Midland ISD teacher urges board to pause enhanced TIA pay plan, cites poor communication

Matthew Johns, a Midland ISD social studies teacher, told the Midland ISD Board of Trustees that the district’s enhanced Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) strategic compensation plan should be shelved until administrators can demonstrate reliable, transparent implementation.

“I stand before you tonight to raise the alarm on the enhanced TIA strategic compensation plan,” Johns said, telling the board he repeatedly asked how his TIA rating was calculated and never received answers. He said teachers learned payment amounts only when checks arrived and that district communications about the program were “abysmal.”

Johns described confusion on campus about who administered the program and whether teachers had adequate opportunity to opt in. He said campus representatives reported only one meeting had taken place despite administration’s claim of quarterly meetings, and that some staff were told they had until June 18 to opt into a strategic compensation plan without clear guidance.

The teacher also warned of potential chilling effects, saying a high-stakes incentive system could discourage reporting of abuse if staff feared salary penalties for speaking out. He urged trustees to place any further enhancements to TIA on a future agenda only after the district can show the program operates with "fidelity" and clear rules.

The public comment came before several agenda items addressing compensation, benefits and related motions; trustees later debated a one-time retention incentive and a broader 2026–27 compensation plan during the meeting.

Trustees did not take action on the concerns Johns raised at the time of his comments; they proceeded to consider administration recommendations on insurance, retention incentives and the compensation plan during the same meeting.