SBEC debates NBCT's inclusion in TIA

The State Board for Educator Certification met July 24 to discuss whether to continue National Board Certification's status as a route to earn money through the Teacher Incentive Allotment program.

SBEC did not take a final vote on the matter, but conducted a preliminary discussion of a report that reviews the National Board's alignment with Texas standards and laws as required by House Bill 2, the omnibus school finance bill passed in 2025.

Currently, holding a National Board certification automatically qualifies a teacher for the lowest TIA designation and the accompanying pay raise. Early in TIA's existence, many school districts encouraged teachers to seek National Board certification as a more direct route to earning a designation. Since then, a vast majority of districts participate in TIA and have created their own systems to earn designations, but many teachers outside of core subjects still cannot earn a designation despite working in a TIA district.

A handful of legislators and members of the State Board of Education raised concerns in 2025 about certain examples of exemplary teaching given in the National Board standards that reference diversity, equity, and inclusion and desired to remove it as a route to designation for that reason. As a compromise, the Texas Legislature placed the burden of that decision on SBEC. It has until Dec. 31, 2026, to make a determination. If no such determination is made, National Board as a route to TIA is revoked by default.

The report listed only a handful of examples that could potentially conflict with Texas state law. TEA portrayed the report as stating the National Board standards' incompatibility with what is expected in Texas and suggested that the National Board make adjustments to their standards to comply. It was also implied that SBEC would be required to revoke National Board certification as a route to a TIA designation if there are any discrepancies.

TCTA testified that this is not the case and appealed to the specific language in statute that charges SBEC with deciding the National Board's fate with respect to TIA.

TCTA supports National Board certification as a route to earning a TIA designation and will continue to advocate for its continued inclusion. SBEC has two more scheduled meetings before the deadline, and TCTA will advocate for National Board certified teachers at every opportunity.