More than 800 uncertified teachers started the school year in Houston ISD

HOUSTON, Texas – At the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles said there were more than 800 uncertified teachers hired.

“We’ve been rigorous in our evaluations, and our successful hiring season reflects the excitement many educators feel about joining the district’s remarkable work. It’s important to note that uncertified teachers can be just as effective as certified ones. Many studies show comparable academic results, and several of our uncertified teachers have prior experience in our schools as Teacher Apprentices and Learning Coaches,” Miles said in part in a written statement on the status of teacher vacancies in the district.

A common issue in the district has been retaining quality teachers, but Miles said back in August that there were only 30 vacancies for teachers, which was progress from the prior years where the district saw more than 600 vacancies at the beginning of some school years.

With the news of the teacher certification scheme that occurred, not just in HISD, but in several districts throughout the Houston area, KPRC 2 wanted to look into the requirements for being an uncertified teacher.

• 200 unqualified teachers certified in $1M Houston-based cheating scheme

On Monday, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced charges against five people, mostly all HISD employees, who participated in a million-dollar teacher-certification cheating scheme that allowed unqualified teachers to work in local school districts.

The scheme involved falsifying credentials to secure teaching positions for individuals who did not meet certification requirements, according to the DA’s office.

• HISD leaders say they had no idea this was happening

At HISD, which started the school year with approximately 850 uncertified teachers, the district said the Texas Education Agency allows them to employ “teachers and other school leaders without certification by submitting a request to waive or be exempted from such requirements for a limited number of years. But, in order to qualify for this exemption, the teacher must:

• Must hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by an accrediting agency recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB).
• Complete an Approved Educator Preparation Program.
• Successfully pass the required exam(s) for the teaching assignment and earn their Texas standard teaching certificate by the end of the approved waiver period.

So, what’s the period?

From the looks of it, the time frame can vary, depending on if the teacher is in a certification program or if the district has applied for a Teacher Certification Waiver, School District Teaching permit, emergency permit or EPP (Education Preparation Program) candidate late hire.

• What testing policies were ignored when Houston-based cheating scheme allowed educators to slip through the cracks

Teacher Certification Waiver

Districts can consider Teacher Certification Waivers when a District of Innovation (DOI) plan is not in place and/or when the DOI plan does not include the necessary flexibility to meet the situational needs of a campus. Other considerations include…

• The educator qualifications to teach must be vetted and approved by the board of trustees and commissioner of education (COE has 30 days to review).
• This waiver could be utilized for an EPP candidate who has not yet finished program requirements to qualify for issuance of a State Board of Education Certificate (SBEC).
• The 23-24 Waivers Guidebook and Waiver Process FAQ’s documents are available online.

School District Teaching Permits

Districts can consider a School District Teaching Permit (SDTP) in very specific situations when the DOI and Teacher Certification Waivers are not an option and a more long-term, district-specific solution is needed. Other considerations include…

• SDTPs are district-specific and valid for life (unless revoked for cause by the district) and cannot be issued to certified educators.
• The individual must have a bachelor’s degree unless teaching non-core academic career and technical education courses which must be approved by district board of trustees.
• Individuals teaching courses for foundation credits must be approved by the district board of trustees and commissioner of education (COE has 30 days to review).

Emergency Permits

Districts can consider Emergency Permits for individuals admitted into an EPP, but not yet eligible for issuance of an SBEC certificate or for certified teachers that have not passed required exams to add a new classroom certificate area to their official record of certification. Other considerations include…

• EPP candidates placed on emergency permits use one of three years allowed to teach before obtaining a standard certificate. Districts should engage in conversation with the EPP prior to placing an EPP candidate on an emergency permit.
• Emergency permits are valid for one school year only and not renewable (exceptions JROTC, Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments).
• Requires online application and $57 fee paid by employing district.
• Emergency permits can be requested for special education, bilingual, ESL, and prekindergarten/PreK4 assignments.
• An Emergency Permits Guide is available online.

EPP Candidate Late Hires

Districts are encouraged to work with their preparation program partners when considering late hires of EPP candidates.

• SBEC rules include late hire provisions in 19 TAC §228.35(d) to allow a late hire for a school district teaching position to begin employment under an intern or probationary certificate before completing the pre-internship coursework and training requirements outlined in subsection (b) of the rules but requires completion of those requirements within 90 school days of the assignment.
• Candidates must meet both late hire requirements in 19 TAC §228.2(25), hire date and preparation program admission date are within the 45-day window before the first day of instruction or after the school’s academic year has begun, to qualify as a late hire.
• Candidates must pass the required certification exams for issuance of the Intern or Probationary certificate.

Houston ISD became a District of Innovation in December, which means the district is allowed certain exemptions from state education laws.

• Houston ISD officially becomes District of Innovation: Here’s what that means for your family

Part of that plan, which parents told KPRC 2 they were concerned with, was the hiring of uncertified teachers. According to the DOI plan, the district could:

• Without a waiver from the state, hire high school teachers who do not hold a certification. This will allow HISD to fill vacancies in positions that are hard to staff and will help give all students a consistent classroom teacher. (The exemption does not apply to teachers for special education, bilingual education/English as a second language, and pre-kindergarten. Those certifications cannot be waived.)

The district said “Individuals who qualify for and are approved for a certification waiver are expected to join an Educator Preparation Program or Alternative Certification Program and earn their Texas standard teaching certificate in the content and grade level for their teaching assignment by the end of the waiver period. A list of state-approved Educator Preparation Programs/Alternative Certification Programs can be found at Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) in Texas.”

It’s not clear how long HISD’s waiver period is for teachers.

Positions in the district that are not approved for hire while working on certifications are:

• Special Education
• Bilingual Education
• ESL
• Prekindergarten