Staff Listening Sessions
In 2024, Northwest ISD began a new tradition of gathering teacher and staff feedback by visiting every campus individually. A member of the district’s leadership team attended a staff meeting at every district school to solicit input – positive and constructive alike – on areas where the district can improve. This page serves as a monitor of actions taken in response to this feedback.
District leaders analyzed all feedback to establish commonalities and areas that would affect the greatest number of teachers and staff. Though the goal remains to achieve the largest impact, every piece of feedback was logged, and these logs continue to be analyzed for further improvements.
2024-2025 Staff Listening Sessions
During the 2024-2025 school year, Northwest ISD teachers and staff were asked to provide their thoughts on the following topics.
- Supporting Staff
- Student Behavior
- Parent Involvement
2024-2025 Feedback & Actions
Supporting Staff
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Lower Class Sizes | In response to the failure of the VATRE in 2024, staff stressed the importance of the district to attempt an election to lower class sizes in 2025 to support campuses. The Prop A election was called by the school board in August 2025, promoted by the district for three months and passed by voters in November 2025. Northwest ISD is in the process of planning staffing for reduced class sizes in 2026-2027. | November 2025 |
| Increase Classroom Time, Campus PD | Continued providing more time in classrooms during back-to-school professional development. | August 2025 |
| Personal Time Flexibility | All Northwest ISD staff members now receive an additional day of leave in the form of a mental health day. Some staff members specifically mentioned this as an action other districts have implemented. | August 2025 |
| Clock-In Adjustments for Paraprofessionals | Paraprofessional staff mentioned clocking in was challenging and time-consuming in some instances. Northwest ISD expanded the Red Rover service to include paraprofessional time management for quicker clocking in. | July 2025 |
| Decrease Number of Assessments | Some teachers mentioned the number of student assessments and asked if there are areas the district can decrease assessments. Thus far, the PSAT has been removed from eighth grade and MAP has been removed from high school and Algebra I. | August 2025 |
| Decreasing Paperwork | Staff were asked if there are any feasible areas to decrease paperwork. So far, Northwest ISD has implemented a new MTSS workflow to condense the teacher portion of data entry, and the kindergarten progress report has been streamlined. Additional areas are being sought for further paperwork reduction, where legal requirements allow. | Fall 2025 |
| Choice Sessions for Professional Learning | Teachers noted that they appreciated choice sessions for professional learning, which have continued and been expanded in the 2025-2026 school year. | Fall 2025 |
| Calendar Feedback | A mix of feedback was provided regarding calendar options for the next revision to the district's annual academic calendar. The district called a calendar committee primarily composed to teachers to create options for community input. The district then continued its annual practice of obtaining feedback from teachers and community members with a survey. | Winter 2025 |
Student Behavior
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Device Monitoring | Northwest ISD implemented the Lightspeed Chromebook management technology for the 2025-2026 school year following feedback that it was challenging to monitor what students are doing on devices. | August 2025 |
| Elementary DAEP | Elementary school teachers and staff expressed a desire for the district to begin a DAEP program for elementary school students. This program was implemented at the start of the 2025-2026 school year and has received some placements throughout the year. | August 2025 & Ongoing |
| Consistency in Behavior Responses | The district and its schools continue to implement the Emergent Tree behavioral program. As this program continues, the district has begun using common language and tools for student behavior and discipline. This includes new signage being implemented across the district for consistency. | Ongoing |
| Student Behavior Training | Based on requests, additional training for student behavior was provided at the annual Engage conference in July. Additionally, bus drivers and guest educators also received training in the Emergent Tree Behavior Framework and its common language. | July 2025 |
| Additional Staff Behavior Support | Teachers and campus staff strongly supported the roles of behavior interventionists. Northwest ISD added additional behavior interventionists to decrease this workload, thereby increasing the number of teachers supported. | Fall 2025 |
| Cellphone Limitations | Some teachers requested more consistency across the district with cellphone standards. Because of new state laws, student use of cellphones was prohibited during instructional time. To further support teachers' request, posters and additional signage were provided to all campuses, and communication was sent to all families. | August 2025 |
