Texas schools are hiring more teachers without traditional training. They hope the state will pay to prepare them.

First-year educator Amanda Garza McIntyre interacts with her students at Freeport Intermediate School in Freeport on Aug. 16, 2024. McIntyre transitioned from being an administrative assistant at a construction company to becoming an eighth grade science teacher through the help of a Freeport Intermediate School preparation program. (Credit: Douglas Sweet Jr. for The Texas Tribune)

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When Texas lawmakers passed legislation in 2015 that created a pathway for public schools to hire more teachers without formal classroom training, one goal was to make the profession more attractive to individuals from different paths who could offer hands-on learning to students.