A Senate bill, known as SB 9, has been proposed in Austin, Texas with the aim of educational reform.
It would cost an estimated $3 billion and would have several goals, including providing higher salaries for teachers, introducing policies to alleviate classroom pressure on teachers, increasing funding for retention and asking Congress to address the problem of teachers not being able to claim Social Security benefits of a deceased spouse.
The bill received positive feedback during a hearing, with suggestions made that the pay raise should be increased to as much as $10,000 and that it should not be limited to teachers alone.
The package was also praised for attempting to address concerns in retirement issues, as well as concerns for hiring and opportunities for non-teaching staff, such as bus drivers and maintenance staff.
The hearing also involved discussion of the hotly debated topic of a statewide voucher programme, known as Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), which may provide access to private schools.
However, opinions were mixed, and it was suggested that ESAs might disadvantage families with special needs children. Further debates and voting on the bills are expected in due course.