| Alternative Education Options | Because not all students learn the same, teachers and staff advocated to explore more options for alternative education environments. Northwest ISD is exploring options, though most would require additional funding in an environment where state funding is limited. | Exploring |
Parent Involvement
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Parent Code of Civility | Feedback across campuses mentioned a desire to have a document explaining the roles and expectations of parents as well as how schools and parents can support one another. Based on this feedback, Northwest ISD will create a Code of Civility to implement rights, roles and expectations. This project was delayed following the Texas Legislature's Parental Bill of Rights law to ensure the two do not conflict. | In Progress |
| Enrollment Civility Agreement | To further support the request of an adherence to standards of acceptable interactions, teachers and staff requested the Code of Civility be agreed to upon enrollment. Once complete, this document will be part of the annual enrollment process. | In Progress |
| Spectator Guidelines | Northwest ISD created spectator guidelines aligned with the Emergent Tree Behavior Framework and its common language that are prominently posted at athletic venues throughout the district. | August 2025 |
| Parent Communication Training | Additional sessions were held at the annual Engage conference to provide training on using ParentSquare and how to best communicate with parents. | July 2025 |
| Parent Conflict Training | Additional sessions were held at the annual Engage conference to provide training on how to deal with conflict with parents. | July 2025 |
| New Parent Support | Staff mentioned some parents struggle to understand certain tools or services. Northwest ISD implemented a New to NISD survey, emailing families who join the district at the end of each semester to determine which tools and services need more training or explanation. Based on the first semester results, families need additional assistance on HAC and knowing a student's ID number. | Ongoing |
2023-2024 Staff Listening Sessions
During the 2023-2024 school year, Northwest ISD teachers and staff were asked to provide their thoughts on the following topics.
- Compensation
- Feeling Valued
- Staff Wellbeing
2023-2024 Feedback & Actions
Compensation
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Improvements to Veteran Teacher Pay Scale | Northwest ISD trustees adopted a 2024-2025 compensation plan that improved additional adjustments to veteran teacher pay after five years, improving the district’s rank in the region. The district will continue efforts to further improve veteran teacher pay. | April 2024 |
| Teacher Pay Transparency | In the 2024-2025 compensation plan, Northwest ISD moved all teachers – those new to Northwest ISD as well as those already working for the district – to the same salary levels, so every teacher with the same years of service will receive the same base salary. This change, which does not include stipends, makes salaries more transparent. Additionally, the district is working on a salary letter for all employees that will detail key salary information. | April 2024 |
| Overall Pay Breakdown | Staff mentioned a desire to have a better understanding of their pay breakdown, including base pay and stipends. HR, finance and technology are working on creating automated letters for all staff members that would provide information about base pay as well as other compensation. | In Progress |
| Increase Insurance Contributions | Staff expressed frustration with the state’s continued increases in TRS health care costs and asked for the district to increase its contributions to offset some of these changes. Trustees approved a $20 monthly increase in district contributions to TRS health care costs, bringing the total monthly contribution to $345 from $325. | June 2024 |
| Continued Pay Increases | All campuses said the district must continue to enhance its compensation to remain competitive in the education sector. Because state funding has not increased, the district and trustees are evaluating a Voter Approval Tax Rate Election to generate more funding that would be used for staff salaries and student programs. | In Progress |
| Stipend Evaluation | Many staff members remarked that stipends have not been increased in multiple years, and that some extra-duty work outside of standard job functions should be considered for stipends. HR and finance personnel are in the process of reviewing stipends and comparing NISD levels to other area districts. Because of funding constraints, stipends could not be addressed at the same time as midpoint raises and veteran teacher adjustments, which were more highly requested among staff. | In Progress |
| Financial Ambassadors | Staff members at all campuses expressed frustration with financial topic transparency such as the midpoint raise system. A staff member provided the recommendation of creating a group where each campus would send a representative to provide more clarity and input on financial topics. The finance department created the Financial Ambassador group, which has already met twice and will continue to meet going forward. | Spring 2024 & Ongoing |
