Compare State Teacher Policy Data

Alabama

Alabama sets a separate salary schedule for teachers who participate in the Teacher Excellence and Accountability for Mathematics and Science (TEAMS) program. Additionally, the state requires the Alabama Commission on Higher Education to implement a tuition grant program for certified teachers who add math, science, computer education, or other critical needs areas to their certificates. Such reimbursement may not exceed $5,000 per year.

Alaska

In a letter from the State's Education Commissioner to local superintendents, "scholarships, bonuses or other financial incentives for principals and teachers in hard to fill positions" are part of "allowable uses" for ESSER funds, and indicates that districts can "provide bonuses to address pandemic-related recruitment and retention challenges."

Arizona

None

Arkansas

The state has established a Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Fund, whereby licensed math and science teachers teaching STEM subjects in K-12 may apply for a supplemental grant; however, this is not currently being funded.

California

Encourages employers to "provide incentives to teachers for accepting teaching assignments in areas of highest need". In addition, through the Local Solutions to the Shortage of Special Education Teachers grant, California districts may use award funds to provide sign-in bonuses, loan repayment funds, living stipends, among other incentives, to newly credentialed special education teachers. From ESSER plan, a $15 million one-time fund is designated to support teachers in completing coursework to receive state certification to teach computer science.

Colorado

Loan forgiveness available for those teaching a content shortage area.

Connecticut

None; mortgage assistance for the purchase of a principal residence

Delaware

High Needs Educator Student Loan Payment Program: Teachers must have received a rating of at least "effective" on their most recent evaluation; awards must be at least $1,000 and may not exceed $2,000.

District of Columbia

Allows increased rates of pay above the minimum for categories of positions where it is extremely difficult to recruit at the minimum step rate of a salary schedule.

Florida

Must provide salary supplements for "certification and teaching in critical teacher shortage areas," which includes high-need content areas.

Georgia

Secondary math or science teachers are moved to the salary step on the state salary schedule that is applicable to six years of creditable service. Teachers at/above such step are attributed one additional year of creditable service for each year for five years. Elementary teachers who earn endorsements in math and science receive annual $1,000 stipends for up to five years. Teachers who meet or exceed student achievement criteria may continue to receive incentives.

Hawaii

Hawaii provides additional compensation for teachers teaching special education and Hawaiian language immersion programs.

Idaho

None

Illinois

None

Indiana

Districts may provide a supplemental payment to teachers in excess of the salary specified in the compensation plan if they teach special education, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.

Iowa

None

Kansas

None

Kentucky

Teachers can earn additional compensation by teaching certain subjects. The state treasury has established a professional compensation fund to provide grants to districts using such programs. However, this is not currently being funded.

Louisiana

As part of the Critical Teacher Shortage Incentive Program, new teachers may earn $3,000 per year for the first four consecutive years of teaching. However, program is not currently being funded. Included in the state's ESSER plan is the Achieve! Compensation Guidance, which provides school systems with role- and demand-based compensation examples.

Maine

None

Maryland

Tuition reimbursement for retraining in the areas of math and science for those teaching at least two years following certification; a per diem stipend for those enrolled in an alternative teacher preparation program agreeing to teach math, science or special education for at least three years. However, this second program has never been funded.

Massachusetts

None

Michigan

None

Minnesota

Teachers in districts that participate in Q Comp are eligible for a stipend; amount not specified. The state's ESSER plan references a Teacher Shortage Loan Repayment program to work in shortage areas or rural schools.

Mississippi

Loan forgiveness: Teachers with 1-3 years of experience will be awarded between $4,000-$6,000 in loan repayment funds.

Missouri

None

Montana

Loan forgiveness,from $3,000 to $5,000 for a maximum of four years, depending on the number of years teaching at an impacted school.

Nebraska

Loan forgiveness, up to $6,000 annually

Nevada

None

New Hampshire

None

New Jersey

None

New Mexico

New Mexico does offer a loan forgiveness program. The Teacher Loan for Service program requires teachers to work in a shortage area that is "either geographic or discipline specific."

New York

Eligible for an annual award of $3,400, renewable each year for three additional years, per the Teachers of Tomorrow Teacher Recruitment and Retention Program. The Teachers of Tomorrow Science, Mathematics, Bilingual Education and English as New Language Tuition Reimbursement Program offers tuition reimbursement for teaching these subjects in a low-performing school. The Math and Science Teaching Incentive program offers loan payment/tuition reimbursement for up to four years for students pursuing teaching degrees in math and science.

