Senate Bill 9 Is No Teacher Bill of Rights
Texas Legislature Educator Compensation | Benefits
Date Posted: 4/06/2023
On Thursday, the Texas Senate voted 22-9 to pass Senate Bill (SB) 9 by Senate Education Committee Chairman Brandon Creighton (R–Conroe). Dubbed the “Teacher Bill of Rights”—and touted as a counterpart to the voucher-containing SB 8, the “Parental Bill of Rights”—SB 9 is anything but positive for classroom teachers and the countless other education professionals and support staff serving the state’s 5.4 million public school students.
"Providing a one-time $2,000 stipend to some classroom teachers at a time when we are experiencing historic inflation and the state has a historic budget surplus will not address the critical recruitment and retention challenges districts across the state are experiencing,” ATPE Executive Director Shannon Holmes said. “Many educators, including school librarians, counselors, and nurses, wouldn't even receive the stipend. We believe a $10,000 across-the-board raise for educators is both achievable and necessary.
"There are also huge tradeoffs in the bill for such a disappointingly low stipend, including changes that will negatively affect educators' working conditions. The voices of Texas educators are missing in this so-called ‘bill of rights.’
“We are grateful to the nine senators who stood strong and asked for better for Texas educators. We will continue educating the remaining members of the Legislature about the solutions that will improve our state’s ability to recruit and retain educators.”
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Respect, discipline, and a positive attitude is instilled in some families. Students who lack such attributes cause problems in classrooms. State funding for Texas schools and support for teachers is crucial instead of a $10K raise! Voucher funded programs are ineffective since they have been tried and I oppose them.
Perhaps the language in the bill should have included who this would benefit because of it''s left to local agency use then it''s the same differentiation found in TIA across the state. We have some people being included and others being taken out. Perhaps what the state legislature should consider is shifting from a PIEMS snapshot where we know public schools receive kiddos after they no longer make the cut in these private schools but were counted for their funding source for the next year. It would be better to revisit SEL needs, student safety, meeting teacher needs with counseling and reduction in stress (especially Secondary Traumatic Stress), reducing teacher burnout...will a pay raise help? Yes. Will it resolve all the other issues affecting teachers leaving the field? No.
You can''t buy respect and the students have such poor attitudes toward their teachers that even a lovely $10K raise is like putting a bow on a pig in the mud. Back up the discipline and rules for the students and that $10K would be a good idea. A gift from a hand that is dirty and limp is a poor gift.
“To some educators,” who does this include?