‘We Teach Texas’ calls on Texans to become teachers
By John Sharp
Chancellor of The Texas A&M University System
Kudos to Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick and Speaker Dennis Bonnen for making teachers the top priority this legislative session.
Teachers work hard every day to make a difference. They positively impact the future, and they deserve our support. Giving them all a raise is a good start.
I certainly hope it will encourage more young Texans to consider becoming teachers — and help keep more experienced teachers in the classroom — because Texas faces a teacher shortage.
Data from the Texas Education Agency shows Texas faces an increasingly tight supply of teachers. Since 2009, K through 12 student enrollment is up by 14 percent, while the number of teachers has risen by less than 9 percent. Meanwhile,, Texas has seen a 14 percent drop in the number of initial teacher certifications in the past decade.
We’re trying to turn those numbers around at The Texas A&M University System with We Teach Texas, a system-wide campaign to focus attention on our 11 education colleges across the state and encourage more Texans who care to become teachers.
The 11 education colleges in The Texas A&M University System graduate more fully certified teachers than any other public university system in Texas. We’re also No. 1 in producing certified teachers in mathematics, as well as bilingual and special education.
Simply put, we teach Texas. If you are interested in becoming a teacher, we are committed to your success. The need for a diverse teaching force has never been more critical than it is today.
Prairie View A&M’s Whitlow R. Green College of Education was established by the 16th Texas Legislature specifically for the training of African American teachers. Prairie View A&M prides itself on the impact that its graduates have made to multi-cultural students across the nation.
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Prairie View A&M has a legacy of preparing and cultivating educators who have a similar cultural background as the students that they serve. Using state-of-the-art tools and innovative techniques, Prairie View’s teacher preparation program specializes in developing resilient educators who are committed to improving outcomes in communities that are historically underserved.
The Texas A&M University System has been providing highly qualified teachers for Texas Schools for more than 100 years by encouraging consideration of teaching careers, growing the highest quality teacher and leadership programs and providing ongoing quality support to boost retention in the field.
The need for dedicated teachers from all ethnic backgrounds across the state is constantly growing.
Teachers are on the frontlines of building our economy, and they are enablers of young people who want to see their dreams come true. We take our charge to prepare them for the classroom on Day One seriously.
To learn more about becoming a teacher, visit www.WeTeachTexas.com.
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About The Texas A&M University System
The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.7 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 153,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $996 million in FY 2017 and helped drive the state’s economy.