By Arman Sidhu
Teacher Appreciation Week is a chance to celebrate the important work of educators, but real appreciation happens through policy. Across the country, state leaders are making critical decisions and investments that will shape the future of the teaching profession.
So far in 2025, several states stood out for their leadership elevating the teaching profession through four high-impact policies:
These efforts show that improving the profession requires commitment to evidence-based policies that develop, recruit and retain great teachers. This Teacher Appreciation Week, we are highlighting the actions taken in Alabama, Texas, Arizona and North Carolina to strengthen the educator workforce and better serve students.
Alabama’s teachers will soon have access to a critical benefit that improves teacher retention and supports student learning: paid parental leave.
In April 2025, Gov. Kay Ivey signed the Alabama Public Employee Paid Parental Leave Act into law. The policy provides eligible public education employees with job-protected, paid leave following the birth, adoption, stillbirth or miscarriage of a child. Under the law:
The law goes into effect July 1, 2025, and includes a return-to-work provision to ensure workforce stability. Lawmakers are also working through the state budget, which includes a proposed $9.6 million to reimburse school districts for each day of approved leave under the Paid Parental Leave Act, helping ensure sustainable implementation.
This legislation fulfills a key promise from Gov. Ivey’s 2025 State of the State Address and reflects recommendations from the Governor’s Study Group on Efficiency in State Government. It also passed with broad bipartisan support.
Paid family leave is a critical tool to ensure teachers have the support they need to stay in the classroom as their lives outside change and evolve. Not only does it support educators’ well-being, but it can increase retention, reduce costly turnovers and create more stable, successful classrooms for students.
Alabama’s approach demonstrates an evidence-based strategy that supports teachers, students and schools. Through this policy, Alabama affirms the dignity of the teaching profession and invests in a stronger educator workforce that will continue to have a positive impact on students. For additional policy examples, ExcelinEd’s Paid Parental and Family Leave model policy, outlines a practical framework for providing paid leave to school employees during life-changing events.
Texas continues to lead the nation in advancing performance-based pay with its Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA), a program that rewards classroom excellence while addressing staffing needs in high-need schools and creates a pathway for teachers to earn six-figure salaries.
Launched in 2019, the TIA program provides up to $32,000 state-funded salary supplements to teachers based on classroom effectiveness, student growth and school characteristics. The program retains and incentivizes top-performing educators to work in the classrooms where they are needed most. Since the program’s launch, more than 25,000 teachers are on a path to earn over $100,000 a year.
In 2025, the Texas Legislature introduced House Bill 2 (HB2), a comprehensive education bill that includes major enhancements to the TIA program. If passed, HB2 would:
Texas continues to invest in what works and set the bar for impactful compensation. HB2 reinforces the state’s belief that great teaching should be recognized and rewarded. By strengthening TIA, the Legislature is providing a model for how other states can build scalable, performance-based systems that attract, retain and elevate talented educators where they are needed most.
Arizona is taking a data-driven approach to addressing teacher shortages and improving workforce planning. If passed, House Bill 2020, would direct the Arizona Department of Education to create a comprehensive Educator Supply and Demand Dashboard.
This publicly accessible tool would provide timely, actionable insights into the educator workforce. The dashboard is designed to track and report data across several key areas, including:
If passed, HB 2020 would equip Arizona’s schools, districts and policymakers with reliable and transparent data to inform decisions and workforce strategies. A high-quality dashboard gives policymakers the tools to strengthen educator pipelines and target resources where they will have the greatest impact. To explore more dashboard policy examples, see ExcelinEd’s Educator Supply and Demand Dashboard model policy, which empowers decision-makers with timely, transparent data to strengthen teacher pipelines and workforce strategies.
North Carolina is building on the success of a model that strengthens instructional leadership while keeping top educators in the classroom. The state’s Advanced Teaching Roles (ATR) program gives highly effective teachers the opportunity to take on increased leadership and responsibility while staying in the classroom and earning increased pay.
A proposal introduced in 2025, Senate Bill 506, would expand the reach of this model by increasing funding for both salary supplements and program implementation.
The legislation calls for:
With this continued investment, more schools, teachers and students in North Carolina could benefit from this strategy. ATR has already shown promise in improving student outcomes in participating districts. To build on this momentum, lawmakers have also introduced SB 508, which proposes expanding on ATR with registered teacher apprenticeships, offering aspiring teachers structured, on-the-job training alongside skilled mentor educators currently recognized through ATR.
For a similar approach, ExcelinEd’s Advanced Teaching Incentive model policy incorporates ATR’s system of tiered licensure designations that offer meaningful career advancement opportunities for effective teachers and incentives designated teachers to work where they needed most.
As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, the strongest show of gratitude comes through bold and lasting policy.
Alabama, Texas, Arizona and North Carolina are demonstrating that it is possible to support teachers through action, not just words. Each state is advancing solutions that directly respond to the needs of today’s educator workforce.
Paid parental leave in Alabama recognizes the importance of teacher well-being to student success. Texas is strengthening performance-based pay to retain top talent where it is needed most. Arizona is building data systems that will inform better workforce planning. North Carolina is scaling a model that keeps great teachers in the classroom while expanding their impact.
These policies reflect a commitment to the teaching profession as a cornerstone of student success. ExcelinEd in Action applauds these states and stands ready to help others follow their example.
