The district saw a 2% decrease in its attrition rate for the 2023-24 school year, said Alana Chisum, MISD assistant superintendent of human resources, during a staffing strategies update at an Oct. 28 meeting.
A closer look
In the 2022-23 school year, MISD’s attrition rate was 19.1%— lower than other Collin County school districts of similar size which had a rate of 20.8%. The district’s attrition rate was also lower than the state’s average rate of 21.4%.
“There is still much more work to be done ... to ensure we are keeping our highly qualified staff here in the district,” Chisum said.
The majority of MISD’s teachers have 11-20 years of teaching experience. The second largest experience group includes 21.4% of MISD teachers with one to five years of experience.
MISD’s Human Resources department has implemented initiatives for recruiting and retaining teachers, Chisum said.
The district issued 71 letters of intent to prospective teachers who attended a job fair in February. Of those who received letters, 49 are now current MISD employees, she said.
“We absolutely see this as a successful initiative,” Chisum said.
The student teacher program is another recruitment method, she said. The district had 28 future educators from nine universities join MISD for the fall semester.
“Our goal is to offer a great experience for these students so they want to stay in MISD,” Chisum said.
MISD received approval of the Texas Strategic Staffing Grant, which is a two year grant designed to provide financial assistance for future educators by helping the district pay for student teacher residencies, the presentation stated. The grant frees up money for the district to find a sustainable way to financially support the district’s staffing initiatives, Chisum said.
The grant is available for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school years.
Looking ahead
The district is creating a pathway for MISD employees wanting to become teachers.
Paraprofessionals will have an opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification through the Grown Your Own program. The district is finalizing a partnership for an alternative certification program with a university, Chisum said.
MISD is looking to open the application prior to winter break for the 2025-26 school year.
“This program is an incredible opportunity for the district to give back to the dedicated staff members that have worked on our campuses and supported our students,” Chisum said.
