State lawmakers called for a $1,000 pay raise for teachers in Texas public schools, but Lubbock ISD said they are worried about cuts they would have to make in order to follow such a mandate.
“We would love to see teachers make more money,” LISD Superintendent Dr. Berhl Robertson, Jr. said. “Obviously we all know they don’t make near enough, but given the requirements, we pay as much as we possibly can and still be fiscally responsible. If a thousand dollar teacher pay raise was mandated, we would have to be looking to cut some place.”
If there was such a mandate, they worry those potential cuts would affect the number of kids in classrooms, services available to help teachers and support staff. Essentially, they said teachers would be paid well, but may not be able to do their jobs as well, with less services and more kids in classrooms.
“I would love to do that, but I would love to have somebody come tell my community that I am going to have to cut extra curricular events,” Dr. Robertson said.
Governor Greg Abbott has said districts should “spend smarter” in order to give teachers this raise, and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick echoed the sentiment, asking districts to reallocate 5% of their budgets. Dr. Robertson said he thinks teachers understand what is at stake for that raise, however.
“The general teacher, at least in our district, understands that if we were required to give a thousand dollar pay raise in addition to what we have already done, that is going to come with probably a little bit of higher people-to-teacher ratio,” Dr. Robertson said. “They are going to have more kids in the classroom, and services are going to have to be reduced. I think we are pretty much on the same page that if we are going to give them a thousand dollars the state needs to give us the money to do it.”
Teachers rallied on the steps of the Capitol on the first day of the special legislative session, voicing their concern over the education agenda for the special session. Teachers told EverythingLubbock.com they didn’t know how much longer they could stay in the profession if something wasn’t done. One even anonymously said she felt like a “second class citizen” the way they have been treated by the state.
