This story comes from our news partner, ABC13. For more on this story, click here.
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — Diana Moore was sitting at the dinner table with her son when she found out his algebra teacher was no longer teaching at the Houston Independent School District.
“My first reaction was disbelief,” Moore told 13 Investigates. “I worried for him. It makes me nervous about his success because stability is kind of important. I’ve never had that happen to me when I was going through school. I never had a teacher just not be there anymore.”
Her son, Gavin Moore, a seventh-grader at Pershing Middle School, said that even though he received a letter at the beginning of the school year telling him his algebra teacher does not have a teaching certification, it is still one of his favorite teachers.
“He had a way of teaching that was easy to understand, and he would definitely give as much help as he could,” the seventh-grader said.
But, just months into the school year, Moore’s beloved algebra teacher left.
“On his last day, we all took a photo with him, and we drew photos for him on the whiteboards,” Moore said. “I was sad like he was a good teacher.”
Moore’s teacher is among at least 78 uncertified teachers who left during the first half of the school year, according to data 13 Investigates obtained from HISD.
About 16% of Houston ISD’s 13,000 teachers are uncertified.
A handful of HISD’s 2,100 uncertified teachers had no experience in the classroom, including a restaurant server who became a reading teacher, a probation officer hired to teach middle school history, and a marketing manager who turned into a math teacher, according to job applications, the 13 Investigates team reviewed.
13 Investigates spoke with Moore’s teachers and other uncertified teachers who left just months into the job. They told us they left because expectations were constantly changing, leaving them feeling unprepared.
An HISD spokesperson told us in a statement that a recent survey of teachers found 95% of them plan to return to the district next year.
“HISD started the 2024-2025 school year with around 2,100 teachers working toward certification. As of mid-February, 91% of those teachers still worked at the district,” the district said in a statement.
That means about 190 uncertified teachers have left the school district so far this year.
Jacob Kirksey, an assistant professor in the College of Education at Texas Tech University, has researched uncertified teachers and found they are three times more likely to leave a school than someone certified.
Based on his research, Kirksey believes it’s extremely tough when someone is expected to lead and manage a classroom, create lesson plans, and collaborate with fellow teachers and school leaders and hasn’t seen any of that model.
“It’s hard to become a teacher. That first year is tough for anybody, and so imagine what that first year is going to be like when you’ve had no preparation leading up to it,” Kirskey said.
Kirksey said that the trend of uncertified teachers at HISD mirrors what’s happening across the state.
HISD admits while teaching is an important job, it is hard and might not be for everyone.
“HISD has increased both teacher pay and teacher support across the district. But, even with better pay, better support, and the chance to make a difference, teaching isn’t for everyone. While it sounds like the teacher you spoke to made a positive connection with some students, it’s a shame he chose to leave after only three months,” HISD said in a statement. “When teachers leave in the middle of the school year, it is disruptive to students, and HISD moved to fill the position as quickly as possible. HISD will continue to focus on providing teachers with great pay, high-quality curriculum, and consistent support.”
While the number of uncertified teachers leaving the district is small compared to the overall number of teachers, it’s enough for parents like Diana Moore to question the education their child is receiving.
She said she moved her son into public schools from private schools a few years ago to help widen his experiences. Now, she’s considering pulling him out of HISD.
“I want a teacher that’s invested. I’m a nurse. People become nurses or teachers because they want to make a better future and improve things and make things better for people,” Moore said. “Imagine how much he put up with or what they’re putting up with that would make them leave.”
