Top Arlington ISD teachers could now earn thousands more under new program
Arlington ISD has been approved to become a Teacher Incentive Allotment district, which will allow the school district to pay teachers up to $36,000 more per year through the state-funded program.
The TIA program was created by the Texas Legislature in 2019 to allow top-performing educators the opportunity to earn higher wages. Teachers are evaluated based on classroom performance and student growth measures. They can earn three designations: recognized, exemplary or master. Each comes with a pay raise.
Other nearby districts already in the TIA program include: Fort Worth ISD, Azle ISD, Birdville ISD, Denton ISD, Grapevine-Colleyville ISD and Weatherford ISD.
“We’re excited about this because TIA will help us recognize and reward the exceptional work our teachers do every day,” Arlington ISD Superintendent Matt Smith wrote in a statement. “It will provide pathways for teachers to earn additional compensation while continuing to do what they love most, teaching students.”
The Arlington school district will roll out the TIA program in 24 of its campuses over the next two school years. Awarded teachers will receive their first TIA payouts in July 2028, according to the district.
“Implementing TIA in Arlington ISD has been a significant undertaking, and the work will continue as we move into the implementation phase,” wrote Dolloress Johnson, executive director of human resources. “It is work worth doing because it allows us to recognize and reward the exceptional teaching already taking place in our classrooms while supporting our efforts to attract and retain outstanding teachers.”
Teachers can become TIA certified through either a local designation system through Arlington ISD or through a National Board Certification. A local designation requires a teacher observation process and student growth measures that show students significantly progress academically under a specific teacher’s guidance. Districts can also use STAAR progress measures, student learning objectives and pre- and post-year tests to hand out TIA certifications. At the end of each year, TEA approves or denies all teachers recommended to them by a school district.
The recognized TIA tier is given to the top 33% of teachers statewide, exemplary is given to the top 20% of teachers and master is given to the top 5% of teachers.
Arlington ISD had long considered joining the TIA program prior to doing so Tuesday. Earlier this year its school board was mixed on doing so and discussed the pros and cons of the program during a board meeting in January. In 2024, the school board voted not to join the program despite many neighboring districts voting to do so.
Arlington ISD’s intention to join the TIA program also comes days after its school board announced, for the first time in years, that teachers in the district would not get a wage increase for the 2026-27 school year. Trustees pointed to previous wage increases that made the district one of the most lucrative in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex as the reason for halting a raise this time around. Teachers in Arlington ISD currently receive starting salaries of $66,100. That is the top pay for entry-level teachers in the Dallas-Fort Worth region.
Now, TIA certified teachers who also have 10 years or more of experience can make well over $100,000 at Arlington ISD, which comes as districts across the Metroplex compete with one another to fill dozens of vacancies.
Smith previously referred to teacher retention as one of the top issues in the Arlington district as it faced risks of losing highly-rated teachers to surrounding districts already approved for the TIA program.
Arlington ISD will pass 90% of the state’s TIA funding directly to teachers across the 24 qualifying campuses. The other 10% will fund the administrative overhead, data tracking and technical training required to keep the TIA system running.
