Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the bill author and committee chair, told lawmakers during the Feb. 20 hearing that Senate Bill 26 is the first in a series of bills this session that will craft the “strongest teacher bill of rights our state has ever seen.”
“There’s always talk about stipends and bonuses and pay raises, but our budget does not currently have an allotment just for teacher retention and pay,” Creighton said. “We’re creating a budget culture of permanence and a budget culture that makes it very clear when that allotment cup is full, and when it’s not.”
The 11-member committee voted unanimously Feb. 20 to send SB 26 to the full Senate. The upper chamber could debate the bill as soon as next week, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said during a Feb. 20 speech to members of the conservative Texas Public Policy Foundation.
Gov. Greg Abbott named pay raises for public school teachers an emergency priority during his Feb. 2 State of the State address, allowing lawmakers to fast-track legislation on the topic. Texas should also make it easier for educators to become certified and address discipline issues in the classroom, Abbott told Community Impact.
The details
Under the proposed legislation, Texas educators would be guaranteed pay raises in their third and fifth years of teaching. According to data from the National Education Association, Texas ranks 15th in the U.S. for average starting teacher pay but 30th for the average teacher salary.
“At that [five-year] mark, we have many teachers surveyed who are making a decision: whether or not they feel safe, if they have a reasonable learning environment in their classroom, ... and compensation has obviously got to be at the top of the list,” Creighton said.
About 80% of the funding would be used to raise teacher salaries, Creighton said, with larger raises for teachers in small school districts.
In districts with 5,000 students or less, teachers with three to four years of experience would receive a $5,000 raise, while those with at least five years of experience would receive a $10,000 boost. In districts with over 5,000 students, educators with three to four years of experience would get a $2,500 raise, and more experienced teachers would earn a $5,500 raise, according to SB 26.
Districts would also receive funds to raise salaries for “each classroom teacher,” the bill states.
The other 20% in funding would be used to expand the Teacher Incentive Allotment, which was created by a 2019 state law aimed at putting teachers on the path to a six-figure salary. At its inception, there were 300 teachers in the program; today, that number has grown to nearly 30,000, Creighton said.
“We have to continue to ramp [the program] up as it’s used, and we get feedback that it’s been beneficial,” he said. “You have to pay the bills—no matter how much a purpose-driven life makes sense, life is expensive.”
Currently, about one-third of teachers at a participating school can qualify for performance-based bonuses through the Teacher Incentive Allotment. Under SB 26, half of a participating school’s teachers would be eligible for the bonuses, Creighton said.
More context
Speakers from across the state’s public education community testified during the Feb. 20 hearing, commending the bill’s efforts to increase teacher salaries. Some speakers also raised questions about provisions such as the lack of funding for support staff raises.
Ben Mackey, executive director of the Texas Impact Network, said researchers from Texas Tech University found statistically significant differences in English and math performance among students in districts participating in the TIA. The Texas Impact Network helps school districts launch the TIA program.
“I think this is a strong bill; it does what we need to do for our teachers,” Mackey said. “Not only our teachers, but most importantly for the students they serve because it’s showing impact on student outcomes as well as teacher retention and teacher morale.”
Rachael Abell, vice president of advocacy for the Texas PTA, said the organization was pleased state leaders are addressing teacher pay, but she urged the committee to consider the long-term impact of certain provisions in SB 26.
“The proposed teacher retention allotment applies only to classroom teachers, excluding other critical nonadministrative staff such as nurses, counselors and instructional aides who contribute significantly to the health, wellness and academic success of students,” she said. “We urge you to include a sustainable and equitable pay raise that includes all educators who shape the learning environment.”
Diving in deeper
In Plano ISD, SB 26 would provide “substantial” raises for over 2,500 teachers, or 78% of the district’s educators, district Chief of Staff Danny Stockton said during the hearing.
“It's going to represent a commitment to teacher pay in the state of Texas on an ongoing basis that's going to help make a significant impact on our ability to retain teachers, especially our experienced teachers,” Stockton said. “I do want to note that the bill doesn't provide funding for raises for teachers with one or two years of experience. We want to retain them as well. To get to three, five or 10 [years], we have to keep the ones who are at one and two [years].”
While the bill would not adjust the base amount of money schools receive per student, known as the basic allotment, Creighton said some of the guardrails placed on the use of the basic allotment in 2019 could be removed. This change would give districts more flexibility to use the funding for expenses like transportation and energy costs or raises for support staff, he said.
“It would be difficult for us to have the most historic pay raise in Texas history and significantly raise the basic allotment, but hopefully it relieves pressure from the district for you to use that basic allotment for all other categories,” Creighton said.
Sen. José Menéndez, D-San Antonio, said he hoped cutting guardrails from the basic allotment formula would allow districts to take care of everyone in the school.
“We all agree that teachers need a pay raise,” he said. “We know insurance costs are rising, and obviously [also] the super important parts of taking care of all the other people that you need to run a school, like the bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians and nurses.”
Next steps
SB 26 now heads to the Senate. If approved by the full chamber, the legislation would move on to the House. The lower chamber released a separate 148-page school funding proposal, House Bill 2, on Feb. 20.
The bill by Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, would invest over $7.6 billion in public education, according to House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. Changes proposed in HB 2 include:
- Raising the basic allotment by $220, from $6,160 to $6,380
- Adjusting funding for special education
- Offering free pre-K for students with disabilities
- Expanding the Teacher Incentive Allotment
HB 3 would give most participating families a stipend equal to 85% of the funds that public schools receive per student. During the 2022-23 school year, Texas public schools received about $12,800 per student in state and local funds, according to data from the Texas Education Agency.
The Senate’s ESA proposal, Senate Bill 2, would give most participants $10,000 per year to spend on private school tuition and other educational expenses.
“School choice is important to the education ecosystem, creating more options for those who have none,” Burrows told members of TPPF on Feb. 20. “I believe we can fully fund public education while recognizing that one size does not fit all. Families deserve options; schools deserve resources. One without the other leaves Texas short.”
