AUSTIN, Texas — The state of Texas is experiencing teacher shortages like never before. Some educators were hoping a new teaching certification exam could be the answer, but it’s off the table for now.
On Friday, the Texas State Board of Education rejected a new, more expensive teacher certification exam that would take the current one’s place for the 2023-2024 school year.
The exam, called the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment and developed by Stanford University, would replace the current one, Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities.
Paige Frontera, a middle school teacher at Dripping Springs ISD, said the cost of an exam most likely wouldn’t turn future teachers away, but teachers need higher pay if school districts want to retain and gain employees.
“There's that expression, can you throw money at it? Well, if you throw money at it, will it fix the problem? And this is one of the true situations where if you throw money at this problem, you can fix it,” Frontera said.
Dripping Springs ISD gave its teachers a 7% pay raise for the 2022-2023 school year.
“It doesn't pay the increase in my property taxes. It doesn't pay for inflation of my gas,” Frontera said.
With the 2022-2023 school year two months away, she’s concerned a multitude of positions won’t be filled.
“I can tell you what, there will not be every position filled in August in these districts who are now competing massively for each other,” Frontera said, referring to multiple school districts in Hays County.
Frontera can retire in three years, but worries that with other long-time teachers like her getting ready to leave, there won’t be incoming teachers to replace them.
“It's gonna be a massive, rude awakening,” Frontera said.
Dripping Springs ISD has three pages of jobs listed on its website.