House passes Teacher Bill of Rights

The Texas House passed SB 27 by Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe), a bill he touted as "The Teacher Bill of Rights." While all of SB 27 has been included in HB 2, the session's major school finance bill, passing the individual bills that make up a larger one is often used as a contingency in case the larger bill fails.

SB 27 includes a number of provisions beneficial to teachers, many of which were added at TCTA's suggestion. The bill would waive examination fees for candidates seeking certification in special education or bilingual education, provide more mitigating factors for contract abandonment, provide grants for school districts to rehire retired teachers, initiate a statewide study on how teachers' time is spent during the instructional day, and refine the grievance process for teachers, among other things.

With HB 2 still in negotiations as the session winds down, it is reassuring that SB 27 will likely head to the governor's desk and secure a victory for teachers in a session focused on public education.