Teacher Pay raise Goes From $6,000 to $425. Texas Cheating Teachers!
(May 18, 2007)--Teachers would get about $425 more a year under a state budget agreement forged late tonight by House and Senate budget writers. The amount, which also applies to school counselors, librarians and nurses, is about half of the pay raise in the budget proposal that the House adopted in March.
With less than two weeks left in the 140-day legislative session, House and Senate leaders are working to negotiate a compromise between the two versions of the $150 billion two-year state budget.
The Senate version, which was adopted in that chamber in April, did not include any money for an across-the-board teacher pay raise, but put in $580 million for teacher incentive-pay programs. Teachers groups have long opposed incentive-pay initiatives.
The budget is House Bill 1
Pay raise for our Texas school teachers: $430.
Pay raise for Governor Rick Perry: $32,000.
Pay raise for Attorney General Abbott: $25,000
Pay raise for the Commissioner of the Teacher Retirement System: $151,000
Aaron Pena Voting Republican! Priceless
Aaron Pena Caught In A Lie
The murky legislation on raises and pension hikes has left a lot of members wondering what actually was passed. And you’re not alone. Major newspapers have been confused, too, and have incorrectly reported that the legislature passed an across-the-board teacher pay raise of $425 a year and a 13th check for retirees, without noting that the 13th check is not automatic.
So let’s set the record straight. The alleged pay raise in HB 1, the budget for 2008-2009, is not a guaranteed, across-the-board pay raise of $425 for every teacher (or for every counselor, school nurse, and librarian).
Although labeled as funding for "educator salary increases," districts can allocate the money unequally among educators, including administrators. Don’t count on receiving the $35.42 gross monthly increase (less than $25 after taxes and deductions) that would be delivered if the dollars were distributed evenly. It’s up to educators to make the case for across-the-board pay raises district by district.
The 13th check for retired school employees also is not guaranteed, though there's a decent chance it will be delivered.
Thanks to the scheming of Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock), along with legislative leaders, the new law does not provide enough of an increase in state payments to guarantee a 13th check for TRS retirees.
The bill requires TRS to decide later this year whether a 13th check can be paid for either by extra money in the fund or, if there's not enough extra, by increased employee contributions. TRS ultimately has the option not to issue check at all.
Aaron Pena's blog not telling the whole truth.
So what is Aaron's slogan going to be this time around? He has used "Fighting for the People" Well, we all know that is just not true. Unless your a Republican. And he's also used "Fighting for Teachers" And as you can see that is definitely not true.
I have a slogan for you, Mr. Aaron Pena: "Fighting to keep Craddick as Speaker" Or "Fighting to keep the Republicans in Power."
