Alief Independent School District (ISD) is a diverse school system that serves 46,000 students on 43 campuses in southwest Houston. The children in Alief ISD come from a variety of cultural backgrounds; more than 60 languages are represented within the student body, making Alief ISD one of the most culturally diverse school systems in the state of Texas.

Alief ISD’s motto is "Preparing Students for Tomorrow. . .Caring for Them Today." In order to fulfill this motto, Alief ISD offers a variety of programs in English as a Second Language (ESL), bilingual education, special education, gifted/talented, career and technology education, and the arts.

Teaching in Alief ISD

Interested in being a part of caring for students and preparing them for the future? A number of positions are available for qualified teachers who are interested in making a difference in the lives of these young students.

New teachers in Alief ISD earn $43,000 per year. Teachers who specialize in particular areas can receive additional annual compensation. Because of the high population of Spanish speakers, certified Bilingual Teachers who teach bilingual classes earn an additional $3,500. Special education teachers can earn $2,000, while speech pathologists can earn between $1,000 and $3,000.

Under Texas state law, new teachers must undergo additional training during their first year in the classroom. Alief ISD has established a mentorship program that partners experienced teachers with new teachers. Mentors receive compensation for investing time in their new colleagues, helping them develop the tools they need to become successful teachers.

Teachers in Alief ISD have the unique opportunity to take graduate classes on Alief campuses through the University of St. Thomas. Teachers can take master’s-level language arts, reading, and mathematics teaching courses at the low rate of $150 per three hour class. The partnership with the University of St. Thomas also offers ESL training programs for Alief’s teachers. These graduate courses are useful for additional training and build credit toward a masters’ degree, which allows teachers to receive a higher salary.

Alief teachers can also take advantage of their school’s content specialists that provide extra training in core subjects and technology. These specialists work with teachers to help them incorporate new skills into the classroom. Teachers can also apply for mini-grants through the Alief ISD Education Foundation, which provides money for extra teaching supplies.

For more information about Alief ISD and the unique opportunities available for teachers, check out the school district’s website: http://www.alief.isd.tenet.edu/

Alternative Certification Programs

If you are interested in teaching in Alief ISD or any other Texas school system but do not have a teaching certificate, consider enrolling in an alternative certification program. Alternative certification programs allow individuals who have bachelor’s degrees in any subject to obtain teaching certificates without having to begin a traditional master’s program. One such program is the Web-Centric Alternative Certification program (WCACP), which allows future teachers to obtain a standard teaching certificate in the state of Texas.

This online program, complete with chat sessions and videoconferencing, prepares students for their one-year teaching internship required to complete the program. Because students can work through the modules at their own pace, some may choose to work more slowly and maintain a full time job, while others may complete the academic portion of the program in just a few months.

Candidates for the WCACP must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution and a 2.5 GPA. The cost of the entire program is a low $4,500 which includes all of the fees for the teaching internship.

WCACP is the perfect resource to prepare any future elementary, middle, or high school teacher to work in Alief ISD.