The Texas Senate has passed a bill empowering public school teachers and granting them a one-time bonus of $2,000 plus an additional $4,000 to educators in small districts.
The senate voted 22-9 on April 6 to approve the bill.
On March 10, Sen. Brandon Creighton (R-Conroe) along with other senators, including Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D-McAllen), filed Senate Bill 9.
Nicknamed the “Teachers’ Bill of Rights,” SB 9 “relates to the rights, certification, and compensation of public school educators and assistance provided to public schools by the Texas Education Agency related to public school educators and to certain allotments under the Foundation School Program,” according to the bill.
This is one of Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick’s priority bills.
Under the bill, districts would provide teachers with a duty calendar to determine “the amount of a reduction in the salary of a classroom teacher, full-time counselor, or full-time librarian for unpaid leave.”
The purpose of the duty calendars is to protect teachers’ time and limit how much time is spent outside of work, according to edinburgpolitics.com.
SB 9 would also create a grant program to reimburse school districts or open-enrollment charter schools for the cost of their contribution to the Teacher Retirement System when they rehire retired teachers, the bill states.
In an April 6 Senate Committee Report, Hinojosa submitted a statement regarding SB 9.
“I am a joint author of Senate Bill 9 because supporting our teachers continues to be a priority for me this session,” the statement read. “With this legislation, we are standing up for teachers and providing them with additional compensation and benefits for their dedication to the education of our children. This payment will be in addition to the pay increase we authorized in 2019 with the passage of HB 3.”
Hinojosa wrote in the statement that the $1.625 billion the Senate committed to this bill will provide the payment increase for teachers who “stay in the classroom during the next school year.”
“While I know that they deserve and need much more, my vote today is not to show my satisfaction with the proposed compensation, but rather a commitment to continue advocating for more funding and to show my support for the additional benefits this bill provides,” Hinojosa’s statement reads.
The Rider contacted Erin Wilson, Creighton’s press secretary/communications director for an interview with Creighton, but Wilson replied in an April 24 email, “I’m working on this! I am hoping to find some time for you and Sen. Creighton to speak, but things are very busy right now.”
SB 9 would also require the Texas Education Agency to contract with a third party to provide the following services for a classroom teacher employed under a probationary, continuing or term contract:
–develop and provide technical assistance for school districts and open-enrollment charter schools that request assistance in implementing a local optional teacher designation system, including: assistance in understanding the teacher’s rights, duties, and benefits; and liability insurance to protect a teacher against liability to a third party based on conduct that the teacher allegedly engaged in during the course of the teacher’s duties.
The bill also requires the TEA to develop training for and provide technical assistance to school districts and open-enrollment charter schools for programs that “encourage high school students or other members of the community in the area served by the district to become teachers, including available teacher apprenticeship programs.”
The Rider contacted the Texas Education Agency on April 18 for comment on the legislation. But, Melissa Holmes, senior media relations coordinator, said, “TEA cannot comment on proposed or pending legislation. Your best resource for this story is the bill author(s).”
