Dallas ISD is rolling out new incentives to attract educators for the upcoming 2022-2023 school year. According to a press release from the district, recruiters are hard at work bringing in talented and qualified teachers. The district is introducing a $2,000 bonus for new teachers and a $4,000 reimbursement payment for alternative certification programs.
The new hire bonus applies to teachers with any certification and experience levels who reach the minimum requirements to teach in the district. This incentive stacks with other hiring bonuses awarded to educators with specific certifications.
“In addition to the incentives, Dallas ISD will reimburse newly hired teachers up to $4,000 for their alternative certification program fees from any Texas accredited alternative certification program,” Dallas ISD stated. “This payment will be applicable to teachers of record who are hired for the 2022-2023 school year. Eligible candidates will need to have their intern certificate posted no earlier than 2022 through an eligible alternative certification program accredited by the Texas Education Agency.”
According to Robert Abel, the hiring incentives Dallas ISD introduced will ensure the district has enough teachers to fill each classroom and combat the shortage that came from the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This new teacher hiring incentive will help ensure that we have the applicant pool we will need to fill expected vacancies for the 2022-2023 school year,” Abel said.
He added the incentives will also “support the efforts to accelerate learning, recover from the challenges caused by the pandemic and ensure [the district has] a great teacher in every classroom.”
A $3,000 hiring incentive will be offered for secondary math and science educators, special education teachers, and educators who teach any language other than English. Elementary bilingual education teachers are eligible for a $5,000 incentive. Each of these can be stacked with the $2,000 new hire bonus.
Existing elementary and secondary school emergency relief funding will pay for the alternative certification reimbursement and new hiring incentives.
Dallas ISD will also implement retention bonuses for the upcoming school year. Most current teachers hired before May 1, 2022, will receive retention bonuses ranging from $2,500 to $3,500.
“This retention incentive is part of the district’s efforts to minimize teacher and other vacancies so it can continue to provide the best learning environment for Dallas students,” Abel said.
The exact amount each staff member receives will vary based on eligibility. Retention bonuses will be broken into three separate payments that span the school year.
According to the press release, new teachers must be hired by September 1, 2022, to be eligible for alternative certification reimbursement or hiring incentives. Teachers eligible for the retention bonuses must have been hired before the May 1 cutoff.
Dallas ISD is currently accepting applications for new teachers online. The district is hosting a job fair on April 23 at Emmett J. Conrad High School.