San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Texas teachers have spoken; will Lege listen?
The Texas Teacher Vacancy Task Force’s final report, “Developing a Thriving Teacher Workforce in Texas,” didn’t uncover anything new for most Texans. But if the lesson is how to retain teachers in public schools, lawmakers should pay attention to the recommendations.
Gov. Greg Abbott established the task force to tackle this issue last March. But the task force initially only included two teachers. After blowback, that changed and the task force is equal part teachers and administrators.
Of the task force’s three main policy category recommendations — compensation, training and support, and working conditions — compensation ranked first.
It’s well-known Texas ranks lower than many other states in education funding and teacher salaries. The Lone Star State was 28th in the nation last year for average teacher salary, according to the National Education Association. The minimum salary schedule for Texas teachers starts at $33,660 and takes 20 years to reach a salary of $54,540, according to the report. And in 2021, the average school system contribution to health care was about $330, significantly lower than the calculated monthly average employer contribution of $827 across our state. No wonder teachers don’t feel valued. They aren’t.
A high school teacher who responded to the task force’s survey answered: “I work at least one day every weekend. I grade papers at night. One 45minute planning period is not enough time to prep for three different classes (one of which is college-level with no additional pay), grade papers, call parents…I love teaching, but if things do not change, I will be looking for another job. I have been teaching for 15 years, but this lifestyle is not sustainable for me or my family.”
This is why teachers leave. Another teacher who recently resigned answered the task force’s survey this way: “Teaching is like two full-time jobs. At
school you teach and support students. At home you answer emails, grade, plan and analyze data. Each year districts add more and more to the plates of teachers with minimal pay increase. There is no such thing as balance…This is a crisis. What will we do with the children, the future, when there are not enough teachers to teach?”
This reminds me of when U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona lamented: “Have we, as a country, minimized the profession so much that we are OK with teachers driving Ubers or getting a second or third job on the weekend to earn enough money to pay
the bills? I’m not OK with it. From my experience as a teacher and as a father, I know the teaching profession changes lives. It’s a profession that makes all other professions possible.”
Interestingly, in his Feb. 24 news release outlining the task force’s report, Abbott, who is pushing vouchers in the form of savings accounts for private schools, which would take funding from public schools, signaled support for the task force’s recommendations. He acknowledged that teachers play a “pivotal role” in the success of our state and he vowed to work with the Texas Legislature
to develop and implement strategies that attract, retain and support highly qualified educators.
Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath also offered promising sentiments: “Teachers are the single most important in-school factor in the educational outcomes of students, and we must ensure they feel valued, supported, and able to remain in the classroom, if they so choose,” he said. “The work of the task force has further illuminated critical issues facing Texas public schools and has provided concrete steps to move forward. I am grateful for their thoughtful and insightful approach to developing practical policy recommendations that help address these challenges.”
And Wednesday, Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan shared a list of bills that could make significant progress toward some of the task force’s recommendations.
If Texas wants to change lives and fortify our state, our Legislature is obligated to enact and fully fund the task force’s recommendations. They must listen to the classroom experts.