By J. Lyn Carl, GalleryWatch.com
Austin, TX – A number of state educator organizations have sent letters to members of the Texas House urging them to vote "no" on HB 1 and HJR 1, the public school finance and tax relief legislation that are expected to be taken up on the House floor today, Tuesday.
The groups - the Texas PTA, the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association, the Texas Association of Secondary School Principals, the Association of Texas Professional Educators, the Texas Federation of Teachers, the Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education, and the Texas State Teachers Association, note in their letter that there is no reason to pass legislation "that fails to address the key problems faved by the public schools in Texas - lack of funding to provide the educational programs and personnel our students need to succeed."
They note the bill has no new money, it shifts the tax burden rather than funding education, provides only 2 percent new money for most districts in 2005-06, does not increase teacher salaries, does nothing for school employees and will pit teachers against each other if "inventive" pay is instituted.