What is a District of Innovation?
Districts of Innovation are designated by the state, and the designation provides the district will be exempt from certain sections of the TEC (Texas Education Code) that inhibit the goals of the district as outlined in the locally adopted innovation plan.
Districts that have been designated as a district of innovation have allowable exemptions that include educator certification, teacher contracts and more.
What districts are included?
Currently there are about 962 Districts of Innovation in Texas. A full list can be located on the TEA website here.
How does DOI it affect our Interns?
Educator certification is one of the allowed exemption which allows candidates to get hired with a DOI district without holding an educator's license.
Many candidates going through our program will be able to find employment and get hired as a teacher of record without having completed requirements for an intern certificate.
Although they may get hired, the year(s) of teaching they complete at a district of innovation will not count toward their year of teaching on an intern certificate until they have qualified for an intern certificate and actively teach on it.
Interns currently teaching at a district of innovation will still need to complete their required pre-service (Phase I) before they are eligible for an intern certificate.