Texas Virtual Schools and Teacher Retention: The Double-Edged Sword of Online Education

Texas is experiencing a virtual education revolution. Enrollment in full-time virtual schools has skyrocketed 1,200% over the past decade, growing from just under 5,000 students in 2014 to nearly 62,200 students in 2024-25. With Senate Bill 569 streamlining regulations and major districts like Cy-Fair ISD, Northside ISD, and others launching new virtual programs, this growth shows no signs of slowing. But as Texas embraces online learning, a critical question emerges: How will this shift affect teachers and teacher retention?

The Expansion of Virtual Learning in Texas

The Texas Virtual School Network has expanded dramatically, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, which TEA Commissioner Mike Morath called a "watershed moment for full-time virtual education." Districts are now racing to capitalize on demand. Cy-Fair ISD launched three virtual pathways for the 2025-26 school year, including a Virtual Academy, Flex Learning program, and Supplemental Courses. Northside ISD is partnering with vendors to establish Northside Connect, its branded virtual high school.

Unlike previous models that relied on external providers like Stride K-12 or Connections Academy, many Texas districts are bringing virtual instruction in-house. Cy-Fair Superintendent Doug Killian emphasized that their teachers will deliver instruction full-time online using district curriculum, avoiding the split responsibilities that burned out educators during the pandemic.

The Teacher Retention Challenge

Virtual teaching presents unique challenges that directly impact retention. According to Michigan Virtual's 2022 study on online teacher recruitment and retention, workload management and maintaining work-life balance are among the top concerns for virtual educators. Teachers reported feeling obligated to work around the clock as parents bombard them with emails and students struggle with online platforms.

Research from American University identifies virtual learning as a significant stressor, with teachers experiencing higher levels of burnout, anxiety, and workload during emergency remote instruction. A 2023 study in the International Journal of Educational Research found that emergency remote teaching caused burnout through dissatisfaction with the job, feelings of incompetence, and lack of adequate training. The isolation inherent in virtual teaching compounds these issues, as teachers miss the collaborative energy and immediate feedback of physical classrooms.

The Michigan Virtual study noted that administrators recognize fighting isolation and burnout requires targeted social and emotional support that isn't burdensome to teachers. As one administrator stated, "Teachers are hard-wired to work themselves to burnout. We have to help them invest in themselves so they can continue to invest in their students."

Impact on Teacher Workforce Stability

Texas's virtual school expansion could either stabilize or destabilize the teaching workforce, depending on implementation. On one hand, virtual options offer flexibility that could retain teachers who might otherwise leave the profession due to personal circumstances, rigid schedules, or geographic limitations. Some districts see virtual teaching as a solution to staffing shortages in hard-to-fill subjects like mathematics and special education.

On the other hand, poor academic performance in many virtual programs signals deeper problems. Houston ISD's Texas Connections Academy received a "D" rating in 2025, while Lone Star Online Academy earned an "F." Research from Western Michigan University professor Gary Miron confirms that virtual schools have struggled with effectiveness since 2002, with evidence showing "nothing changes, except they grow."

The quality concerns matter for retention because teachers want to feel effective. Studies show that when teachers lack confidence in their instructional impact, burnout accelerates. If Texas districts implement virtual programs without adequate teacher training, technological support, and manageable student-teacher ratios, they risk driving experienced educators away.

Looking Forward

Texas's virtual education expansion represents both opportunity and risk for teacher retention. Districts that succeed will be those that provide comprehensive professional development for online instruction, maintain reasonable workloads, combat teacher isolation through virtual collaboration, and hold virtual programs to the same academic standards as traditional schools.

As Senator Paul Bettencourt predicts virtual enrollment will double by 2028-29, Texas must ensure that innovation doesn't come at the expense of teacher well-being. The state's ability to retain quality educators in virtual environments will ultimately determine whether this expansion strengthens or weakens public education.

Sources:

• Houston Chronicle. (2025). Texas virtual school enrollment has skyrocketed, up 1,200% in 10 years.

• Texas Education Agency. (2025). SB 569 Overview: Virtual and Hybrid Learning Guidance.

• Timke, E. & DeBruler, K. (2022). Recruitment and Retention of Online Teachers. Michigan Virtual University.

• American University School of Education. (2025). Addressing Teacher Burnout: Causes, Symptoms, and Strategies.

• ScienceDirect. (2023). The stressors affecting teacher burnout in emergency remote teaching context.

TEA Takeovers and Texas Teacher Retention: A Growing Crisis

The Texas Education Agency's recent wave of district takeovers is creating unprecedented challenges for teacher retention across the state. With Fort Worth, Lake Worth, Beaumont, and Houston ISDs now under state control, educators are facing an uncertain future that threatens to accelerate an already critical teacher shortage. 

