Why I Care About Teacher Pay

I come from a long line of educators. My great-grandmother taught elementary school in Lubbock, TX. My grandmother taught high school english for 37 years at Paschal High School in Fort Worth. My mother has taught kindergarten for 18 years at Westcliff Elementary in Fort Worth. My cousin teaches elementary school in Aledo, TX. Another cousin is a psychology professor at Yale University in New Haven, CT.

As you can see, the Chilton family likes to teach. That is why I care about HB 176 and the need for an increase in teacher salaries here in Texas as well as nationwide. I believe teachers are underpaid and under appreciated when it comes to government action.

According to a 2011 article, the United States ranked 22nd out of 27 countries when looking at teacher pay. The top countries, minus New Zealand, are all in Europe. This makes sense because teaching in Europe is a highly valued profession, therefore they are paid more.

I am fortunate to have so many passionate family members that are teachers. I have always been told the importance of education, and I will continue to believe in its importance.

Final update: HB 176 is still in education committee.

"A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops."
 - Henry Adams

Preston Chilton

Post 5

The History of Teacher Pay

As pressing as this issue is in today's world, it is important to know the history of teacher pay to see how it has changed over the years.

According to a CPRE article, there have been three major shifts in the way teachers have been paid in the United States. In the 1800s, teachers were paid by a "boarding round" system, which consisted of room and board for the teacher provided by the local community. In the early 1900s, teachers started to be paid on a position-based salary schedule. This meant that elementary teachers were paid less than secondary teachers because of the differences in educational requirements for each position. The third historical shift came in the latter half of the 1900s. The single-salary schedule paid teachers the same salary if they had the same qualifications, and race and gender were not factors anymore. This system also instituted a pay raise for increasing years of experience, similar to what is practiced today.

Similarly, looking at the salary amount of teachers over time is important too. In a Chicago Mag article, the author looked at average teaching salaries over time to comment on the change that has occurred. In 1966 (the first year the author looked at), the average starting salary of a teacher was $5,500. Fast forward to 2010 where the starting pay was $50,500.

It is amazing how far it has come, yet how far it still has to go. (Side note: Chicago's average teacher salaries are higher than the national average.)

In the 2013 Texas legislative session, HB 176 was referred to the Public Education committee on February 6 and is still "in committee."

Preston Chilton
Post 4

Teachers Are Still Fighting In Austin

As the legislative session pushes forward, Texas educators are still advocating for higher salaries while attacking other legislation.

HB 176, written by Armando Martinez, was introduced and referred to the committee on House Public Education on Feb. 6, 2013. This bill would increase Texas teacher salaries so they are closer to the national average.

The Texas Classroom Teachers Association is another group advocating for Texas teachers. However, the TCTA is in Austin opposing a piece of legislation. SB 2, presented by Dan Patrick, is being opposed by the TCTA because "the home-rule section of the bill essentially guts teacher rights and benefits, legal protections, parent and student rights, and many other provisions of the Education Code", according to their site. 

Something that may impact the outcome of legislation for Texas education is the recent court case that found Texas' system for funding schools unconstitutional. Judge Dietz found the system to be "inadequate" and "unfair". The case is headed to the Supreme Court. You can read the full story here.

Will the TCTA be successful in opposing SB 2? Will the court case affect what is happening in Austin?

Quote Source: Court Case Article

Preston Chilton
Post 2
Topic: Increasing Teacher Salaries, Texas Education