The Texas Ten - Will They Be Teacher Friendly?

House-Senate Budget Negotiators Named:  Ten Texas lawmakers will have a big say in the future of your students, your school, and your job. They are the so-called “conferees” named to negotiate a deal on the state budget for 2012-2013. The five House members appointed by House Speaker Joe Straus on Friday are:  Republicans Jim Pitts of Waxahachie, John Otto of Dayton, John Zerwas of Richmond, and Myra Crownover of Denton, plus Democrat Sylvester Turner of Houston. The five state senators appointed today by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, presiding officer of the Senate, are:  Republicans Steve Ogden of Bryan, RobertDuncan of Lubbock, Jane Nelson of Flower Mound, and Tommy Williams of TheWoodlands, plus Democrat Juan Hinojosa of McAllen.

These individuals have a hugely important task ahead. The Senate budget plan proposes severe cuts in public education--$4 billion would be chopped from basic state aid to school districts, and more than $1 billion in state grants to districts would disappear, wiping out state grants for full-day pre-kindergarten and other vital programs for Texas schoolchildren. Meanwhile, the House plan doubles down on the damage that the Senate plan would cause—chopping essentially twice as much from districts’ state funding. These budget plans portend fewer teachers, bigger classes, fewer support staffers, and reduced educational services for years and years to come.

The budget conferees have a choice, if they have the courage. They do not have to stay within the bounds of the two bad options presented by the Texas House and Senate. Texas AFT has joined with allied organizations of the Texas Forwardcoalition in calling for a balanced approach to balancing the budget. That includes spending all of the Rainy Day Fund, maximizing use of all available federal funds, and finding new revenue by eliminating exemptions and corporate loopholes.