Teacher Vacancy Force Report is Published, Texas Ranks 28th In Nation For Annual Teacher Salary
Hello SAISD Parents,
The final report from the Teacher Vacancy Force came in this week. This Task Force (TVTF) was established in March 2022 by Governor Abbott to look into teacher retention and recruitment across Texas. The TVTF would meet monthly over the past year to discuss our schools’ challenges regarding teacher vacancies. They also developed recommendations or policy changes to TEA for the current Legislation. The Task Force comprised teachers and other school leaders in public education who researched different areas in Texas, student populations, and grade levels. In the 86th Legislation, they passed HB3, which led to some increases in teacher salaries but has no current inflation rates. Yet Texas currently ranks 28th in the nation for average teacher salary. The current salary starts at $33,660, and it takes 20 years to reach $54,540; if we want to recruit or keep our teachers, our politicians need to change the law based on (TEC 21.402.) This is just one of the most significant issues our politicians need to change quickly because this is the only way we will keep our teachers and attract new ones as well.
The Taskforce made many other recommendations, from additional technical assistance to financial support and a compensation system. Then we need to find a way to help with health insurance costs, mental health services, subsidized housing, and childcare options for teachers. The following recommendations were made to the head of TEA, and remember that all of these would require work and approval. Below is a summary of recommendations from the Teacher Task Force:
- Remove barriers for retire/rehire surcharges could further enable teachers to return, particularly in hard-to-staff areas.
- Time requirements of Special Education teachers should be examined in the teacher time studies.
- Strategic staffing technical assistance could help school systems design staffing models that allow paraprofessionals to remain in their role while they complete their certification requirements with an educator preparation program.
- Create a teacher residency model, a system could be built in which there were no more first-year teachers.
- A paid, year-long clinical training/ co-teaching experience in a public PK-12 classroom
- Residents are paired with an experienced, highly effective mentor teacher
- EPPs and school systems exercise shared ownership over the preparation, support, and success of the teacher resident
- Can take place in traditional, alternative, or post-baccalaureate certification routes
- Teachers certified via Teacher Residency could receive compensation based on prior experience.
- Training and support for strong cooperating teacher and mentoring practices would better enable these systems.
- Teachers certified via Teacher Residency could receive compensation based on prior experience.
- Training and support for strong cooperating teacher and mentoring practices would better enable these systems
- High-quality training for cooperating teachers could support strong implementation of the Teacher Residency pathway. he statewide training could be a required component of the Mentor Program Allotment Full coverage of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
- Evidence-based practices in relevant content areas Supports for all learners, including students with disabilities, students that are emergent bilingual, and students identified as gifted and talented.
- Frequent progress monitoring through embedded and aligned assessments
- Implementation supports for teacher
- Strategic staffing models can support the reallocation of underutilized, existing school system dollars that can also support strategic compensation efforts.
- Strategic staffing technical assistance would support school systems in providing additional sources of funds to pay teacher resident salaries.
- Strategic staffing technical assistance supports school systems in establishing staffing models that would allow for effective implementation of teacher leadership and mentorship practices, including release time, and provide funding for stipends.
Lastly, the most critical recommendation we need to follow is to Respect and Value all our Teachers’ Time. We all work hard at our jobs, but our Texas teachers are working on a salary base, meaning they don’t get paid overtime after a 40-hour week, and some teachers tutor after and before school to help all their students. During this 87th Legislation, our politicians need to help our teachers more.
If anyone has any question or concerns please email me at lena.lopez@saoberver.com.
Have Blessed Week,
Lena Lopez
