Retention-based scholarships, research support on topics such as teacher stress and professional development are among the ways Texas Wesleyan University will use $1.79 million aimed at keeping more educators in North Texas classrooms.
Officials announced Monday the launch of the university’s new Center for Educator Excellence, created as a result of grants from the Moody Foundation and Paul E. Andrews Jr. Foundation.
Training and retaining great teachers helps students succeed as well as drives the economy, Texas Wesleyan President Emily Messer said in a news release.
“Our university is honored to lead this transformational work for North Texas and beyond,” Messer said in the statement.
Texas has struggled to keep teachers in public schools as they note heavy workloads and small growth in salaries, which are already $9,000 below the national average, according to state and national reports.
Attrition accelerated after the pandemic and has not returned to pre-pandemic rates. After hovering just above 10% for nine school years, it dipped to about 9% during the 2020-21 school year before climbing, peaking at 13.5% for 2022-23, according to the Texas Education Agency.
The state saw an attrition rate of 12.9% last school year.
Texas lawmakers earmarked millions in funding this year to bolster teacher training and retention.
The creation of Texas Wesleyan’s center marks a continued commitment to preparing teachers, who are key to strengthening communities, said Carlos Martinez, dean of the university’s School of Education.
“This new initiative, made possible through collaboration, not only allows us to recruit, educate, and support educators across DFW, but to also invest in our neighborhood schools and districts,” Martinez said in the release.
McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org.
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