The Texas House is due to vote on HB 3646, the major school-finance bill of the session. Send the online letter below to tell your state representative, "Schools need more funding, school employees need higher pay. Vote for both!"

For extra credit, you can also call your state rep Monday morning on the Texas AFT toll-free line to the state capitol, 1-888-836-8368. Just give the capitol operator your rep's name and ask to be connected.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

With the major school-finance bill of the 2009 session (CSHB 3646) coming to the House floor on May 11, I urge you to seize the chance to vote for both increased school aid and a much-needed pay raise for all Texas teachers.

As passed in committee, CSHB 3646 provides roughly $1.9 billion in higher school aid through equitable formulas. CSHB 3646 also would ensure that half of the new money flowing to each district would go directly to teachers, counselors, school nurses, librarians, and speech pathologists as a state-guaranteed, across-the-board pay increase (averaging more than $1,000).

Since 2006 state funding for school districts has stagnated, and funding inequities have been frozen in place. The new state aid for schools in CSHB 3646, combined with new federal aid under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will allow school districts to keep investing in the quality personnel and programs our schoolchildren deserve.

Texas teachers' average pay also has stagnated, lagging 20 percent below salaries for comparable occupations in our state. Teachers here are paid $5,617 less than the national average. CSHB 3646 would guarantee teachers a much-needed salary boost and keep Texas from slipping further behind.

This bill also eases state restrictions on school districts' use of incentive pay, shifting the emphasis away from unproven "pay-for-test-scores" schemes. Instead the focus would be on locally designed incentives for teachers who take on challenging assignments, attain certification in shortage areas, or serve as mentors.

Please let me know that you are voting to support these key provisions of CSHB 3646 and to reinvest in Texas public schools.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
May 11, 2009