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Texas House and Senate reach a deal on property tax relief

Teach the Vote
Teach the Vote

School Finance Texas Legislature Privatization | Vouchers Educator Compensation | Benefits

Date Posted: 7/10/2023 | Author: Monty Exter

After failing to arrive at a compromise during either the regular legislative session or first special session, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) and House Speaker Dade Phelan (R) released a joint statement today with details of a property tax deal their respective chambers are expected to pass later this week.  

Missing from the deal, as described by Patrick and Phelan, is the teacher bonus unanimously adopted as an amendment to the Senate’s property tax proposal or the school funding increase that would have triggered a salary jump for educators as proposed in a bill filed last week by a group of Democratic House members.  

There is considerable speculation that the funding for teachers that was so highly touted by members of both chambers as recently as last week was nixed by Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who is still working to get private school vouchers into law. Relatively meager proposals to increase educator compensation during the regular session ultimately failed when they were tied to the governor-backed effort to pass a voucher bill.  

The House Select Committee on Educational Opportunity and Enrichment is scheduled to meet this Tuesday and Wednesday, July 12-13, to discuss both teacher pay and vouchers. ATPE strongly encourages educators to submit comments to the committee on the need for legislation to give educators additional pay that is not contingent on passage of a voucher bill, which would defund public schools. Read this post for more on how to submit comments directly to the committee ahead of this week’s hearings. 


CONVERSATION

19 Comments

Robin Brinkley
07/15/2023

As teachers we do our jobs. We make a difference everyday to young lives. We spend our own money to make sure the kids have what they need to learn. Ours years of experience should be reflected through our pay and contingent on nothing else.


Rhonda Justice
07/14/2023

Gov Abbott is trying to put things in place for his family to send their children to public schools with those vouchers. He is like most politicians. They only care about his four and no more.


Latrelle
07/13/2023

Educators across the board need a MAJOR increase in pay effective this 23-24 school year and continuously ever year! Not a 4% increase either. Starting teacher pay at 80,000 + but have a pay scale in place for educators according to their years of service. A teacher that has 3 years of experience shouldn’t be making almost almost the same salary as a teacher that has 17 years of experience in education. The income bracket shouldn’t be structured this way! Starting teacher pay in my district is $60,000. Teachers that started 10 years prior is just now making 60,000 +. It doesn’t align nor make sense. It’s not fair to veteran teachers. I am going into my 11th as a Teacher on Record! 13 years in education thus far. Started off as a Reading Interventionist improving students literacy & critical thinking skills. 🙌🏽 Uplifting my students confidence is key for me but most importantly the desire for them to know “who they are” (self reflection) & to discuss their many desires for their future endeavors!!! (Manifestation) 🙏🏽 Living in my purpose…We need change! It’s such a high turnaround with educators leaving the profession… #iEducate #iInspire #iMotivate #ReachOneTeachOne📖 #Blessed #AVID


Dorothy Bailey
07/12/2023

Higher Pay for teachers is pass due! Less testing and No Vouchers!


Chelsea Bullard
07/12/2023

Teachers deserve higher pay, students deserve less testing, and nothing should be tied to vouchers.


Alejandra
07/12/2023

This society needs to value more our job as teachers. Definitely no vouchers and higher pay to this profession.


Deanne Taylor
07/12/2023

No to vouchers! Teachers need more money. There needs to be less testing. Spend the money you do on testing on Teachers and schools. Pretty soon there will be no Teachers left if the Texas Legislators do not wake up.


Kimberly
07/12/2023

I have been a teacher in Special Education for 17+ years. As an educator I am appalled at the lack of support teachers receive. Our salary is not acceptable due to the amount of work we are expected to do. The paperwork alone has to be done on our own time in order to fulfill these requirements and serve our students to the best of our ability. All students deserve the best there is and the teachers that have chosen to exit education after many years of service are needed desperately. Testing is out of control. Teachers are testing more than teaching. I want to know what actual progress has been made since all the state mandated testing has been in place. I see students not prepared for college because they have no common sense skills and everything is tied to technology which causes less person to person contact. Brief amounts of technology are fine but tying our hands from teaching them interactive play, common sense strategies, hands on activities is a failure to our students. Not all children are college bound. Vocational programs are needed for our society. I pray you stop trying to do something your not trained to do and let our teachers teach! NO TO VOUCHERS, YES TO PAYING TEACHERS MORE! Since it’s an issue that teachers are leaving increase our dedicated experienced teachers pay to what you are increasing new teachers . My daughter has been a teacher 3 years and makes almost what I do with 17 year’s experience. WAKE UP!


Werner Burwood
07/11/2023

Pay teachers like the degreed professionals that they are! Quit tying pay raises to vouchers or some other partisan idea. Kids need equal opportunity for an equal education. The legislators are alway playing games with peoples lives. Put an end to the constant standardized testing. Kids hate it, parents hate it (why do you think so many are leaving public school for homeschool or private schools?) and teachers know it is not a real measure of a child’s ability. There is no need to put such stress on parents kids and teachers. Let teachers teach!!


Renae Miksch
07/11/2023

I feel it is demeaning to all teachers to put vouchers over a teacher raise. If there is money to be appropriated it should happen sooner than later. We are losing GREAT teachers due to the blind view of politicians regarding teacher pay!!


Linda Dieringer
07/11/2023

Public Schools need higher pay for teachers and staff, less testing, and NO VOUCHERS.


Keith Boenisch
07/11/2023

I would really appreciate a governor who simply wants to pay teachers because we are worth it . Instead, he ties our financial wellness to his political agendas. I have been teaching 30 years and can not wait to to get out of this profession !! Underappreciated, underpaid and totally disrespected


Lori Wolf
07/11/2023

It is such a disappointment as an educator that the politicians place so little value in Texas Educators to let the Governor attach vouchers above everything else in Education. We as a profession should vote you out. That should be our goal.


Clementine
07/11/2023

Teachers need pay raises, less testing, and NO to vouchers.


Karie Eagleston
07/10/2023

Pay raises for teachers and paraprofessionals! No vouchers for schools!!


Juana Liriano
07/10/2023

I agree 100%


Juana Liriano Viera
07/10/2023

No to vouchers


Phyllis Whitehead
07/10/2023

No to Vouchers!!! Please. This will only help the people who pay for private schools already. Most people will not be able to afford private schools. Which cost more than $8000 a year.


Vicki R Russell
07/10/2023

I’ve taught over 40 years, am considered a master teacher, yet my salary stinks!!! I’ve jumped through hoops for years for the Texas legislature. I’ve spent almost seven days a week at the schools where I’ve taught to make sure my students passed TAAS, TAKS, and now STAAR! When I finally do retire, my retirement is poverty level, not six figures like the members of the Texas legislature. This is why very few if any young people do not enter education or when they do, they quickly exit.. As for Gov. Abbott, it’s time Texas find a new conservative leader for the Republican Party. If this behavior continues, I’m afraid our state will go blue. Teachers campaign, are vocal, and vote!!! We need to be respected, to be heard, and be appreciated! If not, I doubt Abbott keeps his position.


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