Aldine ISD Celebrates Teaching Excellence Through Teacher Incentive Allotment Program

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The district recognized both newly designated and advancing teachers at the event.

Aldine ISD celebrated hundreds of educators on May 28 at the 2026 Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) Celebration at the district’s Community Center.

Due to the large number of honorees this year, Aldine ISD’s Human Resources Department hosted two recognition sessions. The first honored high school and elementary school educators, while the second recognized middle school and primary/early childhood educators. Together, these sessions celebrated both newly designated teachers and educators advancing to higher TIA designation levels, highlighting the program’s growing impact.

Aldine ISD recognized 536 newly designated teachers or teachers who have moved up a designation: 85 at the Master level, 189 at the Exemplary level, and 262 at the Recognized level. As part of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program, $13 million will be distributed to Aldine ISD teachers this year. Since 2022, nearly $31 million has been distributed to teachers earning TIA designations.

The Teacher Incentive Allotment is a state program created to reward, retain, and recruit highly effective teachers. To maximize the program’s reach, Aldine ISD leaders have worked to make the opportunity available to nearly all teachers, including those in both tested and non-tested subjects.

The celebration began with remarks from Alisha Sewall, Aldine ISD performance management project analyst and TIA manager, who thanked district leaders and honorees while emphasizing that TIA centers on excellence in teaching.

Building on this theme, Sewall noted that Aldine ISD’s approach to TIA reflects the district’s belief that excellent teaching happens across all classrooms and content areas—from reading, math, science, and social studies to fine arts, physical education, career and technical education, bilingual education, special education, and early childhood.

“This celebration recognizes Teacher Incentive Allotment teachers for their dedication, instructional excellence, and impact on student achievement across Aldine ISD,” Sewall said.

Chief Human Resources Officer Marcia Herrera said the district’s inclusive approach is intentional.

Herrera shared that 98% of Aldine ISD teachers are eligible to apply for the TIA designation.

“All teachers are important,” Herrera said. “It doesn’t matter if you teach social studies or PE. Our students deserve the very best all day, from the first class to the last class of the day.”

Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney echoed this sense of pride as she addressed honorees, stating she was delighted to see so many Aldine ISD educators recognized that the district needed two events to celebrate them.

“Look around the room. Sheer brilliance and talent,” Dr. Goffney said, expressing pride in the honorees.

Goffney said the growth of Aldine ISD’s TIA program is a reflection of the district’s commitment to teacher excellence and student success.

“Excellence is at the center of our work,” Goffney said. “Because of you, students are reading on grade level. More students are gaining complex math concepts. More students are walking across the stage with more than a diploma — they are graduating with choices and opportunities.”

As she spoke those final words, many educators in the room joined her, repeating a phrase that has become familiar throughout Aldine ISD: “choices and opportunities.”

Returning to the larger narrative, Goffney explained that the work of TIA-designated teachers contributes to the district’s larger #AldineStory — one of growth, purpose, and collective impact.

“Our #AldineStory is written every day in classrooms across this district,” Goffney said. “It is written when teachers help students believe in themselves, when they accelerate growth, and when they open doors to choices and opportunities. This recognition is more than a bonus. It is a game-changer for teachers, for students, and for the future of Aldine ISD.”

Goffney also compared the work of educators to an orchestra, reminding honorees that even the strongest musician is more powerful when joined by every section.

“We cannot do this work alone or in silos,” Goffney said. “It takes all of us.”

She closed her remarks with the image of a lighthouse — a reminder that teachers guide students through challenges and help them find their way forward.

“You are the lighthouses for our students. Thank you for guiding students and choosing Aldine ISD,” Goffney said.

Adding another perspective, Kelechi Bradley, Aldine ISD executive director of data analytics and state reporting in human resources, said the program represents more than a designation system.

“TIA is more than a designation system,” Bradley said. “It is the hours, persistence, and belief you have that every student can succeed. This work is about purpose, legacy, and changing lives every day.”

To further illustrate TIA’s impact, Bradley shared reflections from Aldine ISD teachers about what TIA has meant to them personally and professionally. Several themes emerged: validation, intentional instruction, financial stability, student growth, and the pride of knowing their work is seen.

For some educators, the recognition affirmed the unseen hours they pour into planning, data analysis, small-group instruction, family communication, performances, competitions, and student support.

“Every lesson, every moment, every student connection counts,” said Jamila Nichols, a language arts teacher at Hambrick Middle School, in a reflection collected by Sewall.

For other educators, the benefits have gone beyond recognition. For them, TIA has helped them continue growing in the profession while staying connected to the classroom.

Kimberly Addison, a theater arts teacher at Nimitz High School who earned a Master designation, said TIA helps keep strong teachers where they can continue making a direct impact.

“What I appreciate most about TIA is that it finally creates a professional hierarchy that keeps talent inside the classroom,” Addison said in a video shown during the celebration. “Usually, the only way to get any type of significant raise in education is to leave students and move to administration. What happens with TIA is that it keeps Master teachers like myself inside the classroom and able to feel financially free while doing what I love, which is actually teaching kids.”

The celebration also spotlighted the journeys of teachers across different designation levels and teaching pathways, deepening the program’s narrative of wide-reaching success.

María E. Zúñiga, a CTE teacher at La Promesa who earned a Recognized designation, thanked her colleagues for their support and said she believes in every student’s potential. She shared that the recognition allows her to continue shaping the future of students who may become future educators.

Dr. Julius Christopher L. Gonzales, a math teacher at Aldine High School who earned an Exemplary designation, reflected on his journey as an international teacher and the professional growth that came with adapting to a new education system. He credited intentional instruction, student data, consistent effort, and Aldine ISD’s SHINE induction program with helping him support student success.

At each point in the program, Bradley asked teachers in the Recognized, Exemplary, and Master categories to stand and be applauded by their peers.

“The extra time matters,” Bradley said. “The extra work matters.”

Dr. Robin Williams, Aldine ISD executive director of performance management and development, closed the celebration by thanking teachers for choosing Aldine ISD and reminding them that their work creates more choices and opportunities for students.

“Because of you, all students have more choices and opportunities,” Williams said. “While you are on break, we will be working hard to ensure we can continue to celebrate with you next year.”

Beginning in fall 2026, Aldine ISD teachers will have another opportunity for recognition through the new Acknowledged designation, created by House Bill 2, which will expand TIA eligibility to educators in the top 50% statewide. The new designation joins the existing Recognized, Exemplary, and Master levels.

For Aldine ISD leaders, the continued growth of the TIA program reflects a larger commitment: investing in teachers so students benefit from excellent instruction in every classroom.

From 370 total TIA-designated teachers in the district’s first year to 1,085 today (including both newly designated and advancing teachers), Aldine ISD’s program continues to grow — and so does the impact of the educators behind it.

As Goffney told honorees, “Your success is our success.”