April 17, 2025 – More than 130 teachers earned or upgraded their Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) status, in the District’s second year of awarding Master, Exemplary or Recognized designations. The designations come with an additional $1.3 million in salary compensation from the state.
The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), a provision of House Bill 3 which was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in 2019, establishes a performance system to evaluate and compensate teachers. The TIA creates state-funded incentives to help school districts recruit, retain and reward teachers by providing an accessible pathway to a six-figure salary, without using local school district dollars. The TIA reserves specially designated state money for specially designated high-performing teachers.
This week, the District celebrated 23 Master teachers, 50 Exemplary teachers and 63 Recognized teachers. To determine the TIA designations, teacher performance is evaluated using metrics for teacher observation and student growth. The TIA program requires nothing new or extra from teachers who choose to participate. Each TIA school district in Texas must have a locally-developed designation plan that provides the framework for which teachers will qualify, and the timing of the designations. Any AISD classroom teacher in an eligible group can be put forth for the designation, regardless of years of experience.
Palo Duro High School Algebra I teacher Jonna Alexander received an upgraded distinction this year from Exemplary to Master Teacher.
“I wanted to cry from happiness, relief, and pride. Happy for myself and relieved to finally know, but I was so proud of my students for showing such amazing growth. I can give them information and I can ask them to do certain things to help them reach growth, but at the end of the day, they have to decide it's important and actually do it...and they did. I am so proud of them,” Alexander said. “TIA is a program set up for teachers to be recognized for creating successful students. Growth is something that I've focused on throughout my teaching career, so by continuing to be in the program to try to get an upgrade was an easy decision to make. At the end of the day I want my students to have every opportunity to be successful and build confidence in Algebra I and this program recognizes me and my campus for that success.”
This is AISD’s second year of TIA designated cohorts. In 2024, 154 AISD teachers earned a TIA designation. For the first two years of the program, only teachers of grades 4 - 8 math and language arts, Algebra I and English II could earn TIA designations. In 2026, if approved by the TEA, another 700 Amarillo ISD teachers will become eligible to earn TIA designations when the program opens to all teachers of K-12 core subjects.
AISD teachers are already the area’s highest earning, and now, along with a teacher’s special designation comes the reward of additional yearly salary compensation of approximately $3,000 to $28,000 for the next five years. The TIA and the awards for designated teachers are funded entirely by the state and no local school district dollars are used. The TIA funding formula prioritizes high needs and rural campuses. TIA designations are official for five years, but teachers seeking the Master designation can upgrade at any point in those five years.
Amarillo ISD TIA-Designated Teachers
AMARILLO HIGH
Master:
- Kathy Aufleger
- Julia Tittle
Exemplary:
Recognized:
- Teresa Allen
- Alex Barrera
AUSTIN MIDDLE
Recognized:
AVONDALE ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Melissa Duncan
- Ruden Padilla
Recognized:
BELMAR ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
BIVINS ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
BONHAM MIDDLE
Master:
Exemplary:
- Tamara Bell
- Allison Gonzales
Recognized:
- Becky Mills
- Erin Richardson-Smith
BOWIE MIDDLE
Master:
Exemplary:
- Priscilla Bacerra
- Krisha Paredes
- Seth Trammell
Recognized:
BOWIE 6th GRADE CAMPUS
Exemplary:
CAPROCK HIGH
Exemplary:
- Brandi Bouasenesouk
- William McCutcheon
Recognized:
- Matthew Matuza
- Michael Naylor
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER ELEMENTARY ACADEMY
Recognized:
- Ronnie Hamilton
- Kimberley Kingham
- Antonion Lora
CORONA DO ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
CROCKETT ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Katie Clark
- Edith Hurley
- McKenna Olson
- Troy Pekrul
- Christal Rodriguez
- James Stayton
Recognized:
- Deann Backus
- Jason Brice
- Jessica Hibbs
- Tara Hornecker
- Bonnie Williams
EASTRIDGE ELEMENTARY
Master:
Exemplary:
EMERSON ELEMENTARY
Master:
Exemplary:
FOREST HILL ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Linsey Beggs
- Zehidy Saucedo Rascon
GLENWOOD ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Trinidad Contreras
- Josephine Valdez
HAMLET ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
HOUSTON MIDDLE
Master:
- Jamey Hays
- Seana Strand
- Kirsten Taylor
Recognized:
- Ericka Colon Houze
- Jorge Garcia Sauzameda
- Todd Munkres
- Charis Sanchez
- Jade Welch
HUMPHREY’S HIGHLAND ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Randi Lunsford
- Elizabeth Preston
LAMAR ELEMENTARY
Master:
LANDERGIN ELEMENTARY
Master:
Exemplary:
Recognized:
- Anna Knobloch
- Elizabeth Neugebauer
LORENZO DE ZAVALA MIDDLE
Master:
MANN MIDDLE
Master:
- Katrina Alexander
- Jennifer Foster
- Dominique Hamilton
Exemplary:
- Jill Cocroft
- Billie Hudson
- Larry Owen
Recognized:
MESA VERDE ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
OAK DALE ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
OLSEN PARK ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
PALO DURO HIGH
Master:
- Jonna Alexander
- Robin Hinnant
Exemplary:
- Dyana Greer
- Celeste Lambright
PARAMOUNT TERRACE ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Carissa Arias
- Celia Camacho
- Kathleen Rodriguez
- Craig Traves
PLEASANT VALLEY ELEMENTARY
Master:
Exemplary:
PUCKETT ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Amy Belcher
- Michele Koelzer
RIDGECREST ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Alessa Keaton
- Adriana Silva
SAN JACINTO ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Janet Brown
- Carrie Wichers
SANBORN ELEMENTARY
Master:
Exemplary:
SLEEPY HOLLOW ELEMENTARY
Master:
Recognized:
SOUTH GEORGIA ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
SUNRISE ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Maria Frescas
- Edward Jenkins
Recognized:
TASCOSA HIGH
Recognized:
- Jessica Grider
- Cale Maxfield
- Staci Mennartz
- Citlaly Soto
TRADEWIND ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
TRAVIS MIDDLE
Master:
WESTERN PLATEAU ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Heather Stringer
- Tayler Williams
WHITTIER ELEMENTARY
Recognized:
- Lisa Morgan
- Nelda Rodriguez
WILLS ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
Recognized:
- Mayra Gomez Garcia
- Victoria Plasencio
WINDSOR ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
WOLFLIN ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
Recognized:
WOODLANDS ELEMENTARY
Exemplary:
- Kristi Green
- Kelly Wilson
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