March 20, 2026 — San Antonio Independent School District (SAISD) today launched the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE) initiative at three schools: Poe Middle School, Hot Wells Middle School, and Crockett Academy. In a historic move to recruit the state’s top instructional talent, SAISD is offering compensation packages that allow high-performing teachers to earn well over $100,000 annually.
The ACE model, which operates on the fundamental belief that the most skilled teachers should be matched with the students who face the greatest challenges, has already seen preliminary success in Texas.
“The implementation of the ACE model in our schools will transform students’ academic trajectories by ensuring they achieve more than a year of growth annually, positioning them for sustained success as they transition into high school,” said Dr. Shawn Bird, SAISD Deputy Superintendent of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership.
To offer the compensation package, SAISD is combining regionally competitive base salaries with a tiered stipend structure and the state’s Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) to reward excellence where it is needed most.
Under the new ACE framework, teachers can earn more than $50,000 in additional pay on top of their base salary through a combination of two powerful incentives:
1. ACE Strategic Stipends: Teachers are eligible to receive stipends ranging from $16,000 to $22,000, based on the subject taught; and
2. Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA): Designated teachers will receive an additional stipend according to the District’s spending plan, with a maximum allotment reaching $32,000.
CATEGORY ONE - STAAR TESTED: $22,000.00
CATEGORY TWO - NON STAAR, CORE: $19,000.00
CATEGORY THREE - NON-TESTED: $16,000.00
CATEGORY FOUR - STUDENT SUPPORT: $16,000.00
Beyond the paycheck, the ACE initiative is a structural overhaul of the campus experience. Key components for the three selected schools include:
• More Time for Learning: An additional 11 instructional days are added to the school year to accelerate academic recovery; and
• Specialized Professional Development: Intensive, data-driven coaching and daily planning blocks are scheduled for all staff.
Applications for the 2026-2027 ACE cohort are currently being accepted. Eligible educators are encouraged to apply via the SAISD Careers page at https://www.saisd.net/page/careers.