57% of new teachers hired in Texas are unlicensed to teach, and in rural communities the rate is now 72%
(up from 17% just ten years ago)
REDEE Center
Founded in 2020, the Research for EDucator Equity & Excellence (REDEE, pronounced Ready) Center is housed at Texas State University. The REDEE Center consists of quantitative and qualitative researchers who are experts in teacher preparation, teacher employment environments and teacher persistence, teacher professional development, STEM education, literacy education, emergent bilingual education, and education policy. Our researchers collaboratively examine issues with an equity-focused lens with the goals of:
| Improving teacher preparation |
| Increasing the diversity and effectiveness of new teachers |
| Advancing P-12 student achievement |
| Informing state and federal policies and accountability |
| Improving the lives of teachers and students |
Unlicensed Unlicensed New Teachers Dominate Texas Hiring
Quitting Unlicensed teacher quit quickly
Over 50% of unlicensed new teachers quit teaching within three years, whereas only 20% of fully-trained new teachers quit within three years