North Carolina

Highly qualified teaching graduates (GPA of at least 3.75 and an edTPA score of 48 or higher) who teach in the areas of special education, science, technology, engineering, or math offered a salary supplement during first two years of employment equivalent to two years of experience. The state's Teaching Fellows program offers loan forgiveness for those enrolled in educator preparation programs in STEM or special education fields. Forgivable loans of up to $4,125 per semester are available to eligible applicants.
Additionally, districts have been given flexibility in identifying and implementing intervention programs to allocate ESSER funds in order to address the pandemic learning loss via teacher retention and recuirtment strategies, among other evidence-based interventions.

North Dakota

None

Ohio

Incentives for teachers to teach shortage areas. Not currently implemented or funded. Ohio also encourages municipal school districts to provide additional compensation for "teaching in a grade level or subject area in which the board has determined there is a shortage..."

Oklahoma

Districts are "encouraged to provide compensation schedules to reflect district policies and circumstances, including differential pay for different subject areas." Loan forgiveness is also available for teachers of math, science or other critical-needs areas.

Oregon

None

Pennsylvania

The state offers the Scholars in Education and Loan Forgiveness program. Recipients teach that teach math and science are eligible to receive up to $5,000 per academic year. However it's unclear if it's currently funded.

Rhode Island

None

South Carolina

Loan forgiveness (SC Teacher Loan Program) and a conditional scholarship program. The Rural Recruitment Initiative (RRI) is designed to assist underserved LEAs with excessive turnover rates in recruiting and retaining teachers. Funding received by districts have been used for recruitment and retention incentives, salary supplements for critical needs areas, and salary supplements and professional development for beginning teacher mentors.

South Dakota

Dakota Corps Scholarship Program provides full tuition and reimbursement to selected qualified applicants who promise to enter a "critical need occupation."

Tennessee

Each district must implement a differentiated pay plan, which may include pay based on hard-to-staff subjects or schools, criteria for which is determined at the local level.

Texas

Texas offers a number of loan repayment assistance programs available for teachers in shortage areas.
Teach for Texas Loan Repayment Assistance program—eligible teachers can receive up to $2,500 for teachers teaching in shortage areas.
Math and Science Scholars Loan Repayment program—teachers must teach in the subject area for a total of eight years.
Classroom Teacher Repayment Assistance—eligible teachers provide instruction in "an area or field of acute teacher shortage." However, it's unclear whether the Classroom Teacher Repayment Assistance program is currently funded.

Utah

Up to an annual salary supplement of $4,100 plus employer-paid benefits, for teachers of secondary math, integrated science (grades 7 and 8), chemistry, physics, computer science, special education, or deaf education.

Vermont

Loan forgiveness; however, program is not currently funded.

Virginia

Incentives for experienced middle school math teachers; competitive grants. Teaching Scholarship Loan Program provides financial support to those interested in pursuing a teaching career in one of the top five critical shortage teaching areas. ESSER funding was appropriated to support recruitment efforts for LEAs hiring to fill instructional positions between August 15, 2021, and November 15, 2021. Priority for distribution given to school divisions experiencing the most acute difficulties in recruiting qualified teachers, defined for this initiative as the overall free and reduced lunch rate of greater than 40 percent (2019-2020 eligibility data will be used). An eligible teacher will receive an incentive award of $5,000 for a hard-to-staff position.

Washington

Washington allows districts to pay teachers an additional 10% for teaching in STEM subjects, bilingual instruction or special education. Washington also has multiple loan forgiveness programs for teaching in shortage areas.

West Virginia

Math and special education teachers are considered to have three additional years of experience on the salary schedule; state explicitly allows districts to further compensate teachers who teach shortage subjects. Loan forgiveness: up to $3,000 annually, with an overall cap of $15,000.

Wisconsin

The state does offer the Minority Teacher Loan. The state grants loans to students enrolled in a preparation program in a shortage area who also agree to teach in Milwaukee after completing their programs. For each year that the student meets the requirement, 25% of the loan is forgiven.

Wyoming

Wyoming does offer a loan program for students pursuing certification in special education, math, science, or foreign languages. Up to 50% of the loan can be forgiven working for two years in the certification areas listed.