United ISD Hosts Inaugural TIA Summit: “Thrive in 2025 – Coaching for Excellence, Leading for Impact”
United ISD’s first-ever TIA Summit hit a home run with more than 300 educators coming together for a day of inspiration, collaboration, and professional development at United High School.
Organized by the district's Director of TIA Vania Magallanes and her dedicated team, the summit brought to life the theme — “Coaching for Excellence, Leading for Impact.” The event featured an engaging schedule filled with impactful breakout sessions, keynote speakers, and networking opportunities designed to elevate teacher performance and promote the benefits of the Teacher Incentive Allotment (TIA) program.
The day kicked off with motivating opening remarks from Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gerardo Cruz, Associate Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction Emma Leza, and TIA Designated Teacher Linda Ramon, all emphasizing the importance of retaining top-tier educators and growing a culture of excellence.
“The work we are doing here is outstanding, and I thank all of you for that,” said Dr. Cruz. “The TIA is the wave of the future. Compensatory salary benefits help us recruit, reward, and retain highly effective classroom teachers — and that’s how we build student success. Last year we gave out close to $3 million; my vision is to double that to $6 million next year. We want to be the premier school district when it comes to teacher allotment because we truly are in a league of our own.”
Throughout the summit, TIA-designated leaders, teachers, administrators, instructional coaches, and community partners participated in targeted sessions that delivered valuable insights into the TIA process. Educators were also given opportunities to meet with community partners, explore instructional resources, and deepen their understanding of how to pursue TIA designation.
“This is a huge step forward in recognizing and rewarding the incredible work our UISD educators do every single day,” said TIA Director Vania Magallanes. “We’re excited to announce that UISD’s 2025–2026 TIA expansion application has been accepted by the Texas Education Agency. This means over 1,600 additional teachers will now be eligible for TIA designations — and that’s a game-changer.”
Eligible teachers now include core subject educators from elementary through high school, as well as CTE Health Science teachers. The expansion reflects the district’s commitment to growing its pool of recognized educators and rewarding excellence across every level of instruction.
With support from generous sponsors — including platinum sponsor Clear Choice Emergency Room, which donated a large-screen TV for a lucky participant — and with the hard work of the Curriculum & Instruction team, the event showcased what can happen when a district invests in its people.
The baseball-theme captured the energy of the event and its participants, reminding all in attendance that high-performing teachers produce high-performing students, and that UISD is proudly batting for the winning team.
TIA Designated Teacher Linda Ramon addresses the audience.
UISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Gerardo Cruz
UISD Director of TIA Vania Magallanes
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