Focus on education this legislative session
Texas legislators convened for the 88th legislative session in Austin last month. Meeting for only 140 days every two years, they have an immense responsibility to address a myriad of issues.
With a surplus of more than $32 billion to start the new fiscal biennium, we join other educators and business leaders in urging our state’s elected officials to invest in strengthening our public schools and prioritizing our children’s needs.
With a gross domestic product of $1.9 trillion, the state boasts a healthy economic environment, one on par with some developed countries. However, when we consider investments in children, Texas falls short of providing a world-class experience. A 2022 report by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranks Texas 45th in the nation in child wellbeing. Currently, the state ranks 44th in public education spending.
Exacerbating these challenges, the current funding structure does not allow us to value the importance of teaching in our communities. Our teachers are underpaid. Texas ranks 14th for highest starting teacher pay but slips to 28th in overall salary, according to a 2022 report by the National Education Association. Research by the Economic Policy Institute also shows that starting teachers earn about 19 percent less than other college-educated workers with similar characteristics.
It is unacceptable that teachers in our state are underpaid for taking on one of the most important responsibilities in our society: educating our next generation. Treating our teachers as professionals is the right thing to do, and is necessary to improve student performance and our economic future.
Bottom line: Valuing our teachers is critical to their work in educating the 5.4 million diverse learners in Texas public schools who are still recovering from learning gaps and increased social-emotional challenges caused by the pandemic.
Elevating the teaching profession is only the start. There is more that we can do.
By increasing the basic allotment per student and funding schools based on average daily enrollment, we can also invest in our education support staff and provide a more efficient and higher quality education. The current method of financing schools based on average daily attendance shortchanges districts with the greatest populations of students with high needs.
Getting this funding right benefits many other priorities educators and business leaders share, including addressing the teacher shortage, increasing school safety and making technology options for districts more affordable.
Along with allies and our counterparts across the state, we are ready to work with state lawmakers to keep pace with our constituents’ needs. As lawmakers craft the state budget for the next two years, we beseech them to put our teachers, children and communities first.