Application for Delay of Teacher Certification Requirements
This application is submitted to request a temporary delay in full compliance with House Bill 2 certification requirements due to ongoing staffing challenges in hard-to-fill instructional areas. The District affirms that this delay is limited in scope and duration and is accompanied by a comprehensive transition plan to achieve full compliance by the 2029–2030 school year.
Current Uncertified Teachers
The information below shows the foundation curriculum uncertified teacher assignments for the 2025-2026 school year, from Kindergarten through 12th grade.
| Grade level or Subject | number of uncertified teachers |
|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 16 |
| 1st Grade | 25 |
| 2nd Grade | 32 |
| 3rd Grade | 12 |
| 4th Grade | 12 |
| 5th Grade | 9 |
| Secondary Math | 27 |
| Secondary Reading | 11 |
| Secondary Science | 8 |
| Secondary Social Studies | 11 |
Hiring Trends (New Uncertified Hires)
Average number of new uncertified teachers hired in each of the last three years.
| School Year | New Foundation Hires | New Non-Foundation Hires | Total New Uncertified Hires |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | 86 | 10 | 96 |
| 2024-2025 | 91 | 12 | 103 |
| 2023-2024 | 55 | 23 | 78 |
| 3-Year Average | 77 | 15 | 92 |
Over the past three school years, Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD has hired an average of approximately 77 uncertified teachers annually, primarily in hard-to-fill instructional areas. The District is committed to further reducing the number of new uncertified hires by strengthening recruitment pipelines, prioritizing certified applicants, and requiring enrollment in approved certification programs at the time of hire.
Educator Preparation Program (EPP) Partners
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD maintains formal partnerships with iTeach Texas, Teachers of Tomorrow, 240 Certification, Gracelyn University, Dallas College, Abilene Christian University, University of North Texas, and Lamar University. These EPPs provide enrollment, supervision, coursework, and exam preparation for uncertified teachers as they transition into certification.
Transition Plan for Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Pathway to Full Compliance with House Bill 2
Purpose
The purpose of this transition plan is to ensure the District’s compliance with House Bill 2 (HB 2) requirements by systematically reducing the use of foundation (reading, math, science, social studies) uncertified teachers and ensuring that classroom instruction is delivered by appropriately certified teachers, as defined by state law.
Statutory Context
House Bill 2 strengthens certification requirements for teachers serving as the teacher of record and limits the use of uncertified personnel in foundation-funded instructional settings. The legislation permits limited exceptions in designated circumstances while requiring districts to demonstrate a good-faith effort to comply with certification requirements and maintain instructional quality.
Background
The District currently employs a number of foundation uncertified teachers to meet staffing needs, particularly in hard-to-fill areas. House Bill 2 establishes limits and expectations regarding the use of uncertified instructional staff. This multi-year transition plan outlines targeted actions to reduce reliance on uncertified teachers and ensure full compliance by the 2029–2030 school year.
Justification for Delay
Despite ongoing recruitment efforts, the District continues to experience challenges filling certified teaching positions in specific instructional areas due to statewide shortages. Immediate elimination of foundation uncertified teachers would result in staffing gaps that could disrupt instruction. This requested delay allows the District to maintain instructional continuity while implementing a structured, time-bound transition plan to full compliance.
District Commitment
The District is committed to:
● Ensuring instruction is provided by appropriately certified teachers
● Reducing reliance on foundation uncertified teachers
● Supporting current employees in completing certification requirements
● Achieving full statutory compliance by the 2029–2030 school year
Goal
To reduce the number of foundation uncertified teachers annually and achieve full compliance (zero foundation uncertified teachers) by the 2029–2030 school year through systematic support, monitoring, and accountability measures.
Multi-Year Transition Targets
| School year | Target Number of foundation uncertified teachers |
|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | 163 (Baseline) |
| 2026-2027 | 100 |
| 2027-2028 | 50 |
| 2028-2029 | 25 |
| 2029-2030 | 0 (Full Compliance) |
Strategic Actions by School Year
2025–2026 School Year
Target: 163 Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Key Actions:
● Provide structured test preparation for Bilingual, ESL, and PPR exams.
● Offer six Saturday study sessions (9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.).
● Conduct an informational meeting at the beginning of the year outlining district expectations and certification requirements.
● Schedule individualized meetings with a certification specialist.
● Collaborate with Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) to monitor candidate progress.
● Track progress related to coursework, exams, observation hours, and program milestones.
● Facilitate observation hour opportunities.
● Assign teacher/adjunct coaches to first-year adjunct teachers:
○ Weekly one-hour coaching sessions
○ Monthly classroom observations with feedback
○ The adjunct coach receives a $2000 stipend for supporting uncertified first-year adjunct teachers.
● Encourage eligible staff to pursue an Educational Aide Certificate to earn creditable service for Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA) while completing certification.
● Require annual acknowledgment forms from uncertified staff outlining certification expectations and timelines.
● Develop partnerships with local universities to build certified teacher pipelines.
● Full teacher salary upon completion of the statement of eligibility (SOE).
2026–2027 School Year
Target: 100 Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Key Actions:
● Continued employment of uncertified teachers will be contingent upon documented progress toward certification and compliance with District-established deadlines.
● Expand test certification support to include Reading, Math, Science, Social Studies, STR, and PPR.
● Host a beginning-of-year certification pathway and expectations meeting.
● Conduct initial one-on-one meetings with certification specialists as part of their onboarding to review their certification pathway plan (CPP).
● Implement quarterly progress reviews with EPPs.
● Implement checkpoint deadlines tied to continued employment eligibility.
● Establish defined timelines for completing observation hours.
○ Provide release time for completing observation hours.
● Develop a certification progress dashboard for HR and campus leaders.
● Train principals on certification compliance expectations and monitoring responsibilities.
● Assign:
○ A teacher coach for first-year uncertified hires.
○ A certification advisor to second-year uncertified hires.
2027–2028 School Year
Target: 50 Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Key Actions:
● Require individual certification completion plans with defined timelines.
● Increase frequency of progress monitoring and documentation.
● Limit uncertified assignments to approved hard-to-fill areas only, as permitted by law.
● Implement heightened intervention for staff at risk of non-compliance.
● Include certification progress as part of annual staffing and performance discussions.
● Require campuses to document support provided to uncertified staff.
2028–2029 School Year
Target: 25 Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Key Actions:
● Limit uncertified employment to exception-only placements.
● Require certification completion within the school year as a condition of continued employment.
● Prepare campuses for transition to full compliance.
● Conduct final compliance readiness reviews.
2029–2030 School Year
Target: 0 Foundation Uncertified Teachers
Key Actions:
● Achieve full compliance with House Bill 2.
● Sustain certified teacher recruitment, hiring, and retention systems.
● Maintain ongoing partnerships with EPPs to prevent future non-compliance.
Monitoring and Accountability
● Human Resources will maintain a certification compliance tracking system.
● Continued employment of uncertified staff will be contingent upon:
○ Documented progress toward certification
○ Compliance with statutory and district timelines
● Regular compliance updates will be provided to district leadership and, as appropriate, the Board.
● The District affirms that uncertified teachers will be assigned only as permitted under House Bill 2 and applicable commissioner rules and will not be used to circumvent certification requirements.
Conclusion
This transition plan demonstrates the District’s commitment to instructional quality, legal compliance, and responsible workforce planning. Through structured support, accountability, and strategic reductions, the District will achieve full compliance with House Bill 2 by the 2029–2030 school year. The District affirms its commitment to full statutory compliance and acknowledges that this delay request is temporary and contingent upon demonstrated progress.