SENATE APPROVES HISTORIC TEACHER PAY RAISE
(AUSTIN) — The Senate gave unanimous approval to a bill that its author calls the largest teacher pay raise in state history on Wednesday. Another of Governor Greg Abbott’s emergency issues, the bill, SB 26 by Education Committee chair and Conroe Senator Brandon Creighton, would create a system where teachers automatically receive raises in their third and fifth year teaching. Creighton said the $4.3 billion proposal represents the largest single investment in teachers in the nation. “We can’t find another state in America that has put this much money together at one time for a teacher compensation package,” said Creighton. “We’re very, very proud and excited on behalf of our Texas teachers.”
Senator Brandon Creighton says that Wednesday’s teacher pay raise bill is just the first step in a package of legislation aimed at making Texas teachers’ lives easier.
The proposed raise would kick in next year, and would give a $2,500 raise to every teacher with three years teaching experience and $5,500 to those with five years experience. Under the bill, teachers at small districts with less than 5,000 students would get more - $5,000 and $10,000 respectively – to close the urban-rural teacher pay gap. Creighton said that in some cases, experienced educators at small, rural schools are making less than the starting salaries for first-year teachers in urban districts. These raises wouldn’t be a one-time pay bump; instead it guarantees those raises in statute for future teachers once they reach the three and five year thresholds. “This will ensure that they don’t just start strong, but that they stay strong throughout their career,” said Creighton.
The bill would accomplish the new pay schedule by creating a new pool of money, or allotment, separate from the basic allotment, the controlling variable for how much per-student funding a district receives. Currently, about a third of the basic allotment is used to pay teacher salaries, which can force administrators to make tough decisions about how to pay for other, non-teaching staff as well as general operational needs. Creighton said that by creating a separate allotment dedicated to classroom teacher pay, school administrators will have more flexibility to increase pay for support staff and other needs.
The bill also expands eligibility for the state’s teacher merit pay program and increases bonus pay. The program has grown sharply since its inception in 2019: from 300 to 30,000 this year. The current program allows districts to identify their best teachers and pay them more across three tiers and can pay up to $32,000 more to teachers in the highest tier. The bill bumps up existing award amounts and creates a new minimum tier where qualified teachers can earn a bonus between $3,000 and $9,000.
The bill contains non-salary provisions for teachers as well, allowing teachers with young children to enroll them in a pre-kindergarten program within their own district at no cost. It also creates a liability shield for teachers trying to maintain a productive teaching environment. “[It] empowers teachers to be able to enforce discipline without fear of legal retaliation,” said Creighton.
Upon unanimous passage by the Senate, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick told members that should this bill pass the House and become law, it will mean that the average teacher salary in Texas will have risen from $54,000 in 2019 to $69,000. “We’re doing a lot, and we’re going to continue to focus on this, session after session, in the Texas Senate,” he said.
Creighton said this bill is just the first part of a legislative package he’s calling the Texas Teacher Bill of Rights. “This is a package of bills that will prop up and support and strengthen our Texas teachers across this state,” he said. Among other measures, Creighton said he will be filing a sweeping conduct bill later this week aimed at improving discipline in the classroom. According to teacher surveys, he said, Texas educators list classroom safety as their number one concern.
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