{"id":42648,"date":"2023-04-03T19:59:58","date_gmt":"2023-04-04T00:59:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.teachersoftomorrow.org\/?p=42648"},"modified":"2023-04-03T19:59:59","modified_gmt":"2023-04-04T00:59:59","slug":"house-bill-1548-texas-teacher-salary-increase","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.teachersoftomorrow.org\/blog\/insights\/house-bill-1548-texas-teacher-salary-increase\/","title":{"rendered":"House Bill 1548: A Game-Changer for Texas Teachers with $15,000 Salary Boost"},"content":{"rendered":"

If <\/span>House Bill 1548<\/span><\/a> passes, Texas will grant teachers a $15,000 pay raise, and school librarians, counselors, and nurses will also receive a $15,000 annual raise, while other school employees enjoy a 25% pay increase.<\/span><\/p>\n

House Bill 1548, authored by<\/span> Rep. James Talarico<\/span><\/a>, is poised to give teachers the highest pay raise in Texas history. Rep James Talarico, a former teacher, held a press conference, supported by his Democratic colleagues in January, to discuss the bill, giving teachers across Texas the hope of a raise this year.<\/span><\/p>\n

James Talarico noted that while working as a teacher, many of his colleagues drove for Uber or sold their plasma to supplement their earnings.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cEducators have always been underpaid and overworked; We work well over the 40 hours which we are barely paid for. We spend our own hard-earned money to make the school environment unforgettable for our students,\u201d said <\/span>Deanna Perkins<\/b>, a teacher with Leander ISD, during the House bill 1548 press conference.<\/span><\/p>\n

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According to Zeph capo, the <\/span>president<\/b> of the <\/span>Texas American Federation of Teachers<\/b>, the bill is a welcome relief\u2014a great initiative to compensate for the lost pay and lost opportunities for teachers in Texas.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re hoping that this bill gets passed because that 15,000 dollars to our teachers is vitally important to ensure that we maintain our best teachers in our schools.\u201d Said, Capo<\/span><\/p>\n

If passed, the bill will see the lowest-paid teacher (with zero experience) salary rise to $48,660 while the average teacher’s salary will be $73,887.<\/span><\/p>\n

This bill aims to address the state’s teacher shortage by attracting educators to the profession, as <\/span>they’ve been departing<\/span><\/a> due to low pay, excessive workload, and health concerns.<\/span><\/p>\n

Addressing the press conference on <\/span>House Bill 1548<\/b>, Telarico noted that the bill needs bold action and the state needs to \u201cgo big\u201d on teacher pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

“Texas is currently sitting on $47 billion worth of unused state funds. We can give every Texas teacher a $15,000 raise and still have HALF of the surplus left over.\u201d Said Rep. Telarico.<\/span><\/p>\n

Upon House Bill 1548’s passage, Texas teachers would become the 7th highest-paid in the nation. Texas <\/span>ranks 25th<\/span><\/a> in teacher pay, with teachers earning $7,500 below the national average.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maryland, New York, and California are among the states that offer the highest salaries to teachers, with pay ranging from $80,000 to $90,000 per year. The top five states with the highest teacher salaries are New York ($92,222), Massachusetts ($88,903), California ($87,275), Washington ($81,586), and Connecticut ($81,185).<\/span><\/p>\n

While the average teacher’s pay in Texas is around $60,000 a year, inflation and the cost of living have increased steadily, unlike salaries reducing teachers\u2019 earnings further.<\/span><\/p>\n

Zeph Capo, president of the <\/span>Texas American Federation of Teachers,<\/b> reports that teachers in different Texas school districts have experienced a 12%-20% reduction in their actual pay over the last ten years because of inflation.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s been almost a 12% reduction in the Bryan Independent School District. So that we know that this is well overdue and we hope that this certainly passes.\u201d- <\/span>Zeph Capo<\/b>, speaking to KBTX about House Bill 1548.<\/span><\/p>\n

Capo noted that legislators could also address the teaching shortage by making a bill that gets funding directly to teachers and increasing the allotment sent to Texas school districts. Currently, Texas funds schools based on daily student attendance rates. With an<\/span> average attendance rate of 92%<\/span><\/a>, schools continue to miss out on some funding\u2014affecting teachers in the long haul.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other legislators in Texas have prioritized teacher pay increases. According to<\/span> The Texas Tribune<\/span><\/a>, both State and House in Texas have proposed raises in teacher pay.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, <\/span>Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick<\/span><\/a> Lists Teacher pay raise as a priority.<\/span> Sen. Jose Menendez<\/span><\/a> filed<\/span> Senate Bill 657<\/span><\/a>, which would introduce teacher incentives of over $10,000 per year. Senate Bill 657 also proposes an award of $40,000 worth of scholarships to students who pursue teaching.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the last teacher pay increase was through <\/span>House Bill 3 (HB 3),<\/b> passed by the state legislature in 2019. The <\/span>HB 3<\/b> bill provided for:<\/span><\/p>\n