MFISD awards teachers nearly $1 million in state-funded incentives
Marble Falls Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway speaks at a state of the district luncheon on Tuesday, May 5, on the planned multi-purpose athletics facility and CTE expansions. Staff photo by Caden Senn
Nearly $1 million in total was awarded to dozens of teachers across the Marble Falls Independent School District this week as part of the Texas Education Agency’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program.
The incentives, ranging from $5,729 to $25,312, were gifted to 72 teachers throughout Colt, Highland Lakes, Marble Falls, and Spicewood elementary schools, Marble Falls Middle School, and Marble Falls High School.
“We are proud to celebrate these designations and the additional funding that accompanies them—not just as a reward, but as an investment in the continued excellence of teaching and learning across our schools,” Superintendent Dr. Jeff Gasaway said in a press release. “This recognition reflects the talent, dedication, and passion our educators bring to their classrooms, and we are grateful for the difference they make in the lives of our students and our community.”
MFISD’s teachers were awarded using one of three designations: “recognized,” “exemplary,” or “master.” Dr. Gasaway shared that 13 teachers were designated as recognized, 45 were exemplary, and 14 were master. This year was MFISD’s first to award TIA designations.
Currently, the TIA program only applies to teachers of a select few subjects within MFISD, leaving out staff in areas like fine arts and athletics. Dr. Gasaway announced during a state of the district luncheon with the Marble Falls Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, May 5, that the district had submitted an application to allow more teachers to be eligible for awards in the future.
“We’ve submitted an application to try to catch teachers that are not already eligible,” Dr. Gasaway said. “We’re going to try to get our fine arts, our CTE, our athletics, our PE coaches, and our sciences other than biology (to be eligible for awards).”
About the Teacher Incentive Allotment program
The TEA’s Teacher Incentive Allotment program was created to provide districts with funding to keep teachers in the classroom who go above and beyond and improve student achievement.
Teachers are awarded specific amounts based upon their designations, formed using teacher observations and student classroom growth throughout the year. These designations are multiplied by a calculation of a campus’ rural and socioeconomic status to total the final awarded value.
For more information on the exact parameters of the TIA program, and a breakdown of the incentive calculations, visit the TIA’s FAQ webpage.