Who are Texas’ teachers? Some schools ‘hiring people off the street,’ state leader says

The rate of Texas teachers leaving the classroom is declining after hitting a historic high following the COVID pandemic. Education Commissioner Mike Morath presented fresh hiring data Wednesday, telling State Board of Education members that the state is “moving in a better direction.” Still, schools are struggling with educator recruitment and retention. The challenges mean districts are hiring more and more teachers who don’t hold a state certification. Morath said that, in recent years, it appears that some schools “gave up on teacher certification” and moved to “hiring people off the street.” While it is still higher than the pre-pandemic baseline, the rate of Texas teachers leaving the classroom is trending downward. The 2022-23 school year saw 13.4% teacher attrition. That figure dropped to 12.2% for 2023-24.

In the decade before COVID-19 hit, teacher attrition hovered around 10%. “Teachers are quitting the profession in slightly higher numbers than they did historically,” Morath said. Lack of respect and support, excessive workload and low pay are among the common reasons educators have given for why they think about leaving the classroom. Fewer new teachers take the traditional route to the classroom: Studying to be an educator while in college. Roughly 1 in 3 new teachers hired across Texas were uncertified, meaning the state has no way to know if they received rigorous training. The percentage of non-certified new hires grew to 34% — a historic high. Some uncertified educators are prepared to take on a classroom of their own, Morath said. In Dallas ISD, for example, uncertified educators get additional training and support during the school year. The district also pairs new hires with mentors to guide them. But Morath warned that many teachers without certification are not ready and quit prematurely. The trend has prompted concern among some teacher groups. “It’s unfair to the students, to the parents and to the educator themselves. They’re not fully prepared,” said Rena Honea, president of Alliance-AFT. “I don’t know of an attorney that’d be allowed to practice law without passing the bar exam.”