Texas Teachers Collaborative

Cohort 2 Applications Now Open

Investing in Teachers. Transforming Communities. Elevating Texas Education.

Apply for Next Cohort

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Your Name*

Primary Point of Contact

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Your Email Address*

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District Identity

Superintendent Name*

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What is your district name?*

Is your district rural?*

How many total students are enrolled in your district?

What is the current number of certified teachers in your district?

Texas Incentive Allotment & National Board Certification Context

Where is the district in the TIA process?*

How many teachers in your district currently hold National Board Certification?*

Have any teachers previously attempted NBC but did not complete?*

How many teachers attempted NBC?*

How many teachers in your district would be interested in obtaining National Board Certification?*

TTC District Coordinator Capacity

The Texas Teachers Collaborative is designed to support teachers through one of the most rigorous certification processes in the profession, and that support does not happen without a committed, engaged person at the district level. The TTC District Coordinator creates protected time and space for teachers to do the work, communicate expectations clearly, and serve as the consistent point of contact between TTC and district leadership.

Do you have an individual that can serve as the District Coordinator that will have the bandwidth for this role?*

What is your district's ESC region?*

Briefly describe your district's teacher retention challenges.*

Please describe in 2-3 sentences.

Why does your district want to participate in the Texas Teachers Collaborative?*

Please describe in 3-5 sentences.

Is there anything else we should know?

Watch the information session

Hear directly from Amber Lynn Diaz, Senior Director of Programs, on what the Texas Teachers Collaborative offers rural districts — the funding, the mentorship, and the support that helps teachers earn National Board Certification and stay in the communities that need them most. You’ll also hear from a district coordinator, a mentor, and two teachers from our first cohort about what the experience was really like.

Cohort 2 partners with up to eight new rural districts. This recording walks through what participation looks like for your district and your teachers.

Questions after watching? Email Amber Lynn Diaz at aldiaz@charlesbuttfdn.org.

Why we built the Texas Teachers Collaborative

TTC is built on a simple belief: rural teachers should not have to leave their communities to grow their careers. When they are supported with rigorous professional learning, a strong network of peers, and the financial recognition their expertise deserves, they stay — and their students, schools, and districts thrive.

Through a 24-month cohort-based model, TTC guides classroom teachers through the four components of National Board Certification, the highest credential in the teaching profession, while building sustainable, district-embedded support systems that outlast the cohort itself.

National Board Certification is one of the most rigorous credentials a teacher can earn. Of more than 380,000 teachers in Texas, fewer than 1,200 hold it. Helping teachers reach that bar not only elevates the profession, it also strengthens our students and communities.

Dr. Amber Lynn Diaz
Senior Director of Programs

The Texas Teachers Collaborative Experience

Selected teachers participate in a 24-month professional learning journey that pairs a national-caliber credentialing process with a close-knit community of rural Texas peers. Cohort 2 includes:

Kickoff Convening

A multi-day institute launching teachers into the National Board journey, exploring the Architecture of Accomplished Teaching, Five Core Propositions, and certificate-specific standards alongside TTC Mentors, rural Texas peers, and National Board representatives.

Monthly Meetings

Every month, virtual professional learning sessions are hosted, offering guided, personalized learning approaches paired with interactive discovery activities. These give ongoing opportunities to deepen their practice, grow, and connect with peers.

Two teachers in conversation with one another.

One-on-One Mentorship

Every teacher is paired with a dedicated National Board Certified Mentor who provides personalized guidance, component-specific feedback, and sustained, responsive support throughout the certification journey, from initial planning through successful portfolio submission and well beyond.

Professional learning day at Salado ISD.

Professional Learning Days

Designed and facilitated by National Board Certified TTC Mentors, Professional Learning Days are structured around NBC components. Professional Learning Days provide time to unpack components, analyze practice, and collaborate with fellow candidates.

National Board certified teachers from cohort 1 of the Texas Teachers Collaborative.

District-Embedded Support

Each participating district names a dedicated District Coordinator who protects teacher work time, coordinates substitute coverage, and builds local capacity to sustain National Board support long after Cohort 2 ends. This role is essential to the TTC model.

Who Should Apply?

Texas Teachers Collaborative is designed to support rural districts in supporting teachers in National Board Certification. Teachers in that are interested in pursuing National Board Certification can become certified in any of the following areas.

Rural Texas Districts

Commit to naming a dedicated District Coordinator with the bandwidth to lead local implementation.
Protect time for teacher engagement through grant-funded substitute coverage, and district professional learning days.
Identify committed teachers that have at least three years of teaching experience in a content area eligible for National Board Certification, that hold a vision of remaining in a rural classroom.
Sign a Memorandum of Understanding outlining shared responsibilities between the district and TTC.
Commit to long-term retention of accomplished teachers through Texas Incentive Allotment planning and district-level recognition.

What’s Covered?

District Base Grant to support local implementation and long-term sustainability.

District Coordinator Stipend to support district identified cohort 2 teachers and effective district implementation.

Teacher Stipend recognizing the significant time and effort required to complete the National Board Certification portfolio.

Monthly Virtual Meetings to unpack the National Board Components and submission expectations at no cost to participating teachers.

One-on-one Mentorship from a National Board Certified Teacher, provided to every participant at no cost through the Charles Butt Foundation. Each mentor guides their teacher through Components 1–4, offers feedback on portfolio entries, and walks alongside them from summer kickoff through certification results.

Once certified, teachers in participating rural Texas districts become eligible for the Texas Incentive Allotment, which can generate $3,000–$12,000 per year per teacher — $15,000 to $60,000 over five years — in additional compensation for accomplished teaching.

How to Apply

Step 1: Watch Information Session

Watch the information session and reach out to Dr. Diaz if you have any questions.

Step 2: Submit a District Application

Districts ready to move forward will complete a short application describing their commitment to the Texas Teachers Collaborative. Accepted districts sign a Memorandum of Understanding outlining shared responsibilities.

Step 3: Confirm Teacher Participants

Approved districts work with TTC Program Leadership to identify and confirm their cohort teachers, up to 10. We believe that district leaders know their educators best, and the selection process is designed to honor that local knowledge.

Applications will close soon!

Ready to Learn More?

Questions? Contact: Dr. Amber Lynn Diaz, aldiaz@charlesbuttfdn.org

Program contact information:

Amber Lynn Diaz

Senior Director of Programs

Contact

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