1,500 more US troops being sent to deter Iran

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday said his state is going to spend $1.6 billion on raises for teachers.

Interested in Education?

Add Education as an interest to stay up to date on the latest Education news, video, and analysis from ABC News.

Add Interest

Abbott, according to The Associated Press, called attention to the pay hikes as fellow Republicans who've angered teachers over spending cuts seek to regain a vital voting block after losing more than a dozen seats in the 2018 midterms.

"In the inauguration, I made some pretty bold promises to the people of Texas," said Abbott, sworn into his second term in January. "I said we must reward teachers in school districts that achieve results, we've done that. I said we must prioritize spending in the classroom, we've done that."

PHOTO: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, seated right, and other law makers attend a joint press conference to discuss teacher pay and school finance. — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, and Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen, seated right, and other law makers attend a joint press conference to discuss teacher pay and school finance.

A state spending bill has not yet been signed but is expected to cross the governor's desk before legislators adjourn on Monday, according to the AP.

(MORE: Texas governor expected to sign bill allowing unlimited armed marshals at schools)

The $1.6 billion allocation makes Texas the latest state to set aside more funds for public education in the wake of widespread teacher strikes that began in 2017.

Public school teachers in Texas don't collectively bargain and didn't strike, but unions, according to the AP, expressed their misgivings last year at the ballot box.

(MORE: Wave of teachers' strikes pressure states, school boards to change tune)

Salaries for public school teachers in Texas are about $7,000 below the national average, according to National Education Association data, and the proposed spending increase would give teachers with at least five years of experience a bump of about $4,000. Librarians and support staff also would see an increase.

(MORE: West Virginia teachers to return to classes after 2nd day of strike over now-killed bill)

The proposal also includes a merit program to pay exceptional teachers even more where "they could make a six-figure living and not have to go into being a principal or administration," Republican state Rep. Dan Huberty, the Texas House chairman over public education, told the AP.

Kaynak:Abcnews

Yorum Yazma Kuralları

Lütfen yorum yaparken veya bir yorumu yanıtlarken aşağıda yer alan yorum yazma kurallarına dikkat ediniz.
Türkiye Cumhuriyeti yasalarına aykırı, suç veya suçluyu övme amaçlı yorumlar yapmayınız.
Küfür, argo, hakaret içerikli, nefret uyandıracak veya nefreti körükleyecek yorumlar yapmayınız.
Irkçı, cinsiyetçi, kişilik haklarını zedeleyen, taciz amaçlı veya saldırgan ifadeler kullanmayınız.
Türkçe imla kurallarına ve noktalama işaretlerine uygun cümleler kurmaya özen gösteriniz.
Yorumunuzu tamamı büyük harflerden oluşacak şekilde yazmayınız.
Gizli veya açık biçimde reklam, tanıtım amaçlı yorumlar yapmayınız.
Kendinizin veya bir başkasının kişisel bilgilerini paylaşmayınız.
Yorumlarınızın hukuki sorumluluğunu üstlendiğinizi, talep edilmesi halinde bilgilerinizin yetkili makamlarla paylaşılacağını unutmayınız.