Austin Independent School District in Texas announced a partnership with Upbeat, an innovative teacher retention organization led by former teachers and school leaders.
AUSTIN, Texas, July 18, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Austin Independent School District (AISD) in Texas announced a partnership with Upbeat, an innovative teacher retention organization led by former teachers and school leaders. The district is taking several steps to strengthen teacher retention. Their current proposed budget is focused on elevating teacher pay alongside other initiatives, with the goal of becoming the highest paying district in Central Texas in the next two years.
In the district's 2020-2025 strategic plan, one of the district's values includes "Engaging our employees and inviting their collaboration to make AISD a great place to work," with Teacher & Employee Well-Being as a priority focus area. Upbeat collects data on well-being within their comprehensive survey examining 24 research-based categories.
"Our teachers have been faced with a variety of challenges over the last few years and have continued to educate and support students," Austin ISD Assistant Superintendent of Employee Development and Sustainability Brandi Hosack said. "It's important for us as a district to step back and understand how to best support and invest in our employees, to promote teacher well-being and create a thriving educator workforce."
The district will begin their first Upbeat survey administration this fall to 71 Title I schools, and Upbeat will provide the engagement data to the district two weeks after survey administration. After analyzing the staff engagement data, the district will meet and work with Upbeat's Program team to understand key insights and create action plans based on areas of strengths and growths from the engagement survey. Upbeat will then share the data with principals across the district and support each principal in taking next steps with the data to strategically support their teachers.
"Figuring out how to best support teachers is crucial for teacher retention," Upbeat Founder and CEO Henry Wellington said. "We're excited to partner with Austin ISD and help the district prioritize and focus on what teachers need most."
About Upbeat
Upbeat's unique approach empowers districts with fast data on teachers' opinions through surveys customized to examine the most pressing issues in its schools. The company then equips leaders as partners in implementing research-based strategies that address the identified challenges through tailored toolkits, intervention strategies, and actionable next steps for principals and superintendents.
Media Contact
Kate Chizek, Upbeat, 1 3197214877, [email protected]
SOURCE Upbeat
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