The Texas Legislature failed to act on meaningful workplace improvements for our paraprofessionals and support staff (PSRPs) in the 89th Legislature, allowing bills that would have addressed the working conditions of custodians (House Bill 1573) or established a minimum wage requirement for bus drivers (HB 419) to wither on the vine. Meanwhile, other states have enacted – or at least have urged – many such improvements.
SJR-2 in California urges the U.S. Congress and the president to pass federal legislation guaranteeing rights to PSRPs, including 16 weeks of paid family/medical leave, affordable professional development opportunities, and a safe and healthy working environment. The resolution explicitly acknowledges the work that PSRPs do to keep schools running and that they are “severely undercompensated for their work and do not receive anything close to a living wage.” While this resolution doesn’t have the force of law, California, our nation’s most populous state, has brought the issue to the forefront in a way that Texas has mostly neglected to follow. Further, it bolsters the case for Sen. Ed Markey’s recently refiled Pay Paraprofessionals and Education Support Staff Act, which would set the minimum wage for school staff at $30 per hour (or $45,000 per year).
What does have the rule of law is Senate Bill 178 in Louisiana. Proposed by a bipartisan group of legislators and signed by Gov. Jeff Landry in July, this bill amends the previously enacted Teacher Bill of Rights (2003) to include “all school employees” and adds a “School Employee Bill of Rights” section. This section entitles PSRPs and teachers the right to a safe working environment, protection from wage reduction in an academic year, and respect for professional judgment in disciplinary matters.
California and Louisiana have provided a model for acknowledging and affirming the work that PSRPs do for our schools, students, and communities, while Texas continues to stand still. Future legislative action – ideally modeled on our Educator’s Bill of Rights – must show these employees the respect they deserve for the invaluable role they play on every campus.