The Scope of State Intervention 

The TEA's takeover strategy replaces locally elected school boards with state-appointed boards of managers after districts have campuses that receive five consecutive failing ratings. Houston ISD's 2023 takeover marked the largest intervention in state history, followed by Fort Worth ISD in October 2025, and most recently Lake Worth and Beaumont ISDs in December 2025. These takeovers affect hundreds of thousands of students and tens of thousands of educators across Texas. 

The Teacher Retention Crisis 

Houston ISD's teacher turnover rate reached 32.2% compared with the statewide average of 18.8% in 2024-25, representing nearly one in three teachers leaving. The Houston Federation of Teachers reports that educator departures have reached alarming levels under state-appointed leadership, with teachers citing low morale, scripted curriculum, and performance-based pay systems tied to test scores as key factors driving them away. 

Houston ATPE President Mike Holton notes that experienced teachers with 20-25 years of service are waiting to retire or move on, representing an exodus of institutional knowledge. The implementation of the New Education System (NES) in Houston has required teachers to reapply for their positions, implement rigid curriculum with limited autonomy, and face potential reassignment for non-compliance. 

Ripple Effects Across Texas 

The Fort Worth and Lake Worth takeovers suggest these retention challenges will spread. Early reactions from educators in newly affected districts reveal deep concerns about job security and professional autonomy. Community leaders warn that the timing adds stress during an already difficult period for educators. 

Research from the Learning Policy Institute emphasizes that Texas has experienced teacher shortages and workforce instability driven by high attrition rates for decades, with shortages especially acute in mathematics, special education, and bilingual education. The TEA's own Teacher Vacancy Task Force found that increasing compensation, strengthening training and support, and improving work conditions are essential for retention—yet state takeovers often disrupt these very elements. 

Long-term Implications 

A 2021 national study on state takeovers found no evidence that they lead to academic improvements, while research shows that removal of locally elected school boards closes an entry point into political participation for communities of color. When teachers leave in large numbers, students lose consistent, high-quality instruction and the relationshipsessential for learning. 

As Texas faces these multiple simultaneous takeovers, the state must confront a critical question: Can academic improvement be achieved through interventions that destabilize the teaching workforce? The evidence from Houston suggests that while test scores may rise in the short term, the long-term costs to teacher retention and community trust could undermine sustainable educational progress. 

Sources: 

• Texas Education Agency. (2025). Employed Teacher Attrition and New Hires 2015-2016 through 2024-2025. 

• Houston Chronicle. (2025). Teacher turnover data analysis. 

• Learning Policy Institute. (2023). Strengthening Pathways Into the Teaching Profession in Texas. 

• Association of Texas Professional Educators. (2023). TEA Takeovers analysis. 

HISD vs. FWISD: Two TEA Takeovers, Different Stories

Texas educators are watching closely as Fort Worth ISD faces a state takeover, mirroring Houston ISD's controversial experience that began in 2023.

Key Similarities

Both takeovers stem from the same state law: a campus receiving five consecutive failing ratings. HISD's Wheatley High School and FWISD's Leadership Academy at Forest Oak Sixth Grade both reached this threshold, triggering mandatory state intervention. In both cases, the TEA will replace elected school boards with appointed boards of managers and install new superintendents.

Critical Differences

The circumstances differ significantly. Houston's takeover involved multiple issues including governance violations and board misconduct, while Fort Worth's intervention focuses primarily on academic underperformance at a single campus. Additionally, FWISD has shown recent improvement, reducing F-rated schools from 31 in 2024 to 11 in 2025, unlike Houston's broader struggles.

Impact on Educators

Houston's experience has been turbulent for teachers. Over 4,700 of HISD's approximately 11,000 teachers left during the 2023-24 school year, with 2,400 departing in June 2024 alone. Between June 2023 and June 2024, more than 150 principals and about 4,700 teachers left the district's schools. Teachers report feeling micromanaged and cite mandatory classroom observations and constant policy changes as sources of low morale.

Fort Worth educators are understandably anxious. Teachers have expressed fears about curriculum inflexibility and concerns about retention, given Houston's 32.2% teacher turnover rate compared to the statewide average of 18.8%.

Looking Ahead

The TEA recently extended Houston's takeover through June 2027, despite some academic gains, signaling that state interventions may be longer than anticipated. For Fort Worth educators, Houston's experience offers a cautionary tale about the personal and professional costs of state control, even when test scores improve. The preservation of educator autonomy, morale, and retention will be crucial challenges as FWISD navigates this uncertain transition.