Raising Texas Teachers

We believe

1. Texas students deserve the best teachers, and our teachers deserve the best preparation.
2. Our teacher workforce should reflect our student population.
3. A profession as challenging and critical as teaching demands rigorous preparation.
4. Universities are best positioned to develop teachers that are prepared to be effective on day one.
5. Continuous improvement must become our standard practice.

About Raising Texas Teachers

The research is clear, teachers have the most significant impact on student success. Therefore, the long-term success of our communities and our state is inextricably linked to the quality of our teacher workforce.

Right now, the teaching profession is facing a crisis. The number of teachers entering the profession has steadily declined over the past decade. The state faces persistent shortages in critical subject areas. Districts across the state are facing an unprecedented number of vacancies. The quality of teacher preparation varies significantly, with the majority of new teachers trained in alternative certification programs, many of which do not require rigorous clinical training resulting in lower retention rates. We can, and must, do a better job at recruiting, training, and retaining great teachers.

That is why we launched Raising Texas Teachers in 2017. This 10-year, $50 million program is structured around a three-pronged strategy designed to address the three key elements of the teacher workforce:

Recruitment

The Charles Butt Scholarship for Aspiring Teachers is designed to enhance the recruitment of a talented and diverse teacher workforce by providing financial support, ongoing professional development, access to a statewide network of Charles Butt Scholars, and more.

Training

Our deep partnerships with university-based teacher preparation programs seek to raise the overall quality of teacher preparation across the state by promoting continuous improvement in the field.

Retention

We provide ongoing professional development and support to Charles Butt Scholarship alumni to ensure they are able to continue their careers as teachers and find success in the classroom, and we are committed to elevating the status of the teaching profession through ongoing storytelling efforts about the influence and impact of great teachers and participation in, and support of, the statewide #TeachersCan movement. We also leverage our Raising Blended Learners and Raising School Leaders programs to ensure we are helping create conditions in the field to retain our best teachers.