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88TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE

Survey shows strong support for schools, teacher pay raises

Eighty-nine percent of public school parents are satisfied with their child's education, but only 39% of Texans want their child to become a teacher. That's according to a survey released Tuesday by the Charles Butt Foundation, titled "Strong Support, Clear Challenges."

According to the survey, 89% of Texans support increasing state funding for public schools to increase teacher salaries, and the factors used to increase pay over a teacher's career that are the most popular are years of experience, inflation, and level of education — notably, not standardized test scores.

Click here for more key takeaways and a link to view the full report.

Bill boosts teacher salaries by $15,000

Earlier this week, TCTA stood with State Rep. James Talarico and other supporters of teachers as he announced the filing of House Bill 1548 to increase teacher salaries by $15,000. The bill incorporates language that TCTA has been promoting to legislative leaders whenever teacher pay is on the table, as it ensures an across-the-board, pass-through raise for teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians. HB 1548 also provides a 25% pay increase for support personnel.

In other legislative action:

• Senate committee assignments were released this week. Sen. Brandon Creighton will chair the Committee on Education. Sen. Joan Huffman will chair the Committee on Finance, which handles the budget and bills involving funding. Sen. Bryan Hughes will chair the Committee on State Affairs, which oversees public pension funds such as TRS.
• Senate budget hearings are set to begin next week.

You can find all the latest legislative news on our Capitol Updates webpage.

OTHER NEWS

Apply for Fulbright Teacher Exchanges by Feb. 20

Fulbright Teacher Exchanges is accepting applications for two of its 2023-24 programs for K-12 educators through Feb. 20:

• The Fulbright Distinguished Awards in Teaching Research Program provides an opportunity for K-12 educators to conduct research and engage in other professional learning experiences abroad for three to six months.
• The Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms Program is a yearlong professional learning opportunity and short-term exchange for elementary, middle and high school educators to develop skills to prepare students for a competitive global economy.

Click here to learn more about the Fulbright programs and apply. 

Register for TCTA's 2023 Convention by Friday

Delegates selected to represent their local affiliate at TCTA's 2023 Convention on Feb. 10-11 must register and make hotel reservations online by Friday, Jan. 27, to get TCTA's reduced room rates at Kalahari Resort in Round Rock. After Friday, hotel rates increase significantly.

While the delegate-at-large deadline for members in school districts without a local affiliate was Dec. 13, current TCTA members in those districts may register as member-guests. Member-guests will not have voting privileges, but may participate in all other activities on the schedule, including the Feb. 10 Capitol Visit. Convention attendees can earn up to 3 hours of continuing professional education credit. Click here to learn more and register.

If you've already registered, thank you. We look forward to seeing you soon!

TEA releases 2021-22 report cards for public schools

The Texas Education Agency has released 2021-22 school report cards on its website so parents can see an overall snapshot of their child's campus. Each report card combines accountability ratings, data from the Texas Academic Performance Reports and financial information to give a broad view of campus performance.

Click here to see what grade your campus earned in 2021-22.

Save on online tax prep with deals through TicketsatWork

Tax season is here, and teachers can deduct up to $300 for school supplies when filing a 2023 federal income tax return. TCTA members can also save on online tax preparation services through TicketsatWork. Current deals include 25% off TaxAct and up to $20 off TurboTax online products. Click here to login in or become a TicketsatWork member using TCTA's Company Code: SWTCTA. Once you're logged in, you can find both deals in the Shopping Deals section under Financial Wellness.

Free webinar Feb. 2 explores impact of stress and trauma

Learning Forward plans a free webinar at 2 p.m. CST on Thursday, Feb. 2, to explore the impact of stress and trauma on students and teachers. It will explain how building educators’ use of trauma-informed practice can lead to benefits for students and staff.

Click here to register and learn more. Can't attend live? Register and get a link to the recording and the resources shared by the presenters.

Feb. 1 is the last day to join TCTA for 2022-23 school year

If you have any new colleagues who were hired in January, invite them to join TCTA for half price. Find more information on eligibility here. Remind them to act quickly since Wednesday, Feb. 1, is the last day to join TCTA for the 2022-23 school year.

• Register for TCTA's 2023 Convention by Jan. 27.
• The State Board of Education meets Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Austin.