La Joya ISD Expands Strategic Compensation to Reward Excellence, Strengthen Leadership and Invest in Educators
La Joya ISD is putting its Achieving Excellence Together 2030 Strategic Plan into action by continuing to invest in the educators and campus leaders who directly influence student success.
As part of Priority #1: Excellence in Leadership, La Joya ISD is expanding its strategic compensation work to recognize effectiveness, strengthen recruitment and retention, develop strong leaders, and create greater opportunities for employees to be rewarded for the impact of their work.
The district’s strategic compensation approach is designed to:
Recognize and reward highly effective educators and leaders.
Connect compensation with effectiveness and student outcomes.
Strengthen recruitment and retention of high-performing employees.
Create opportunities for professional growth and increased compensation.
The district’s approach builds on the success of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) and continues through the Principal Excellence Initiative (PEI), creating a long-term system that connects compensation with effectiveness, student outcomes and district priorities.
“Excellence in Leadership means having highly effective people in every classroom, on every campus and throughout our organization,” said Dr. Marcey Sorensen, Superintendent of Schools. “Our Strategic Plan calls on us to recruit, develop, support and retain exceptional educators and leaders. Strategic compensation is one way we are turning that commitment into action by recognizing results through increased compensation, creating opportunities for professional growth, and investing in the people who are moving student achievement forward.”
The impact is already visible in teacher compensation. In 2025–2026, 12 La Joya ISD teachers earned more than $100,000 in annual compensation, while another 54 teachers earned more than $90,000, representing elementary, middle and high schools across the district.
The Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) has created additional opportunities for teachers to increase their compensation while helping the district retain effective educators:
$7.7 million in additional teacher compensation through Teacher Incentive Allotment Program over two years: Teachers earned approximately $4.6 million in 2026 and $3.1 million in 2025.
Higher retention among designated teachers: La Joya ISD reported an 88 percent retention rate among TIA-designated teachers, compared with 76 percent among non-designated teachers.
More teachers have an opportunity to participate: The district expanded TIA eligibility through 78 additional courses, bringing approximately 95 percent of teachers in TIA-eligible teaching categories into the opportunity. The expansion includes 24 Career and Technical Education courses, 24 Fine Arts courses, 25 core content courses and five Advanced Placement courses.
“Strategic compensation gives us another way to recognize the impact our employees have on student achievement while strengthening our ability to recruit, develop and retain highly effective educators and leaders,” said Patrick Smith, Deputy Chief of Human Capital & Talent Development. “Our goal is to create meaningful opportunities for employees across La Joya ISD to grow professionally and be recognized for the results they help produce for students.”
Building on that work, La Joya ISD is extending its strategic compensation approach beyond the classroom and into campus leadership through the Principal Excellence Initiative (PEI).
PEI applies the same focus on effectiveness and student outcomes to principals, recognizing that strong campus leadership plays a critical role in supporting teachers, strengthening instruction and improving student achievement.
How PEI Works
Student success comes first: 50 percent of a principal’s score is based on student academic growth and achievement.
Leadership and instruction matter: Principals are also evaluated on leadership effectiveness, the La Joya Instructional Framework and operational effectiveness.
90 percent of the overall score focuses on students and instruction.
Performance determines the rating: Principals can earn ratings ranging from Progressing to Master based on overall effectiveness.
63 percent earned Proficient or higher in Year One: 17 of 27 principals reached this level.
Pay is tied to effectiveness: Principal compensation can range from $80,000 to $155,000, based on effectiveness and campus level.
2026–2027 is a transition year: Principal salaries may increase but will not decrease as the district transitions to the new model.
Full implementation begins in 2027–2028: Compensation will be based on a two-year average of effectiveness ratings, rather than simply years of service.
PEI is the next step in expanding strategic compensation to additional employee groups. Framework development for assistant principals is underway during 2026–2027, followed by a hold harmless year in 2027–2028 and full implementation in 2028–2029. Framework development for teachers and counselors also begins this school year, with full implementation planned for 2029–2030.
“This is about building a culture where excellence is recognized at every level of our organization,” Dr. Sorensen added. “When we recruit great people, develop their talents, recognize strong performance through improved compensation models and higher pay, and retain them in La Joya ISD, our students are the ones who ultimately benefit. That is how we continue moving toward our North Star Goal and ensuring educational excellence is the right of every student.”