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TCTA Preliminary Legislative Priorities 2004-05

The delegates of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association Convention adopt a legislative program in odd-numbered years to coincide with the legislative session. Because of the importance of this upcoming legislative session, and the items under discussion among legislators and educators, TCTA is able to anticipate many of the issues that may be considered in 2005.

The 2005 Representative Assembly meets in March 2005 and will refine the priorities as needed and formalize the adoption of the TCTA Legislative Program. We hope these legislative priorities will inform and encourage an exchange of ideas between lawmakers and practitioners.

Note: As has been our practice, the TCTA leadership and staff may exercise the flexibility to revise legislative positions as needed to cooperate and negotiate in the best interest of the membership.

School Finance

  • Support enhanced funding and changes to the finance structure necessary to meet increased needs and rising expectations
  • Support restoration of underfunded programs
  • Support measures to direct public education funding to instructional purposes to the greatest extent possible
  • Support a greater state share of public education funding
  • Support adequate facilities funding
  • Support the maintenance of an equitable system
  • Oppose constitutional amendments that would weaken current equity standards

Salaries

  • Support increasing teacher salaries to levels necessary to recruit and retain appropriately certified teachers
  • Support retention of the state minimum salary schedule and its extension beyond step 20
  • Support a structured approach to increasing teacher salaries on an ongoing basis
  • Support direction of significant portions of new and surplus revenues to teacher salaries
  • Oppose state-mandated individual performance pay
  • Support measures encouraging districts to pay and retain local supplements
  • Support pay at an individual daily rate for any work beyond the statutorily required days
  • Support returning speech therapists and diagnosticians to the salary schedule
  • Support development and implementation of a salary schedule for support personnel

Health Insurance

  • Support the scheduled restoration of the $1,000 health insurance supplement for all employees
  • Support increased funding for the school employee health insurance program to a level at least equal to that provided to state employees, and/or combining the two systems
  • Support more equitable premiums across category options
  • Support increased funding and/or structural changes in TRS-Care to ensure affordable, high-quality health insurance for retirees
  • Support legislation to clarify that insurance coverage provided by local districts continues throughout the summer for a teacher who has resigned

Teacher Retirement System

  • Support an increase in the TRS multiplier for more experienced teachers
  • Support a mechanism allowing the TRS Board of Directors to approve ad hoc increases for retirees when market performance exceeds expectations
  • Support increased expansion of return-to-work laws to the greatest extent possible within the limitations of the TRS fund
  • Support TRS full funding for credit earned by accumulated sick leave
  • Support measures to enhance existing TRS benefit programs

Other Benefits and Working Conditions

  • Support measures to limit the amount of time required for meetings or other non-instructional activities outside of the regular school day
  • Support a law to prohibit districts from requiring teachers to complete forms regarding compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that are not required by the U.S. Department of Education
  • Oppose the elimination or weakening of duty-free lunch or conference periods
  • Oppose any weakening of contractual protections for teachers and support the establishment of due process rights for paraprofessionals
  • Support incentives for school districts to offer child care to district employees and student parents

The Teaching Profession

  • Oppose the involuntary transfer of teachers to subjects for which they are not certified, the placement of unqualified individuals in teaching positions, and any weakening of certification standards
  • Oppose the use of student test scores for teacher appraisals or employment decisions
  • Support a requirement that districts grant compensatory time for training activities undertaken off-campus or outside of the normal contract year
  • Support a requirement that staff development (other than compensatory time) take place during regular hours of required service
  • Support a requirement that some staff development be self-directed
  • Support measures to enhance procedural protections for school employees accused of misconduct

Students/Class Sizes

  • Support measures to enable teachers to receive support to meet the needs of special needs students included in the classroom
  • Support 22:1 class-size requirements for grades K-8, and reinstate child care child-to-adult ratios for early childhood education
  • Support state funding for alternative education programs
  • Support a repeal of the provision that AEP employees are not entitled to benefits and protections of state law
  • Support a provision that teachers cannot be coerced regarding their decision to remove a student from the classroom, and that no adverse action can be taken against a teacher for a removal
  • Support legislation to clarify and enhance penalties for assault against a school employee

Curriculum

  • Support reasonable limitations on mandatory student testing so as to assess progress without disrupting learning
  • Oppose efforts to mandate a particular methodology for reading or other curricular areas
  • Support the addition of physical education and fine arts to the foundation curriculum

Governance

Site-Based Decision Making

  • Support increased authority for SBDM committees at the district and campus levels, with appropriate sanctions for obstruction
  • Support a requirement that SBDM committees determine the use of non-instructional days

    District Issues

  • Oppose vouchers, tax credits and other proposals that would allow the use of public funding for private schools
  • Support a broad range of choices within the public school system with appropriate incentives
  • Support strengthening statutory protections of key provisions in home-rule districts
  • Support assurances that any modifications to home-rule statutes will protect key statutory provisions and ensure significant voter participation
  • Support mandatory campus charters if approved by the parents of two-thirds of the students on a campus and two-thirds of the teachers
  • Support legislative proposals that would prohibit exclusive consultation arrangements
  • Support the ability of citizens to recall school board members
  • Oppose any legislation that would outlaw “unfunded mandates” in the absence of due consideration and a clear articulation of the components of what is currently being funded (e.g., class-size limits, employee salaries)
  • Support legislation reinforcing an employee’s right to communicate with elected leaders without repercussion

Charter Schools

  • Oppose the expansion of charter schools until appropriate monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are in place

Parental Rights

  • Support efforts to improve parental involvement in the schools
  • Support amendment of the provision regarding parental access to classroom tests to allow access only after all retakes have been given
  • Support a provision that prior to the parent-requested transfer of a student, upon teacher request and parent concurrence, the district must schedule a meeting between the teacher, parent and appropriate administrator

Miscellaneous

  • Support a provision that state agencies implementing federal programs be granted rule-making authority under the Texas Administrative Procedures Act
  • Support measures to ensure appropriate oversight and prudent investment of the Permanent School Fund
  • Support automatic penalties for failure to comply with valid open records requests
  • Support extension of appraisal confidentiality statute to other school professionals