A proposed pay raise for Texas teachers comes with a little give-and-take because state senators want to allocate money to teachers at the expense of support staff.
House Bill 1 aims to lower the property tax cap by about 17 cents. But bill sponsor Sen. Florence Shapiro said she also wanted to add something for teachers.
A Senate committee is considering a teacher pay proposal, including a $2,000 raise.
"We've taken a position against the bill because the pay raise is partially funded by eliminating the health insurance supplement for all other employees," Lonnie Hollingsworth of the Texas Classroom Teachers Association said.
Teacher groups say that pay raise comes on the backs of teacher aides, bus drivers and school cafeteria workers because it cuts their health insurance stipends after 2007.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Teacher pay raises
News 8 Austin's Allie Rasmus reports from the State Capitol.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
But Shapiro said the teacher groups run the risk of ending up with nothing.
"That's almost like saying, ‘I need a loaf of bread, but I don't want half a loaf, so give me nothing instead,’" she said.
Shapiro’s said her finance committee colleagues are turned off by teachers’ apparent lack of appreciation over the pay raise. Hollingsworth, however, said educators do appreciate the move to add the pay raise, but they also rely on their support staff.
In 2003, the Legislature cut the health care supplement for state education employees from $1,000 to $500. Now, Shapiro said, teachers are getting $500 back to use for health care or a salary increase.
The bill and the controversial pay raise have a long way to go. Once HB 1 passes through the Senate committee, Senate and House lawmakers must work out a compromise bill. That's where the process broke down in the last three sessions on school finance.
The Senate finance committee adjourned Wednesday without voting on HB 1.
Senators did vote against an amendment to leave in the teacher pay raise without using the health care stipend.
