Does Incentive Pay Motivate teachers? A closer Look at the Teacher Incentive Allotment in Texas
Sarah Critton; Teresa Farler, EdD; Elsa Villarreal, PhD & Melissa Arrambide, EdD
Abstract
Teacher attrition continues to be a major issue in public education. Hard to staff, low-income schools see the highest attrition rates among public schools. This study explored teachers’ experiences with the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program in Texas. The TIA was designed to provide incentives to quality teachers who are willing to work in high-needs schools and was developed based on the legislation (House Bill 3) passed by the 86th Texas Legislature in 2019. The participants in this study were selected from a school district in Texas which was an early adopter of the TIA program. The researcher explored the participants’ lived experiences with the TIA to provide insight for policy makers and school district leaders regarding the teachers’ decision to remain at a high needs campus as well as in their current school district.