Duncanville ISD approves plan to reduce uncertified teachers, citing LASSO grant support
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Summary
Human Resources presented a plan to address uncertified teachers under recent House Bill 2 changes; the board approved the plan and staff said the district has about 811 teacher FTEs with roughly 112 uncertified positions and has secured LASSO Cycle 4 grant funding for mentors and teacher residents.
The Duncanville ISD Board approved a district plan to reduce the number of uncertified teachers and satisfy the revised certification requirements under House Bill 2.
Pamela Brown of Human Resources told the board the district has about 811 teacher full-time-equivalent positions and around 112 uncertified teachers across grade levels and subjects. She explained the plan’s core elements: strengthen the teacher pipeline through recruitment, retention and development; offer free certification-prep sessions in partnership with nearby districts and educator-preparation providers; and develop memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with universities and EPPs to support certification opportunities.
Brown said the district has been awarded a LASSO Cycle 4 grant that will provide funding for new teacher mentors and teacher residents (paid internships for candidates nearing completion of their bachelor’s degrees). These grant-funded positions and MOUs are expected to accelerate certification efforts. The plan will be posted to the district’s district-of-innovation (DOI) webpage pending board approval and must be completed to submit the application by the March 2 deadline.
Trustees approved the plan by motion and electronic vote. Administration emphasized the plan is a living document and will be refined as additional grant details and TEA guidance are received.