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Alief ISD outlines staffing, job fair results and new associate-teacher rules to boost recruitment
Summary
District HR reported 45 certified teacher job offers from a March 22 job fair, expanded recruiting marketing and stricter requirements for associate teachers (uncertified hires), including a minimum GPA and incentives tied to completion of training modules.
Alief ISD human resources officials told the Board of Trustees about recent recruiting efforts, job-fair results, and refinements to the district's associate-teacher program meant to improve retention and produce certified teachers.
Sarah Caldwell, director of elementary human resources, said the district offered jobs to 45 certified teachers at its March 22 hiring fair (25 core, 12 bilingual, 5 special education, 3 elective teachers). HR also offered positions to eight associate teachers, 16 paraprofessionals and 45 prospective substitutes. "Overall, we had 213 candidates that preregistered for the job fair. However, we had a total of 398 who attended and signed in on that Saturday," Caldwell said.
District recruitment staff described a concentrated marketing push (social media, three billboards, radio buys and outreach to multiple universities) and postcard outreach to former employees. HR said it will continue university recruiting and summer job fairs and that principals were given flex units to absorb summer resignations.
Associate-teacher program changes: HR said it will prioritize hiring associate teachers already enrolled in an alternative certification program (ACP) and raised the starting salary for degreed, enrolled associate teachers to $51,500 for 2025–26 (a 3% raise from the current stated amount). The district will pay a $500 stipend when an associate teacher completes required program modules. Officials described a three-year associate pathway: year 1 to enroll in an ACP and begin modules, year 2 to progress toward certification, and year 3 for testing/completing certification or obtaining a state statement of eligibility.
HR leaders said they have added screening sessions at the CTD (Tuesdays/Thursdays) to verify transcripts and program fit before hiring and will rescind offers if candidates cannot show reasonable progress toward ACP enrollment. Staff reported current headcounts and attrition across associate cohorts and said those data informed the stricter screening approach.
Why it matters: The district faces teacher shortages and used signing bonuses, midpoint raises and retention supplements to recruit and retain staff. The associate-teacher pathway is a significant source of classroom coverage; changes aim to increase the share who complete certification.
Next steps: HR will continue campus- and market-focused recruiting, hold summer job fairs, and provide principals with staffing allocation updates. Staff said they will share more detailed salary-comparison data with the board in coming weeks.
