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Tyler ISD reports 235 teachers on District of Innovation list; officials urge pipeline and test supports
Summary
At a March 1 Tyler ISD board meeting, staff reported 235 educators currently on District of Innovation (DOI) certification and outlined partnerships and supports to move teachers toward full certification; a public speaker urged action on uncertified teachers and early-childhood achievement gaps.
Carolyn Davis, a public participant, told the Tyler ISD Board of Trustees on March 1 that “185 was the number of teachers in Tyler ISD classrooms reported to the board last semester without teacher certifications.”
Sherry Taylor, the district’s executive director of human resources, told trustees the district currently has 235 staff on DOI (District of Innovation) certification status and is actively supporting many as they complete certification requirements. “We do have 235 that are currently on DOI,” Taylor said. She said about 75 individuals are “in the process” of meeting requirements and that staff are arranging coursework and supports to improve first-time pass rates on certification exams.
Taylor gave a further breakdown that trustees discussed: 129 individuals were waiting on a certification test appointment, 41 were completing alternate-certification program requirements, five were out-of-state hires awaiting Texas Education Agency (TEA) review, and 23 were CTE (career and technical education) teachers. Taylor said roughly 85% of teachers on the DOI list were either waiting for certification tests or otherwise in the pipeline to meet requirements.
Superintendent Dr. Crawford described district efforts to expand the local pipeline. He said administrators have met with the presidents of the University of Texas at Tyler and Tyler Junior College and with Region 7 Education Service Center to coordinate teacher-preparation pathways and alternative-certification supports. “Stay tuned for some . . . strategy, especially with UT Tyler,” Dr. Crawford said, noting the district expects more collaborative programs to produce “practitioners” and help paraprofessionals, early-college and CTC students move toward certification.
Carolyn Davis also raised gaps in early-childhood assessment results and asked the district to state publicly how it will protect students from immigration-enforcement actions; trustees did not take action on that request but heard it during public participation.
District leaders told the board they are pursuing ways to improve pass rates on certification exams, including local coursework and vendor supports, and they pointed to possible future competitive grant opportunities and state policy changes that could affect DOI time limits. Dr. Crawford said lawmakers are discussing a possible one-year limit on DOI status to be codified at the state level.
The district reiterated that many DOI hires are not “off the street” hires but people with college experience or industry credentials entering teaching through alternate routes; staff said they expect to report follow-up results later this year.
Ending: Trustees did not vote on new policy at the March 1 meeting; staff said the district will bring additional data and partnership plans to future meetings as programs and legislative proposals develop.
