Communication Resources

We provide these resources to help you communicate with district leaders, regional representatives, and others.

Communicate the Need for More Certified Teachers

Texas education has passed an unfortunate milestone. Half of the state’s new teachers are not certified. This has cascading effects on industry and prosperity in Texas.

In a new policy brief, Dr. Michael Marder, Executive Director of UTeach and Professor of Physics at The University of Texas at Austin, communicates the urgency with which Texas must address the growing gap in the state’s production of certified teachers vs use of uncertified, underprepared teachers.

Beyond the Tipping Point

According to statewide data, the trend of newly hired uncertified teachers has grown since 2020 as an already existing teacher shortage was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, and schools raced to fill empty classrooms and meet student needs. Now, researchers warn that hiring uncertified teachers is not an effective solution, as new findings show that uncertified teachers are leaving the classroom sooner, districts are overwhelmed with teaching their teachers to teach, and students are negatively impacted.

Calculate the Cost of Teacher Turnover

Use the interactive calculator in this report from the Learning Policy Institute to determine the cost of teacher turnover in your school system. Build a case for investing in a partnership with a high-quality program like UTeach for Texas. 

The 2024 Texas Teachers Poll

Each year, the Charles Butt Foundation surveys Texas teachers on leading issues, challenges, and bright notes of the profession. Visit their Teacher Poll website to download the report and other resources.

19 TAC Chapter 228 Updates for School Systems

This recorded webinar from TEA includes information about the new rules for teacher preparation in Texas.

TEA Dashboards and EPPs

The Texas Education Agency’s Insight to Impact Dashboards provide valuable data about Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) and their candidates.

Districts can contact individual EPPs to discuss which data may be available to help support certification priorities. 

 Data include:

• Initial Employment
• Employment and Retention
• Candidate Characteristics
• Exam Pass Rates
• Perception Surveys
• Student Growth
• Clinical Experience