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Regional Spotlight » Westwood ISD Match Day

Westwood ISD Match Day

Group of teachers and staff pose with students holding acceptance letters at a Panther-themed event.

Published May 8, 2025

Texas Strategic Staffing (TSS) is a TEA initiative designed to address educator shortages and enhance teacher preparation through sustainable, paid teacher residency programs. The program supports school districts and Educator Preparation Programs (EPPs) in creating year-long, financially supported residencies that integrate residents into instructional roles while they complete their certification.

TSS Two-Year Process:​

  1. Design Year: Districts and EPPs collaborate to develop a residency model, reallocating district funds to provide stipends for residents.
  2. Implementation Year: Residents engage in instructional roles, such as substitutes, paraprofessionals, tutors, or co-teachers, while receiving mentorship and completing their certification.​

TSS Goals: 

  • Address students' learning acceleration needs through high-quality teacher residencies.
  • Provide equitable educational access via a key teacher pipeline strategy.
  • Ensure equitable access to quality preparation to retain a diverse teacher population.
  • Prioritize long-term teacher effectiveness through rigorous pre-service practice.
  • Recruit, select, train, and continuously develop high-quality mentor teachers.
  • Support districts to sustainably fund teacher residencies through resource reallocation. ​

Benefits:

Short-Term:

  • Residents fulfill immediate instructional needs, such as tutoring or co-teaching.
  • Mentor teachers receive support, reducing workload and enhancing instruction.​

Long-Term:

  • Residents are prepared for effective teaching, increasing retention rates.
  • Districts develop a sustainable teacher pipeline, reducing hiring challenges.
  • Students benefit from consistent, high-quality instruction.

Westwood ISD and Lufkin ISD, partnering with Stephen F. Austin State University, just completed the Design Year. Both districts received the 24-26 TSS grant and have worked this past year to design a sustainable residency program for their districts. 

Westwood had a goal of hiring six residents for the 25-26 school year (Implementation Year). On May 2nd, the district held their first Match Day. Residents were introduced to the campus, discovered who their host teacher would be, and signed their contracts with the school board president. An exciting day for all!