Teacher pay raise bill sails through Texas Senate committee

AUSTIN, Texas - A Texas Senate bill that would increase pay for teachers in public and open-enrollment charter schools breezed through after a public comment session Thursday afternoon.

Why you should care:

Teachers in Texas, on average, make a little more than $62,000 a year. That’s about ten thousand dollars less than the national average, according to some estimates. The teacher retention problem is linked to low pay and not having a reliable pay raise plan. 

The Senate's Committee on Education K-16 heard public comments on Senate Bill 26 Thursday.

The proposed legislation is in response to a call by Gov. Greg Abbott. In the state of the state address, he identified the teacher pay issue as an emergency item.

"Members, we all agree that Texas teachers deserve real support and protections.  They deserve to know that the people of Texas and state lawmakers value their work. Not just in words, but in deed and in action," Creighton said.

The plan by Senator Creighton is tilted to help smaller school districts hire and retain teachers.

For ISDs with 5,000 or fewer students, the teacher pay hike starts at $5,000. Teachers with 5 or more years of experience would get $10,000. 

In larger districts, the pay raise would start at $2,500 and increase to $5,500 for teachers with experience.

SB 26 cleared the committee hearing Thursday afternoon on a unanimous vote, sending the plan to the full Senate. 

The teacher pay bill is not directly linked to the controversial school choice bill, which the Senate has already sent to the Texas House. But the action Thursday was critical because some analysts believe one cannot move to the governor's desk without the other.

What they're saying:

"It's a historic day, not just a historic bill, but a historic day to have it here in the Senate to get this bill moving, because it's real relief," Sen. Tan Parker (R-Flower Mound) said.

SB 26 would also expand teacher merit pay programs. That was endorsed by several superintendents, teachers and education advocates who testified.

"Now, Dallas ISD teachers, like teachers around the state with this, are able to say, actually, I want to stay in the classroom," Ben Mackey, with Texas Impact Network, said. "And I don't feel that pressure. In fact, in some systems I would have to take a pay cut to be an assistant principal, and I can stay right here in front of our students." 

The committee was told programs like the Teacher Incentive Allotment have already pushed some salaries to $100,000.

"It strengthens the career pathways for our teachers. No longer do our teachers have to leave the classroom in order to make more money. They're able to stay in the classroom. We have fabulous teachers that have left our classrooms to try to make more money. And TIA  has allowed us to keep those teachers in the classroom," Southwest ISD Superintendent Jeanette Ball said.

Free Pre-K for Children of Teachers

Along with the merit pay section, a new teacher benefit is included in the Bill. 

"Free Pre-K for the children of Texas Teachers. Because no teacher should have to choose between their career and their family's needs. And right now, if that Pre-K is offered, teachers are charged for those services," Sen. Creighton said.

Restraints on how local school boards spend their basic funding allotment would also be removed under the plan. That change could help provide raises for school support staff.

"You mentioned power, transportation," Sen. Jose Menendez (D-San Antonio) said. "We know insurance costs are rising and obviously, the super important parts of taking care of all the other people that you need to run a school: bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, nurses and so on. Very good."

There is even a liability protection part in the Bill. It protects teachers from lawsuits, so they can enforce discipline in their classrooms. More education reform legislation is expected to move out of the Senate later this session.

By the numbers:

The legislative budget board estimates the system would cost the state around $2 billion each of the first two years to implement, with the number increasing to $3.6 billion by 2023.

What's next:

The bill now heads to the Senate floor for debate among the whole chamber.