AUSTIN, Texas – While various methods of evaluating pay paint different pictures of teacher compensation in Texas compared to the rest of the states, a new study shows the current system fails to meet the needs of teachers, schools and students. How lawmakers decide to revamp the system, if at all, will have important consequences for students, says the study’s lead author.
“If students are to achieve high levels of academic proficiency, teachers must be paid in a way that recognizes the demonstrable impact of effective teaching,” said Chris Patterson, director of research at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. The Foundation is a non-profit, non-partisan research institute based in Austin.
The study, “Better Salaries For Teachers In Texas Public Schools,” is available at www.TexasPolicy.com. It was co-authored with the Foundation’s education policy analyst, Jamie Story.
Some have argued that teacher pay in Texas should be measured against the national average. But Patterson and Story report that the strongest argument is presented by the National Education Association, which warns that a national average “alone should not be the basis of evaluating state or district compensation…” because averages furnish limited information about the real value of salaries.
Another argument explored in the study is comparison with other professions. But the study finds that average salaries of teachers in Texas public schools have always exceeded the average state income. For example, in 2002, teachers earned an average income of $39,232 while the average Texan earned $36,248.
“The most reliable way to set teacher pay is through simple market competition,” says Patterson. “Salaries really matter to teachers when they work in difficult environments, especially in low-performing urban schools where teachers are concerned about discipline and safety. Excellent teachers should be compensated at a rate that recognizes effort and working conditions, just like in any other profession.”
Patterson said “across-the-board” salary increases do not keep good teachers in the classroom. Instead, teachers should be rewarded for improving student performance, including not just passing achievement tests, but also the improvement seen even in students not passing.
“It is time for the state legislature to completely rethink how and what to pay teachers, giving schools the authority they need to make the employment decisions necessary to improve student achievement.”
(30)