Growing Our Own: How Waco ISD is Tackling the Teacher Shortage from Within
- Prosper Waco
- Jun 2
- 4 min read
With strategic investment and community collaboration, Waco ISD is transforming teacher recruitment, retention, and student success.

In classrooms across the country, school leaders are confronting a growing challenge: the teacher shortage. But in Waco, school districts are responding with ambitious, sustainable solutions—growing their own educators from within the community.
A shining example? Waco ISD is building a multi-tiered, long-term teacher pipeline that begins with high school students and reaches across the district’s entire system. This collaborative model is not only filling empty positions—it’s transforming how the district recruits, trains, and retains high-quality educators, and it's already showing results in student learning and staff morale.
Strategic Investment with Local Impact
To support some of those strategies, Prosper Waco secured grant funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and has been able to award over $400,000 each in recent years to both Waco ISD and La Vega ISD to support their ongoing efforts to address the teacher shortage. The most recent $100,000 checks represent the latest installment of what now totals over $1.2 million invested over the past five years—not just in the two school districts, but also in McLennan Community College, Tarleton State University–Waco, and Texas Tech University at Waco.
The goal? To build accessible, high-quality, and sustainable pathways into the teaching profession—right here in Waco.
“We know that the key indicator of student success is having high-quality teachers in the classroom,” said Prosper Waco CEO Jessica Attas. “Prosper Waco is proud to pass through these dollars from the Gates Foundation to help support efforts to recruit and retain those high-quality classroom teachers in order to provide every student with access to exceptional instruction and improve outcomes for all learners in our community.”
Building a Homegrown Teacher Pipeline
At West Avenue Elementary, Principal Bonnie Trammell has witnessed firsthand the impact of these investments. “The goal within Waco ISD is to build capacity within our system so that we create a teacher pipeline,” Trammell explained.
Through initiatives like “grow our own”, high school students can graduate with an associate’s degree and a clear path toward a bachelor’s degree in education—often completed within two years at one of the local universities. This pipeline not only fast-tracks future teachers but also addresses financial barriers and keeps talent rooted in the community.
“We’re getting kids excited about this profession before they even leave high school,” Trammell said. “They’re committed early and many return to teach in the same schools they once attended. That connection to community is powerful—it means they’re starting their careers with a deeper understanding of the families and students they serve.”
Waco ISD also targets adult learners already working in schools. Through district initiatives like the REACH Associate program, paraprofessionals are supported in becoming certified teachers. Many of these staff members receive tuition assistance to complete coursework at MCC and move into teaching roles without leaving the community—or their current jobs.
This approach has become more urgent as the state grapples with teacher retention challenges. In 2023, 25.4% of Texas teachers left the profession, a 5% increase from 2020. In Waco ISD and nearby districts, the number of new hires entering classrooms without certification or on emergency permits rose dramatically—from just 3.4% in 2021 to 34.7% in 2024.
Against this backdrop, Waco ISD’s “grow our own” strategy is not just innovative—it’s essential.
Waco ISD Superintendent Dr. Tiffany Spicer, who stepped into the role in October 2024 with more than two decades in public education, is a passionate advocate for the approach. “Even early on in my teaching career, I knew I wanted to serve in an administrative role—I wanted to teach leaders, specifically teachers,” Spicer said. “My belief is if we can affect a positive influence on and truly invest in our teachers that it has a direct and powerful impact on students, their families, and ultimately the entire community.”
Retaining Great Educators Through Opportunity
But attracting new educators is only half the battle. Trammell emphasizes the importance of retention: “We’re providing leadership opportunities that allow great teachers to stay in the classroom while expanding their impact,” she said.
Through instructional coaching roles and stipends supported by models funded through grants with partners like Prosper Waco, experienced educators take on additional responsibilities, mentoring peers and helping guide schoolwide instruction—without giving up their teaching position.
This dual role has created new energy and deeper collaboration among teachers. “There’s something powerful that happens when someone who is in your shoes every day is the one coaching you,” Trammell noted. “It has changed the morale and the mindset around professional growth. Teachers are now asking for feedback—they’re seeking coaching because it feels relevant and respectful.”
Impact and Outcomes: Support in Every Classroom
The results are tangible. West Avenue Elementary saw significant academic gains after implementing this peer coaching model. “Previously, we had to prioritize support for our teachers who weren’t yet proficient, which meant our proficient teachers often didn’t receive the coaching and support they needed to become accomplished and distinguished in their craft,” Trammell said. “Now, there is equitable learning for both, every adult and every student, because our student experience and learning outcomes improve when we are able to consistently build teacher capacity in an aligned fashion.”
That consistency has translated into measurable improvement. “Our campus moved up two letter grades after expanding our instructional leadership team with these dual-role positions and stipends,” she added. “There were many contributing factors, but if I had to name one game-changing impact—it was that.”
A Future Built from Within
Ultimately, the teacher shortage has forced school districts to think more like businesses: developing talent pipelines, investing in training, and building leadership from within. “I think for years in education, we didn’t have to think that way because there wasn’t a shortage,” Trammell said. “But post-COVID, that’s changed. And a lot of the trainings I’ve participated in recently were actually based on business models.”
Fortunately, with support from Prosper Waco and education partners and funders across the city, Waco ISD is well-positioned to meet the challenge.
“Funding support from partners like Prosper Waco has been essential,” Trammell said. “It allows us to increase the number of teachers trained in high-quality programs, support residency models, attract students early, and make pathways into the profession more accessible. All four priorities are playing out right here at our West Avenue Elementary campus and across the district.”
Through this collaborative, community-driven approach, Waco ISD is proving that the future of education doesn’t have to depend on outside talent—it can be built from within. One student, one paraprofessional, one classroom at a time.
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