HISD introduces new pay for performance model for teachers

HOUSTON - Houston Independent School District has introduced their new Pay For Performance (PFP) compensation plan for the next school year.

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This new plan would tie teachers' pay to their primacy on student success.

Superintendent Mike Miles and Chief of Schools Sandi Massey sat down to share more information about this new model.

Board approved TES system

What they're saying:

Houston ISD teachers will be evaluated on the Teacher Excellence System, which was approved at the last board meeting.

The categories include 45% quality of instruction, 35% student achievement, 15% planning and professionalism, and 5% campus action plan.

"HISD is making the fundamental choice to tie compensation to teacher effectiveness and not years of experience."

New HISD compensation plan

What we know:

Next year, HISD will use the TES evaluation system.

New Education System schools use hospital models, which differentiate pay by subject. For example, language arts would earn more than teachers who teach electives.

For next year, HISD will be evaluating educators using the TES evaluation at the end of the year and use those scores and pay them under the new PFP system.

Non-NES campus teachers will receive a base salary starting at $70,000, if they meet a Progressing I rating. Their salary increases if their rating is higher, with the highest salary going up to $92,000 for Exemplary 1 rating.

If an educator drops in evaluation, they won’t drop in salary.

Teachers who teach non-core classes at an NES school, according to the HISD model, will make an extra $3,000 in addition to their base salary depending on their TES effectiveness rating..

Core class educators at NES campuses would make an additional $9,000, on top of whatever their base salary is depending on their effectiveness rating.

2026 HISD compensation

For the 2026-27 school year, teachers coming into the district brand new or without previous teaching experience will have a salary set.

If a teacher has less than three years of experience or if they're not certified, they will begin at Progressing I base salary of $70,000.

New teachers at Houston ISD with at least three full years of experience will start at Progessing II base salary of $74,000.