A total of 181 teachers received a new or higher Teacher Incentive Allotment designation, bringing the district total to 328 teachers and generating more than $5 million in teacher compensation. It’s a state-funded program that rewards outstanding teachers for their students’ success.

Cheers broke out across a room of campus leaders when United ISD received confirmation that the Texas Education Agency had validated the district’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) results. The big news came during a leadership training session, where principals immediately celebrated the milestone recognizing the work of educators across the district. The validation confirms the district’s 2024-2025 data and approves the 2025-2026 teacher designations.

“This is a great testament to the outstanding teaching happening in our classrooms,” said Superintendent Dr. Gerardo Cruz. “This allows us not only to recognize excellence, but retain it, as we keep highly effective teachers in front of students where they are making a big impact.”

Dr. Cruz also highlighted the collaborative effort behind the accomplishment and the district’s future outlook.“Our administrative teams conduct walkthroughs and have the courageous conversations that help teachers grow, all in an effort to improve student outcomes,” he said. “I applaud all of the departments across our district that help make this possible. Our goal next year is to double the impact, with projections exceeding $11 million.”

TIA Core Team photographed following the announcement

UISD Teacher Incentive Allotment Director Vania Magallanes explained the designations are based on a full year of performance and student academic growth data. “This validation is based on our 2024-2025 data capture year, and every teacher we submitted for designation was approved,” Magallanes said. “We collect data from the beginning to the end of the year, measuring student performance growth and teacher observations. Out of 487 teachers submitted for designation, we now have 328 designated teachers,” Magallanes shared. “So, we are very excited for them.” 

TIA Middle School Campus leaders pictured in the back row. RPMS Principal Pamela Arredondo, second from left to right.

At Raul Perales Middle School, the impact of the program was especially meaningful. The campus increased from four designated teachers last year to 14 this year. “We are extremely excited. It’s a great feeling knowing their hard work paid off,” said Principal Pamela Arredondo.

She also noted the significance of the accomplishment for her students and staff. “Being a south feeder campus, we serve many economically disadvantaged and at-risk students. It takes dedication to get students to stay for tutorials and demonstrate academic growth, and our teachers made that happen,” Arredondo said.

The Teacher Incentive Allotment, created by the Texas Legislature, rewards highly effective teachers based on measurable student growth and instructional performance. Designations include Recognized, Exemplary, and Master levels, allowing districts to provide additional compensation to educators making a significant impact on student success.

United ISD congratulates its designated teachers and thanks campus administrators and district departments- including Curriculum & Instruction, Human Resources, Business & Finance, and Technology for their continued collaboration and support of student achievement. UISD  is committed to providing a high-quality education that prepares every student for success through great instruction, and a supportive learning environment.