000 Texas teachers across more than 800 school systems. These funds, administered by the Texas Education Agency (TEA), bring total TIA awards to more than $1.8 billion since its inception.
“Texas is blessed with teachers who have educated and inspired students for generations,” said Governor Abbott. “These incentive funds ensure that the best teachers are recognized for their efforts to improve the lives of their students. As we empower teachers to succeed, Texas will remain on the path to be the number one state for education in the country.”
TIA was built to keep Texas’ most effective educators in the classroom and expand access to strong instruction, creating a clear path to significantly higher pay, including six-figure salaries. New research from Texas Tech University shows it is delivering.
Teacher retention increases after TIA implementation, and by years three and four, school systems retain top-performing teachers at meaningfully higher rates, resulting in an approximately 20% increase in teacher retention for districts’ most effective teachers and overall stronger retention across-the-board. The research also shows these systems are accurately identifying strong teaching, as reflected in student outcomes. School systems see about one-third of a year of growth in math and reading, showing that TIA’s impact grows over time as local designation systems mature.
“Teachers are the single most important in-school factor that affects student outcomes,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “By rewarding our most effective teachers with pathways to stay where they’re needed most, students ultimately reap the reward. I’m grateful for the strategic investments made by the legislature to support TIA and for the commitment districts are making to support their staff.”
“The impact of preserving our highest-quality teachers is reflected in simple facts,” said Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD Superintendent Dr. Wendy Eldredge. “In the 2024-25 school year, TIA helped retain 91% of our top teachers. Our 2025 Accountability Rating jumped from a C to a B. While the district worked hard to earn a B, we recognize that maintaining the best of the best helped secure this incredible win.”
“TIA lets me see whether my kids are growing. It helps me evaluate my own practice in the classroom and whether I’m doing what I need to do for my kids,” said Allison Martin, a TIA Master designated teacher with Aspermont ISD. Watch Aspermont ISD’s TIA Voices video to see how the district is putting TIA into practice.
A total of 809 school systems participated in TIA during the 2025–26 school year, with participation expected to grow to more than 1,000 systems in Fall 2026.
For more information and a full list of participating districts, visit Participating and Aspiring Districts – Teacher Incentive Allotment.
