Will Texas Finally Find a Plan to Boost Teacher Pay?

AUSTIN -- Teacher pay is once again coming into sharp focus after lawmakers failed to pass legislation this summer that would have bumped up salaries.Lt. Governor Dan Patrick has charged senators with studying teacher compensation, recruitment and retention issues during the interim leading up to the 2019 regular session.Lawmakers took a crack at it during the last session after Gov. Greg Abbott said he wanted them to boost educators’ pay by $1,000. The Senate approved a plan that would have given longevity bonuses of $600-$1,000 based on experience but the measure didn't clear the House.Many educator groups were skeptical of those bills anyway, saying the move to raise salaries then was aimed at distracting folks from other heated education issues, such as the debate on school vouchers.Any new discussion on raises will have to answer one major question: Who's going to pay?   Continue reading...