When Superintendent Scott Muri took the helm at Ector County ISD in 2019, it had an 18% teacher vacancy rate and was one of the lowest-performing districts in the state. Now, its teachers can make up to $100,000 a year.

"Increased exposure to same-race teachers is associated with improved course grades, attendance, grit and self-management, and the likelihood of being selected for gifted-and-talented programs," FutureEd's report says.

Gov. Tony Evers is proposing $2.6 billion in state funding for K-12 schools, calling it the largest investment in per-pupil aid in more than 25 years.

"Transformation in education is happening, which is almost a counter-narrative to what we hear," says Amy Dujon, director of the District Administration Leadership Institute and co-author of a new report, "Exploring New Frontiers For K-12 Systems Transformation."