Hundreds of Corpus Christi ISD teachers earn pay boost based on student growth

More than 1,000 Corpus Christi ISD teachers attempted to earn recognition and additional pay through the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment program last year. About 300 were successful.

Corpus Christi ISD recently informed 305 teachers across the district that the state had approved their designation as a recognized, exemplary or master teacher based on data collected last year.

The Teacher Incentive Allotment program aims to provide high-performing teachers with higher salaries by supplementing their pay with allotments ranging from $5,000 to $20,000 depending on student growth.

"It's an opportunity to basically retain teachers in the classroom and help them improve instruction and exemplify really good, strong leadership," CCISD director of strategic evaluation systems and support La Tricia Johnson said.

Students are tested at the beginning, middle and end of the year. Allotments are based on how successful teachers are at closing instructional gaps.

For the 2023-24 school year, beginning teacher base pay amounts to $52,250, while a 20-year veteran teacher can expect $60,368 for a 187-day contract. Actual teacher salaries may be higher if they have a master's degree, if they take on additional duties or if they qualify for an incentive by teaching in an area where positions are harder to fill.

Through the Teacher Incentive Allotment program, a "recognized" teacher in Corpus Christi ISD can earn an about $5,655 annually for five years. An "exemplary" educator can earn $11,311, while the average allotment for a "master" teacher is $20,852.

"It's one thing to receive the recognition in their certification, but to also be financially compensated for that achievement, I just think that's huge," Johnson said.

Exact allotments vary by campus based on the socioeconomic demographics of the school where a teacher teaches, such as the percentage of homeless of bilingual children.

"It's a good chunk of money that a teacher can boost their salary and their annual income with," Johnson said. "It does factor into the teacher retirement system as well, so it's an investment into their retirement later in life."

For Corpus Christi ISD teachers to have a shot at earning an allotment, the district had to first design and implement a local designation system that was approved by the state.

Other Coastal Bend districts including Alice ISD, Benavides ISD, Bishop CISD, Orange Grove ISD, West Oso ISD, Rockport-Fulton ISD, Beeville ISD, Flour Bluff ISD, Gregory-Portland ISD, Sinton ISD, Taft ISD and Tuloso-Midway ISD have also sought approval for a designation system.

Outside the local pathway, teachers can also earn a "recognized" allotment if they are a National Board Certified Educator. Corpus Christi ISD has about five.

A Teacher Incentive Allotment designation follows a teacher for five years, even if they move schools.

"These are teachers that work on Saturdays, teachers that cheer on their school, teachers that are part of after-school programming and we also have cases where some are even doing not only their individual tutoring, but they're also taking on sponsorship of extracurricular activities," Johnson said.

This year, over 2,000 Corpus Christi ISD teachers have chosen to participate. They won't learn if they earned a designation until next spring.

"We are back in the seat again this year collecting data to submit proposals again for teacher next school year," Johnson said. "Every teacher has the chance when they designate to increase their score."

Loss of pandemic-era funding impacts Corpus Christi ISD after-school program

Teacher support falls to local school leaders as Texas Legislature spars over education

This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Corpus Christi ISD recognizes 305 Teacher Incentive Allotment awardees