A Guide to House Bill 2 in Texas

This post is going to look at some changes to hiring practices for school districts. I needed to understand it better since supporting the new teacher academy in my district is a large part of what I do. There is a lot going on in this particular Bill, so I have my cuppa ready.

Understanding the Core Changes of HB 2

Here is a quick overview of the Bill that impacts new teachers in public school districts:

Basically, HB 2 is a game-changer for how we staff our schools, requiring a certified teacher in every core subject like reading and math and phasing out the popular District of Innovation (DOI) waiver for these roles. The State is supposed to put real money behind this shift, creating funded pipelines like paid, year-long teacher residencies and “Grow Your Own” programs to help us build our own teacher workforce. It also provides cash incentives to help both our current uncertified staff and new candidates get their certifications, especially in high-need areas like SpEd and Bilingual.

If your district is anything like mine, you rely on a dedicated corps of talented, uncertified teachers to fill critical classroom vacancies. This teacher shortage is no joke, and it is only with these roles being filled by talented, uncertified teachers that we have enough for all the classrooms. House Bill 2, passed in the 89th Legislature, fundamentally changes how we can hire, place, and support these educators. Because of this, my Director asked that I understand the Bill and what that means for both the new teachers and the academy we run.

After digging into the Bill, I realized there is a lot I didn’t realize. Ha. Ha. I know I cannot be alone. I get this is a Texas based issue, but maybe there other places that are facing similar challenges with new teachers.

The End of DOI for Core Subjects

What is a District of Innovation (DOI)?

Think of the District of Innovation (DOI) designation as a way for a traditional public school district to get some of the same flexibility that charter schools have. By developing a “local innovation plan,” a district can exempt itself from specific parts of the Texas Education Code, giving it more local control over things like the school calendar, class sizes, and, most importantly for this topic, teacher certification. Then what’s the point of having a Texas Education Code? Yeah, I get that. Actually, I think of DOI every time a non-educator friend has a concern about a class size since they believe there is a cap on the number of students to a class. Technically, there is. Hello DOI.

How DOI Was Used for Teacher Hiring

Under state law, a person normally cannot be hired as a teacher in a Texas public school unless they hold an appropriate state certificate or permit. However, the DOI designation created a popular workaround. Many districts wrote an exemption to this certification rule directly into their approved DOI plans. This gave them the legal flexibility to hire individuals who had not completed a state-approved certification program to serve as the teacher of record, even in core academic classrooms. Before anyone freaks out about the thought of an unqualified person being a teacher of record: districts often used this to address teacher shortages, allowing them to hire people with deep subject-matter expertise (like a retired engineer to teach math or a journalist to teach writing) who didn’t have a teaching certificate. It really comes down to the terrible spot we are in with shortages and retention.

With HB 2, uncertified teachers can no longer be the teacher of record for reading/ELA, math, science, or social studies. This means that DOI workaround is no longer a workaround. And there is a timeline for replacing DOI hires with certified individuals:

2026-2027: No more DOI exemptions for K-5 Reading and Math.
2027-2028: The rule extends to all foundational subjects, all grade levels.

This definitely took me a minute to process and slightly panic. I get it, Texas wants to ensure every student in a core academic class is taught by a fully prepared and certified educator. Who wouldn’t love that? If we are already working through a shortage, how will we possibly find and replace all these DOI hires? HB 2 has a plan for that too.

New Certificates and Partnership Programs in HB 2

HB 2 doesn’t just create a new mandate; it provides a funded roadmap. Let’s explore the new types of teaching certificates and the partnership programs designed to help our uncertified teachers succeed.

Types of Teaching Certificates

HB 2 directs the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) to issue four main types of teaching certificates for new teachers:

Standard Certificate: This is for candidates who have successfully completed all requirements of either a traditional teacher preparation program or an alternative teacher preparation program. This represents a fully certified teacher ready for the classroom.
Enhanced Standard Certificate: This certificate is for candidates who complete the most rigorous preparation route: a full-year teacher residency program. This is designed to recognize the additional clinical experience.
Intern with Preservice Experience Certificate: This is a temporary certificate that expires one year after it is issued. It is for candidates in a preservice alternative certification route who have completed a sufficient number of practice hours to serve as a teacher of record while they finish their program requirements.
Intern Certificate: This is another temporary certificate, but it expires two years after being issued. It is for candidates in a different alternative certification route who have met all the necessary requirements to serve as a teacher of record but have not yet satisfied all requirements for their full certification.

