The number of uncertified teachers increased dramatically as Fort Worth ISD began its first year after the state takeover.
FORT WORTH, Texas — Fort Worth ISD is starting its first year under state control with zero teacher vacancies; however, data shows that many of those formerly vacant positions were filled by uncertified teachers.
For the past five years, the number of uncertified teachers working at Fort Worth ISD has hovered around 40 to 50, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. This year, Fort Worth ISD will employ around 308 uncertified teachers as the school year begins, according to the district. That’s a 569% increase compared with the 2025-2026 school year.
This story continues below.
The district also had a teacher in every classroom on the first day of school, something the district has not been able to say for many years, according to Fort Worth ISD superintendent Peter Licata. Typically, Fort Worth ISD begins the school year with about 200 teacher vacancies, he added.
“We are actually in the plus category,” Licata said. “So we’re excited.”
All Fort Worth ISD teachers have a degree, Licata said, and are working to obtain their certification. Licata himself lacked a state certification when he started teaching decades ago, he added.
“We want everyone certified; kids deserve a certified teacher standing in front of them,” Licata said.
Licata and the district’s human resources department faced a major challenge over the summer. Over 1,000 Fort Worth ISD teachers left the district after the state took over, taking years of experience with them.
The state of Texas took over Fort Worth ISD in March 2026. Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath appointed a new board of managers and hired Licata to lead the district, WFAA previously reported. This action was triggered by a Fort Worth ISD school receiving a failing grade from the TEA for five years in a row.
Education advocates are concerned that overreliance on uncertified teachers results in students receiving instruction from inexperienced and underprepared teachers.
There are five requirements to become a certified teacher in the state of Texas. Educators must have a Bachelor’s degree, complete an approved educator preparation program, pass certification exams, submit a state application, and complete fingerprinting.
The $7.6 billion school finance package passed by the Texas legislature in 2025 has a provision banning school districts from employing uncertified teachers for core classes.
Districts can delay the implementation of this law by submitting an application outlining their plan to meet new teacher certification requirements by the 2029-2030 school year, according to the Texas Association of School Boards. However, starting this school year, districts are no longer allowed to hire uncertified teachers for K-5 reading and math positions.
“Almost 60% of the school districts in the entire state have that exemption, and I believe there are almost 40,000 teachers in the state of Texas that are uncertified; it doesn’t mean they’re unlicensed,” Licata said.