In Texas, teachers and librarians could soon get a $5,000 raise. State senators voted unanimously Monday to approve senate bill three, which would give them this extra
money.
The original bill only included raises for teachers, but after a big push from librarians, senator Jane Nelson added a late amendment to include them. That adds $53-million dollars to the bill.
“The most benefit we receive from it is the fact that we are recognized as teachers,” said Kristi Starr, a librarian at Coronado High School.
For the last eight years, Starr said she has spent time helping students at Coronado as the librarian. She said librarians are just as important as teachers and there are plenty of requirements to become a librarian that people might not consider.
“You must be a certified teacher, you must have taught for a minimum of two years, and you also have to have a masters,” Starr said.
According to an LISD spokesperson, the starting salary for public school teachers and librarians in the district is $43,000. This bill will raise those salaries to $48,000.
Starr said there was a big push for librarians to be included in the bill.
“We’re working with all the students, we’re working with the faculty as well,” Starr said.
Rick Rodriguez, with human resources at LISD, said the salary increase won’t necessarily attract people to come to work in this school district.
“It’s not going to help us in terms of competitively seeking to attract other candidates from those markets,” Rodriguez said.
While the impact may not help pull teachers to Lubbock.
Andrew Ortiz, a Tech Teach teacher candidate, said it will be a big difference for teachers already in the area.
“Within the West Texas area and here in the panhandle, I know that $5,000 makes a huge difference,” Ortiz said.
Teachers are definitely excited about the raises, but Starr said her career is about so much more than the money.
“It’s about the ability to make an impact,” Starr said.