How They Will Work: Salary Implications

A key component of this new structure is that it ties certain certificates to higher minimum salaries for beginning teachers.

Differentiated Pay: School districts must pay a higher minimum salary to a first-year teacher who holds a Standard, Enhanced Standard, or Intern with Preservice Experience certificate compared to a first-year teacher who does not.
Specific Salary Minimums: The bill outlines the following minimum salary additions for teachers with zero years of experience:
- $3,000 more for holding a Standard Certificate or an Intern with Preservice Experience Certificate.
- $6,000 more for holding an Enhanced Standard Certificate.

Preparing and Retaining Educators through Partnership or PREP

HB 2 establishes five distinct partnership programs under this new initiative:

Traditional Partnership Preservice Program: This program partners districts with Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) to support teacher candidates on a traditional certification path, helping them prepare for a standard certificate.
Residency Partnership Preservice Program: This is a more intensive program that supports candidates in a full-year clinical residency. It is designed for those seeking an enhanced standard certificate.
Alternative Partnership Preservice Program: This program is for candidates who have a degree but are seeking certification through a preservice alternative route.
Grow Your Own Partnership Program: This program creates staffing pipelines by supporting high school students in career and technical education courses for teaching, and by helping current, non-certified district employees (like paraprofessionals) complete a bachelor’s degree to become a teacher.
Mentorship Program: This program provides funding for districts to implement mentoring programs for classroom teachers who have less than two years of teaching experience.

Financial Benefits of the Programs

The bill creates a specific funding allotment for districts to pay stipends and cover costs, directly benefiting the participants financially.

Teacher Candidates

The candidates themselves receive significant financial support for their preservice practice:

In a Residency Program, a teacher candidate receives a salary of at least $20,000 for the year-long residency ($10,000 from the state allotment and at least another $10,000 from the district).
In a Traditional Program, a teacher candidate receives a salary of at least $3,000.
In an Alternative Program, a teacher candidate receives a salary of at least $3,000.
For participants in the Grow Your Own Program, districts can use the state allotment money to pay for their tuition and fees.

Cooperating and Mentor Teachers

The experienced educators who support the candidates are also compensated for their extra work:

Cooperating Teachers (who host a candidate in their classroom) receive:
- At least $2,000 in the Residency Program.
- At least $1,000 in the Traditional Program.
- At least $1,000 in the Alternative Program.
Mentor Teachers (in the Mentorship Program for new teachers) receive a stipend of at least $1,000.

Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs)

The EPPs that partner with districts also benefit financially to help offset program costs for the candidate:

After a candidate completes a program and one year of employment, a portion of the state allotment is paid directly to their EPP.
- $10,000 for each candidate who completed a Residency Program.
- $5,000 for each candidate who completed a Traditional Program.
- Up to $5,000 for each candidate who completed an Alternative Program.

It’s a lot. I know. I am still digesting it all, and I wouldn’t be nearly as informed if I didn’t have my pal, Gemini, helping me understand all of this. I am also working out how we can place our uncertified educators in the appropriate program to help them achieve certification. Of course, I feel like one standard school year may not be enough.

Putting HB 2 into Practice

These programs sound great in theory, but what does implementation actually look like? How do we access the funding, and what are the concrete first steps we should take? Believe me, that is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the questions I have. This is a lot of people and money we are talking about. This impacts everyone from the veteran teachers who host PREP candidates to the new teachers to district leadership and of course the students! I know what we have now isn’t the answer. Retention is not great, and students end up seeing a rotating door of educators. New teachers are underprepared and doing the best they can. New teacher academies are focusing on basics of classroom management in hopes of supporting uncertified teachers in enough time to keep them from quitting. It can feel like chaos. Maybe we do need the changes in HB 2 to right the ship.

My struggle now is the time crunch. While it looks like there is a way to apply for a delay in implementation for a few years, I haven’t found where that application is located yet. (If anyone out there has it, I would LOVE for you to share in the Comments.) For now, if your district is working on a plan to address these changes, please consider tips, tricks, hints, or any other support in the Comments.

I know one thing for certain: I am not giving up on the new teachers. I still believe in public education as a way to improve the world. Teachers are key. If the changes introduced by HB 2 benefits them, I am all for it.

AN EDUCATIONAL CUP OF TEA

Connect. Share. Discover. With wisdom, warmth, and welcome.