An Austin teacher has ideas for what the Texas Legislature can do to fix our educator crisis.
A few weeks ago at an H-E-B, I ran into an old co-worker who taught next door to me when we were both starting out in education. For five years, we worked on the same campus at a Title I charter school in Austin. Claire was the reason I wanted to become a better teacher. I can't count the number of times I watched her take command of a classroom, talk a student out of dropping out, or speak to parents on the phone in the evenings.
Sad as it is, Claire's departure from the classroom is nothing out of the ordinary. Last year alone, Austin's school district lost over 2,000 teachers, nearly double that of the previous year. According to recent surveys, upwards of 70% of the current AISD teachers are considering leaving after this year. And while there are many reasons behind the uptick of teacher resignations, salary is at the top of the list.
One way Texas legislatures can address the teacher shortage crisis is to expand the Mentor Program Allotment that was established with [House Bill] 3. With more money going toward teacher mentorship programs, districts like Austin will be better equipped to retain and compensate quality teachers through paid stipends while at the same time providing more hands-on, one-on-one training and assistance to those who are new to the profession and are most at risk of"teacher burnout.
Most importantly though, legislators this year can vote to increase the basic allotment schools receive per pupil, and with that, require schools to apply that added funding toward an increase in teacher salaries. Reports show Texas ranking below the national average on teacher salary averages, and 43rd in the nation in terms of yearly pay increases. Raising the basic allotment could be a feasible solution.
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