President’s Message

as a $15,000 raise for teachers. Texas teacher salaries are still below the national average by at least $7,500. We must close and overtake this gap. The state also needs to increase its contribution for health insurance premiums and retiree benefits including a COLA.

TASPA: A Call to Action

What a great, and difficult, time to be an educator! When in the history of education has our profession faced such challenges? All of us are dealing with an array of staffing shortages coming off of COVID via the Great Resignation. The fact that the educator pipeline has been shrinking is old news to those of us who have been in the profession for more than a few years. The state has certified more alternative certification candidates than classically trained candidates for the past several years and, we find ourselves having to harden our schools to provide additional safety and security in light of school violence concerns.

All the while, Texas’ 6 Million plus students deserve better. Their needs are as diverse as the state is wide and their future depends on our ability to navigate the political climate. How awesome a task to be able to do so effectively enough to ensure that we serve all children, to protect them from those who would do harm and those who would take away necessary resources.

Thus, welcome to the educational and political landscape of 2023 that lies before us. I want to encourage you to stand up and be a voice for education. The legislative session has begun and everyone will be fighting for a piece of the state’s surplus monies. Thus, priorities I believe we should advocate for are increased compensation, recruitment and retention and school safety initiatives.

Additional funding must be earmarked for educator salaries. Advocates have publicly asked for as much

If the state increases teacher pay then it will better reflect the professional status education should have. This is necessary for us to better recruit and retain employees. At the same time we must advocate for rigorous but flexible educator preparation legislation. We need more individuals in the pipeline but we also just don’t need anybody. Paying proper wages and respecting educators for their profession will help grow the pipeline. Thus barriers to certification such as exorbitant fees and lofty unattainable program goals should be removed or at least altered in a positive manner.

Finally, educators want the same things parents want; safe schools. The legislature has already made attempts to priority school safety. However, these measure should come without unfunded mandates and without so many strings that create additional barriers and a gotcha system to implement. No, teachers don’t need to be armed, but that should be a local decision and the legislature should allow local control for addressing local responses to local needs.

So… I ask all of my fellow TASPA members to be vocal this year. Talk with your representatives. Stand up for Public Education and Local Control. Stand up for what is right and will help us to recruit, retain, support and grow our profession. Stand up for safe schools. Speak out, testify, organize. No matter your position, you have a voice and it needs to be hear.

Respectfully,

Al A. Rodriguez