Texas teachers unveiled an Educator’s Bill of Rights, with demands for better pay and working conditions.
A group of public school educators and advocates held a virtual press conference on Tuesday to pressure state legislators to boost salaries and improve training when they meet next year.
“We’re bringing our Educator Bill of Rights to the 89th Legislature and expecting every lawmaker who touts their support for public schools to sign on and pass this legislation,” said Rena Honea, president of the Alliance-AFT teachers association in Dallas.
These priorities failed to materialize in 2023 when legislators fought over education savings accounts, which would allow families to use state funding for private school tuition. Gov. Greg Abbott prioritized the voucherlike effort, ultimately dooming several funding initiatives for public schools.
Lawmakers will reconsider education funding in the next regular session. Changes to the membership are likely coming after Abbott targeted several Republicans who opposed his school choice push.
“The Governor will continue working with the legislature to address the needs of all Texas students, including providing school choice for Texas parents and additional resources to our public schools,” Abbott spokesman Eduardo Leal said in July.
Teachers and advocates who spoke Tuesday remain steadfast in their opposition to voucherlike programs.
With only a few months before lawmakers reconvene in Austin, here are four of the many things that teachers are looking for.
“These items are not on our wish list,” Honea said. “They’re rights as Texas educators.”
More funding for public schools
Texas funds its schools through a set of complex formulas. The building block of it is called the basic allotment. That per-student amount sits at $6,160 — the same as it was in 2019. Educators lament that this figure hasn’t kept up with inflation.
“Districts must be funded to offer fair wages and hire enough teachers and aides to alleviate large class sizes, handle discipline issues, and address student mental health challenges,” the proposed bill of rights reads.
They want a significant increase to the basic allotment, as well as mechanisms to trigger automatic pay bumps for educators.
More money for retired teachers
Cost-of-living adjustments for Teacher Retirement System of Texas pensions should be automatic and tied to inflation, they said.
Nearly 476,000 retired educators received an average monthly payment of $2,174 in 2022, according to the TRS.
Voters last year signed off on allowing the state to use billion of dollars to fund a cost-of-living adjustment for retired educators.
“That was a one-time Band-Aid,” the proposed bill of rights reads. “Texas needs to join almost every other state in making sure its retired educators get annual, automatic pension increases that are tied to inflation.”
Meaningful training
Texas has seen a huge spike in the number of uncertified teachers entering the classroom.
The educators said on Tuesday that better training — and money to support it — will help.
The proposed bill of rights calls for funding to bolster “grow your own” programs to help paraprofessionals and support staff earn teaching certificates. It also demands incentives to encourage teachers without certification to earn credentials.
Veteran educators often mentor new teachers during lunch time or planning periods. While they agree mentorship is important, the teacher groups want to see supplemental pay for the time spent helping novices.
Safe working conditions
Texas teachers are concerned about safety as campus shootings continue to plague communities.
The proposed bill of rights calls for a change to state law to require administrators inform teachers if their specific campus is threatened.
Last session, in response to the Uvalde massacre, lawmakers mandated every campus station an armed guard. They did not allocate enough money to cover this requirement, district leaders say.
The educators’ proposal demands that the state fill in safety funding gaps.
The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.
The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab’s journalism.