Feeling Valued
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| More Teacher Input on PD | Teachers expressed a desire to have more input on the district’s professional development. C&I created the Professional Learning Advisory Committee with representatives from each campus – including teachers and administrators – to discuss a variety of areas related to professional learning and potential improvements. | Spring 2024 |
| Professional Learning Schedule |
Teachers expressed a desire for changes to the professional learning schedule at the start of the school year, and adjustments have been made based on this input as well as the Professional Learning Advisory Committee. Changes thus far include:
|
Spring 2024 & Ongoing |
| Childcare at March PD | Teachers expressed constraints of finding childcare during our professional learning days that take place during the school year. For the March professional learning days, the district provided daycare at no cost for NISD staff children. 126 and 138 children were served on March 18 and 19, respectively. | March 2024 |
| Teacher Input on New School Designs | Teachers in the current elementary school design expressed a desire to provide suggestions for improvements in future schools. This coincided with plans from the facilities team to seek their input, and all staff at these schools were provided with surveys that were analyzed by architects for improvements in the next elementary school design. | Spring 2024 |
| Current Elementary Design: Art Room Noise | Feedback from teachers at a school with the most recent elementary design expressed that art rooms are too loud. This led to an acoustics study, and acoustic treatment is being added to these spaces before the start of school. | Summer 2024 |
| New Elementary Design: Library, Cafeteria Layout | Feedback from teachers at a school with the most recent elementary design expressed frustration with the noise level caused by the library and cafeteria being closely located. The district is currently working with architects on a new elementary design that will create a layout taking these concerns into account. | Ongoing |
| Elementary Activity Table Disappointment | Elementary teachers expressed disappointment in the current activity table. The district’s furniture supplier and C&I leaders met and will conduct a mock trial of a new activity table before a final decision is made. | Ongoing |
Staff Wellbeing
| Feedback | Action | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Challenging Student Behavior | Staff across campuses stressed that student behavior has suffered following the pandemic, decreasing the effectiveness of the learning environment. Northwest ISD will implement new standards that prohibit the personal student use of cellphones during class time as a starting point to address behavior and distractions, with more changes and expectations being evaluated. | August 2024 & Ongoing |
| Devices for SPED Paraprofessionals | SPED paraprofessionals expressed challenges conducting their job functions without dedicated devices. Technology leaders met with a group of SPED paraprofessionals to conduct a needs analysis and tested multiple device types. The committee of SPED paraprofessionals and teachers felt Chromebooks were working well, but they needed larger screens and faster processors. These devices have been ordered and will be available in the 2024-2025 school year. | Fall 2024 |
| Lack of Administrator Coverage | Staff expressed frustration when all administrators (principal and AP) are off campus for district events or activities. The district has modified learning teams and DLT so principals and APs are not off campus at the same time to ensure at least one administrator is on campus whenever possible. | In Progress |
| Overall SPED Staffing | All campuses expressed a desire for more SPED support overall given the district’s rise in SPED populations. In 2024-2025 program staffing, new SPED positions composed the largest portion ($1.6 million) of total new staffing approved ($2.5 million). This staffing does not include growth positions, such as new teachers for enrollment increases. | April 2024 |
| Behavior Interventionists | Campus staff stressed that student behaviors have been challenging following COVID and requested additional behavior interventionists for support in this area. Five new behavior interventionists were added to 2024-2025 program staffing. | April 2024 |
| Instructional Coaches | Campus staff said instructional coaches provided valuable support for C&I assistance and requested additional instructional coaches for further support. The following coaches were added to 2024-2025 program staffing: 4 instructional coaches to support teachers, 2 emergent bilingual coaches, 4 emergent bilingual interventionists to support EB students, 2 SPED coaches to support unit teachers, and a SPED support specialist to support new teachers. | April 2024 |
| Increased Staff Recognition | Common feedback mentioned to increase wellbeing by recognizing hard work. As a first step in continued recognition, the district created the SHINE Award for students to nominate their teachers for accolades. | In Progress |