Texas teachers' pay is average. But their pensions are among the lowest in the country.

[TexasTowelie]

by Alex Samuels, Texas Tribune


Hey, Texplainer: How do employment benefits for Texas educators compare to those in other states?

This question has been a point of contention between lawmakers and educators for many years. Texas teachers say they’re frustrated due to a lack of state funding for public education. But lawmakers say the uncertainty surrounding the budget makes it hard to allocate better benefits for educators.

If you look at the raw numbers, Texas ranked 27th in the nation for teacher pay in 2016, according to the National Education Association. On average, Texas teachers earned $51,890 — roughly $6,500 below the national average.

However, teachers have long argued that inadequate funding for public schools cuts into their salaries. During the 2008 fiscal year, the state covered roughly 48.5 percent of the cost of public education, according to the Legislative Budget Board. By the 2019 fiscal year, that figure will be closer to 38 percent. Over the same period, teacher salaries remained about the same [Texas teachers, on average, earned roughly $47,000 in 2008].

“One of the biggest costs to education are the teachers and other employees at a school district. That’s the biggest cost to the state,” said Clay Robison, a spokesman for the Texas State Teachers Association. “When you start cutting education in Texas, you’re shortchanging teachers. We’re already behind the national average when it comes to teacher pay, and we’re getting further behind.”

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2018/04/20/texas-teachers-employee-benefits-dead-last-retirement-funding/

[BigmanPigman]

1. I wonder what the state pays per student is

compared to other states as well as the cost of living and the ratio compared to other states. As a former teacher and union rep I learned that there are many factors that need to be looked at when comparing figures. Retirement, pension, benefits, etc are all important when looking at the overall finances and negotiating contracts.

[pansypoo53219]

2. NPR had a story that millions will not get social security either.