TEA Commissioner Mike Morrath on Texas Education: Performance Pay, Teacher Retention, and Cell Phone Ban

State of Education in Texas

• 🎯 90% of Texas students graduate high school on time, with a significant portion from Dallas ISD.
• 💡 The state provides $2 billion annually to boost teacher salaries.

Dallas ISD's Performance-Based Compensation

• 🚀 Dallas ISD has implemented a performance-based compensation plan for teachers, moving away from solely age-based pay.
• 📈 This approach has led to an 8-9 percentage point increase in teacher retention.
• ✅ Districts adopting this compensation model see students 9% more likely to be on grade level.
• 🌟 Over 809 school systems have adopted this innovative approach to teacher compensation.

Focus on Educators and Future Initiatives

• 🧠 The primary focus is on recruiting, growing, and retaining talented teachers, recognizing their crucial role.
• 📱 Commissioner Morrath advocates for a statewide ban on cell phones in public schools.