Among the respondents to our recent survey who indicated that they were being required by their district to work extra hours, 69% said they were not getting paid for the extra time.
When asked what changes would make this year better, many survey respondents mentioned compensation in some form — either a pay raise or at least additional pay for additional work.
While money alone is clearly not an answer to the problems students and teachers are facing this year, higher salaries would undoubtedly help address the growing teacher shortage, ensuring that those who love teaching could afford to remain in the classroom, and attracting bright new educators into the profession.
Districts that are not paying their teachers for extra responsibilities and time may be able to do so legally (depending on the specific situation), as Texas law does not specify the length of a teacher’s work day. But this piling on of new duties and extra time without tangibly recognizing the strain being placed on their employees is pushing many teachers to the breaking point.
Most districts are getting a significant bump in funding this year from federal COVID-19 relief funds. They have discretion in how those funds are to be used, but compensation is clearly envisioned by both federal and state leaders as an appropriate use. FAQ documents from the federal government include the following as examples of how funds could be used: extra-duty pay for duties outside the normal workday and extended instructional time, stipends for additional responsibilities, performance stipends, retention bonuses, and training/professional development stipends.
Not all districts have received their full entitlement yet, and districts may choose to “bank” the funds for future use or to spend them on other priorities such as capital improvements (e.g., improved ventilation systems).
Sixty percent of our survey respondents said they were not aware of how their district is spending its federal funds. We encourage our members to look up what their districts should be receiving, using the information below, and have discussions with school officials and school board members about how those funds are to be used to benefit students and teachers.