Press release: Texas public schools need more funding and higher teacher salaries

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association joined other public education supporters at the Capitol on April 4 to call on lawmakers to use the state's historic budget surplus to increase funding for public schools, including across-the-board salary increases for teachers and other instructional personnel.

Lonnie F. Hollingsworth Jr., TCTA's general counsel, presented the following statement on behalf of TCTA at the press conference (watch the replay here):

The teaching profession is in crisis. To ensure the best education for our children, we need to attract more bright students into teaching and keep our veteran teachers in the classroom. But to do so, they need to be assured that they can afford to work in public schools and that their schools have the resources necessary for them to do their jobs. This will require more funding for schools, and higher teacher salaries.

The lack of adequate staffing in schools is increasing teacher workloads and adding to other pressures such as discipline problems. Our schools need more mental health professionals, more aides, more tutors and substitutes to help relieve those burdens.

We have a chance to effect real change for public schools this session. The Texas Legislature can boost funding to school districts in an equitable fashion and raise teacher salaries, while also providing property tax relief. This has been done successfully in past sessions, even when we didn’t have a budget surplus of this magnitude, and we call on the Legislature to do so again.

It is time to reinforce the state’s commitment to students and their teachers. By increasing the basic allotment and passing legislation providing across-the-board salary increases, our elected leaders can keep our public school system on a path of excellence.