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Most teachers resign from the Houston Independent School District at the end of the school year, in May and June. But more notice would help district administrators plan ahead. That’s why the Houston school board has decided to continue giving cash bonuses to teachers who give notice early — in January and February. Superintendent Terry Grier explains.
Once they decide to they’re going to retire or they’re going to leave us, the earlier they can tell us, it helps us recruit, it helps us know where our vacancies are and that’s a win-win for both the teacher and for us.
Teachers who give notice early can get up to five thousand dollars. The longer they’ve worked, the bigger the check. The school board set aside two and half million dollars for the thank-you checks. Grier says he doesn’t expect the bonus program to cost that much. But he says it’s money well spent because it can prevent other problems.
There’s a tremendous cost to having the school year start and you have 50, 60, 70 teacher vacancies. And it’s a cost to the children, it’s a cost to our families and to what we’re trying to achieve as an organization.
This year, the district will offer two rounds of bonuses. In the second one, the checks will drop to five hundred dollars.