Teacher Certification in Texas - District Strategies to Recruit and Retain a Credentialed Workforce

Oct 15, 2026

Texas faces persistently high teacher attrition and a sharp rise in teachers without state certification. From 2019–20 to 2024–25, the share of uncertified teachers more than tripled, while newly hired teachers increasingly entered via emergency permits or without certification. Using district-level data, the study examines differences in certification rates and identifies local factors linked to higher certification, including preparation partnerships, certification prioritization in hiring, salary incentives with dedicated support for uncertified teachers, and retention through mentoring. House Bill 2 provides new investments that may further strengthen these efforts.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages8

Reading Time20 min

AccessFree to download

Summary

Introduction

Texas teacher workforce and certification pathways

Growth of uncertified teachers

District-level differences and strategy implications

Teacher Certification in Texas District Strategies to Recruit and Retain a Credentialed Workforce Susan Kemper Patrick, Chazz Higginbotham, Ryan Saunders, Tiffany S. Tan, and Steve Wojcikiewicz APRIL 2026 Summary Texas faces persistently high teacher attrition and declining enrollment in university-based preparation programs. Between 2019–20 and 2024–25, the share of uncertified teachers (i.e., teachers without any state certification) more than tripled. Despite this statewide surge, district-level certification rates varied considerably across contexts, with some districts maintaining high teacher certification rates. Interviewed leaders—from districts selected for having high certification rates and/or noted success in supporting the certification process—highlighted key strategies to prioritize certification: (1) preparation partnerships to increase the pipeline of new certified teachers, (2) prioritization of certification in recruitment and hiring practices, (3) salary incentives along with tracking and dedicated staff to support uncertified teachers toward certification, and (4) retention of new teachers through mentoring and specific supports. house Bill 2, landmark legislation passed by the Texas legislature in 2025, offers districts unprecedented financial investments in recruitment, preparation, certification, and mentoring that can increase the rate of certified teachers. Introduction Texas employs the largest teacher workforce of all states in the United States, and the state consistently posts teacher attrition rates higher than the national average. Texas schools have had to hire more than 40,000 teachers per year to replace those exiting the profession. In the 2022–23 through 2024–25 school years, more than two thirds of these newly hired teachers entered the profession either on emergency permits, while completing preparation (i.e., interns), or without any state certification (i.e., uncertified) . While teachers entering through such pathways can fill classroom vacancies quickly, Texasbased research has found that they are less likely to stay in the profession and tend to be less effective than other new teachers.1 Given the growing rates of uncertified teachers across Texas, this study sought to identify districts with higher rates of certified teachers and understand the local contexts that might encourage hiring and retention of certified teachers. States set certification requirements for their teachers and determine the circumstances under which districts are allowed to hire teachers who are not fully certified. As in most states, Texas has multiple pathways into the profession, including preservice routes in which teaching candidates LEARNING POLICY INSTITUTE | TEAChER CERTIfICATION IN TExAS | BRIEf 1 complete preparation before receiving their standard teaching certificate and intern routes in which new teachers complete preparation while serving as a teacher of record. Texas also allows teachers to work under emergency permits—1-year, temporary permits—under certain circumstances, and the state enacted the Districts of Innovation (DOI) policy in 2015, which allows participating districts to bypass state certification and hire teachers without any state certification at the discretion of their school boards. Against this backdrop, Texas has experienced rapid growth in the number of uncertified teachers. Overall, the share of uncertified teachers in the Texas teacher workforce more than tripled between 2019–20 and 2024–25, increasing from 3.8% to 12% . As of 2024–25, there were 42,103 uncertified teachers across the state, with more than half teaching foundational subjects (English language arts and reading, math, science, social studies) . Figure 1. Newly Hired Texas Teachers by Certification Across Time Number of New Teachers 18,000 16,000 14,000 12,000 10,000 8,000 6,000 4,000 2,000 0 No Texas Certificate Standard Certificate Intern Certificate Out-of-State Certifie

FAQs

How has the share of uncertified teachers changed in Texas over time?

Between 2019–20 and 2024–25, the share of uncertified teachers more than tripled, increasing from 3.8% to 12%. By 2024–25, Texas had 42,103 uncertified teachers.

What strategies do district leaders emphasize to prioritize teacher certification?

District leaders highlighted four strategies: preparation partnerships to expand the pipeline, prioritizing certification in recruitment and hiring, salary incentives with tracking and dedicated staff to move uncertified teachers toward certification, and retaining new teachers through mentoring and targeted supports.

How do districts differ in their reliance on uncertified teachers?

Despite high statewide rates, districts vary widely in how much they rely on uncertified teachers to fill open positions. The study focuses on districts with higher certification rates to understand the local contexts and policies that support hiring and retention of certified teachers.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Aria Callaghan