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Texas House committee delves into performance pay for teachers, while giving scant attention to a statewide pay raise

Publish Date: August 10, 2018

Teacher pay is not keeping up with gains in compensation in other professions The disconnect in thinking between several House Public Education Committee members and witnesses testifying on behalf of teachers was easy to spot yesterday as the committee held a four-hour hearing on teacher compensation strategies. Much of the initial testimony--including a presentation from Education Commissioner Mike Morath--focused on "pay for performance" measures--meaning systems that try to determine who the top teachers are and then pay them more, particularly if they are then assigned to try and shore up struggling schools. Texas AFT President Louis Malfaro and other teacher witnesses, on the other hand, stressed that what's needed first is a state-funded pay raise for all teachers. "It will take considerably higher base pay...

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Statement on A-F grading of school districts

Publish Date: August 15, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 15, 2018 CONTACT:  Rob D’Amico, 512-627-1343 Nothing is fair about this simplistic, test-driven system that doesn’t reflect how schools are progressing and serving their students and communities Louis Malfaro, Texas AFT president, commented today on the Texas Education Agency release of A-F ratings for school districts:...

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Reduction in assumed TRS investment returns: What does it mean for you?

Publish Date: July 27, 2018

  The Teacher Retirement System of Texas Board of Trustees today reduced the pension fund's long-range assumption for investment returns from 8 percent to 7.25 percent, a reduction that will have a significant impact on how much must be contributed annually to meet future obligations and when or whether retirees will get a cost-of-living increase...

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Locals in Action (July 2018)

Publish Date: July 19, 2018

July 19, 2018 HESP helps cool it down! Our self-described “blue collar union” for Houston ISD support employees made the rounds of district transportation facilities this week to hand out cold water, sports drinks and snacks to help employees beat the heat, which was 100 degrees or more. Kudos to...

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