At Odyssey Academy, we seek to inspire the highest potential in every OA family member…especially our teachers!

Why create an OA Teacher Recognition and Support System?

To honor and recognize teacher excellence
To establish a growth mode for teachers
To improve and support teacher efficacy
To identify teacher leaders

OA’s Teacher Recognition and Support System will work with Texas’ Teacher Incentive Allotment, which was created by the Texas Legislature as part of House Bill 3 to provide a realistic pathway for top teachers to earn six-figure salaries and to help attract and retain highly effective teachers at traditionally hard-to-staff schools.

On this page you will find information on Odyssey Academy’s implementation of a Teacher Recognition and Support System which integrates Texas’ Teacher Incentive Allotment plan. For more information on the Texas Teacher Incentive Allotment, visit tiatexas.org.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is this system for everyone, or just teachers?

The Teacher Recognition and Support System is just for teachers, as is the Teacher Incentive Allotment. Other programs will be developed and implemented for staff who are not teachers.

Will support be provided for teachers to achieve a designation?

Yes! Support is one of the reasons OA has worked to develop the TRSS. Yes. Support will be provided in a variety of ways, including by reserving 10% of the TIA Allotment to provide training, support, and to pay for other costs associated with implementing TIA. Supporting and encouraging teachers to work towards National Board Certification will also be an important aspect of teacher support.

Once a teacher reaches a designation, can they improve on their designation? For instance, moving from “recognized” to “exemplary”?

Once a teacher earns a designation, that designation will stay with them for five years. Therefore, a teacher will not move down in the designation system for that period, but a teacher does have the opportunity to move up within the designation levels over the five-year period.

This system will use SLOs to measure student growth. It has been mentioned, that for one reason, SLOs were chosen because OA has been using WIGs in the classroom. Aren’t there differences between SLOs and WIGs?

Yes. There are differences between SLOs and WIGs, and in some cases major differences. The main connection between SLOs and WIGs is that they are both developed based on the needs of students in the classroom to measure and encourage student growth throughout the school year.

Is this system heading in the direction of taking away traditional raises for teachers (steps)?

No. This system will not change how teachers are paid at Odyssey Academy. TIA is a state allotment that exists to make it possible for a teacher to earn a six-figure income. A competitive and robust local pay scale will still be important in ensuring salaries are competitive and the best teachers continue to apply to Odyssey Academy

In the third video, the statement that, “stipends are not guaranteed,” is made. Can this statement be clarified?

Stipends within TRSS are directly related to TIA and the allotment OA receives based upon designated teachers and demographics of each campus. As student demographics change, the TIA amount will also change. Therefore, each year, the stipend amount will vary. Also, if the legislature is ever unable to fund TIA, then the stipends will cease. Therefore, a teacher should never expect nor base their personal budget upon a specific amount until it has been verified for the specific school year.