Bring on the Clowns!
We have officially made it to clown season during the 88th session of #txlege. You know, that point where people who have been against public education pull stunts or take votes to be able to show they really aren’t hostile to public ed, they love teachers, and boy, pay them more.
Clown #1 is Brian Harrison, who introduced an amendment to HB100 on 3rd reading (where it takes 2/3 to pass vs a simple majority on 2nd reading) to in his words "give public school teachers the biggest pay raise in Texas history!". He's a hero, right? Nope. Just a clown. Here's why. (and it isn’t just because he re-tweets his own tweets)
In HB100, the education code was modified in what passed through 2nd reading to require school districts to give 50% of any increase in basic allotment (up from 30%) to pay raises for district staff. 75% of it must go to one group which includes classroom teachers).
The basic allotment was increased in HB100 from $6,160 per student to $6,250, a $90 bump. The pay raise requirement looks like this:
- District had 5,000 kids and still does
- Old allotment: 1k x $6,160=$30,800,000
- New allotment: 1k x $6,250=$31,250,000
- $450k difference
- $225k to raises $168k to (1) group above
Back to Clown #1. Harrison submitted an amendment for 3rd reading (again, takes 2/3 to pass when on 2nd it was a majority). His amendment says for a district to receive the basic allotment, they have to spend 50% of M&O on classroom teachers.
If Clown #1’s amendment was so great, and in his words would “give public school teachers the biggest pay raise in Texas history!”, why not introduce it on 2nd reading? It would only take a majority to pass it. Republicans have a majority in the House. Because it was a stunt.
What is the reality of how school districts in Texas pay classroom teachers? Do they get 50% of M&O Expenditures in salary and benefits? The Texas Education Agency says in 2022–2023, 57.52% of expenditures is going to Instruction (classroom teachers). Biggest pay raise? Nah
But but but, what about individual districts? I pulled the full budget file for all public school districts in Texas and there are some below 50% of M&O expenditures on classroom teachers. So some would get a raise. But how many? “Biggest pay raise in Texas history”?
Districts paying less than 50% of M&O expenditures to classroom teachers make up just 13% of M&O expenditures across the state (per TEA data). Meaning the amendment from Clown #1 doesn’t impact that many classroom teachers. Definitely not “biggest pay raise in Texas history”
On the vote on Clown #1’s amendment, it failed, with 87 Yeas (and 7 who said they meant to Yea). 94 of 146 voting = 64%. Why didn’t it pass? Because Clown #1 didn’t propose his amendment on 2nd reading, when it needed a majority. He proposed it on 3rd reading where it needed 67%. Stunt
Enough about Clown #1. Let’s focus on Clown #2, Rep Jared Patterson. He cared so deeply about teachers and HB100, he didn’t even know what was already in the bill or what the Harrison amendment actually said. But he sure was ready to jump up and call out Democrats for their “stunt”.
Clown #2 told his followers that an amendment to HB100 would require districts to use half of the increase in the basic allotment for raises in teacher pay. IT WAS ALREADY A PART OF HB100 (see the first red box in the image below). The Harrison amendment was totally different.
To recap:
Clown #1 submits an amendment on 3rd reading that impacts a small % of classroom teachers. It fails.
Clown #2 jumps in to advocate for Clown #1 and go after democrats for stunts, but doesn’t actually know what’s in the bill / amendment, illustrating who was actually running a stunt.
The answer to giving pay raises to classroom teachers, librarians, counselors, nurses, and other district personnel? Raise the basic allotment. The 2023 Comptroller Forecast shows the basic allotment should be $7,325 if pacing with inflation. $6,250 is 2020 levels. It’s 2023.
Which group has across the board been advocating for raising the basic allotment to try and at the very least keep up with inflation for Texas public schools? Well, it definitely isn’t the party that Clown #1 and Clown #2 belong to. It’s been Texas House Democrats, the same one’s Clown #2 was accusing of a stunt.
We don’t need the circus and a clown show. We need serious solutions to deal with serious problems. And sadly, the party with the majority in the Texas Legislature definitely has members more focused on stunts and fear tactics than actually making life better for Texans. (fin)
