According to TEA, the number of teachers employed by Texas public schools grew to more than 380,000 last year. Additionally, both teacher attrition rates and the proportion of newly hired teachers without any type of Texas certification or permit have risen to historic highs.

In response, TEA is providing a limited reimbursement opportunity for all educator preparation programs (EPPs) certifying candidates in the approved shortage areas for the 2022-23 academic year. The Critical Shortage Area Certification Exam Reimbursement Opportunity will support over 10,000 teacher candidates and provide eligible EPPs the opportunity to receive reimbursements that cover the cost of teacher candidates’ certification exams in one of the federally designated critical shortage areas.

As of this writing, the opportunity to receive reimbursements for exam voucher purchases is only available through September 2023. Shortage areas approved by the U.S. Department of Education for 2022-23 are:

• Bilingual/English as a Second Language – Elementary and Secondary Levels
• Special Education – Elementary and Secondary Levels
• Career and Technical Education - Secondary Level
• Technology Applications and Computer Science – Elementary and Secondary Levels
• English Language Arts and Reading – Elementary and Secondary Levels
• Mathematics – Secondary Level
• Science – Secondary Level

If you are an EPP candidate in one of these shortage areas, contact your program or visit the TEA FAQ for more information.