Invest surplus into teacher raises
In rural Texas a century or so ago, the schoolmarm — invariably young and single — was expected to board with a succession of families in the area, perhaps a month or so at a time during the school year. However uncomfortable the arrangement might have been, the local school board usually paid a teacher barely enough to feed and clothe herself, much less pay rent for a place of her own. (And, of course, it wouldn’t be “fittin’” for a young, single woman to live alone.)
Texas teachers have made progress in the ensuing decades — they can now live alone if they choose — although you sometimes get the sense that Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and many of their GOP cohorts in the Legislature would prefer the good ol’ days. Blessed with an unprecedented budget surplus this legislative session, their priority seems to be diverting a sizable amount of taxpayer dollars to private schools rather than paying hard-working public school teachers what they deserve during these challenging times in the classroom. “School choice,” they call it.
We’re all for school choice. We’re glad that parents have a right to send their kids to any school they choose — private, public or at home. We’re pleased they can choose free charter schools or choose to transfer their kids to schools within or outside their district. Our problem is with the idea of using taxpayer dollars to subsidize private and religious schools.
For example, a bill sponsored by state Sen. Mayes Middleton, a Galveston Republican and member of the Texas Freedom Caucus, is a case in point. His Senate Bill 176 would create a state education savings account that would allow parents to pay for their children’s private school, online schooling or private tutors. It would provide Texas families who opt out of public schools the average amount of money the state provides to educate a child, currently about $10,000. Struggling public schools, particularly those in rural areas, would suffer.
Lawmakers advocating for what they consider choice ignore the fact that their primary responsibility as state officials is to keep public schools whole. That means paying teachers a decent salary.
The challenges that today’s teacher faces are a lot more serious than having to board with a family that ignores housekeeping chores or has a passel of noisy youngsters underfoot. More and more good teachers are abandoning the profession, not only because of low pay, hours devoted to working overtime and sometimes having to pay for school supplies out of their own salary, but also health worries during the pandemic, mass-shooting anxieties, as well as rude parents, school boards and elected officials more interested in culture wars than education. Public schools across the state — rural, urban and suburban — are struggling to fill teacher vacancies.
Texas ranks 28th in the nation in teacher pay, $7,652 less than the national average, according to the most recent National Education Association report. A 2018 survey from the Texas State Teachers Association and a 2022 survey by the Charles Butt Foundation both found that 40 percent of Texas teachers work a second job, not for extra spending money but to cover necessities. Pay raises would help pay bills, to be sure, but also, in a state with the ninth-largest economy in the world, a pay raise would be a statement of respect for the vital role that teachers play in a democratic society.
Recognizing that lawmakers have a historic $33 billion surplus to work with this session, state Rep. James Talarico, D-Round Rock, has filed House Bill 1548, which would give teachers a $15,000 pay raise. Teachers deserve at least that much.
“It’s no wonder that thousands of educators are leaving the profession,” the former teacher said at a Capitol news conference last week. “We have an emergency teacher shortage in the state, and it requires emergency action by the Legislature.”
Talarico’s bill would increase the minimum teacher salary from $33,660 to $48,660 annually. The average teacher’s salary would rise to $73,887 annually. Support staff — cafeteria workers, custodians, bus drivers — would see a 25 percent pay increase.
Concerned about the cost of having to refill more and more positions every school year, state Sen. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, has filed a bill that would create a retention incentive program. His Senate Bill 657 would offer teachers who stay in the profession and in the same district $10,000 annually for four years. His bill also would give students a $40,000 scholarship to pursue a teaching career.
State Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin, has filed House Bill 882, legislation that would increase the amount schools get per student from $6,160 to $7,075, adjusted annually according to inflation. Her bill also would provide for pay raises, since school districts must use 30 percent of any additional revenue they receive for employee salary increases.
The hopeful news this session, in addition to the revenue bonanza, is that Abbott, Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan have voiced support for teacher pay raises. When the horse trading begins deeper into the session, when they have to make choices, we’ll see where their priorities lie.