Texas education: TEA commissioner speaks to committee about funding

AUSTIN, Texas - The head of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) weighed in on the education funding debate at the state capitol.

Commissioner Mike Morath testified about the big changes expected with legislation, like school choice. Morath also issued a warning about possible layoffs in a special unit created to investigate teachers accused of misconduct.

TEA commissioner's testimony

What they're saying:

TEA commissioner Mike Morath began his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee with a simple statement.

"There is nothing more complex than educating the next generation of Americans," said Morath. 

For Morath, and educators across the state, that process is now even more daunting.

"There's been a steady shift away from relying on property taxes to fund public education and to state revenues to fund public education," said Morath.

The big issue in this session is school choice. With that debate moving now to the state House, members of the Senate Finance Committee discussed with Morath over their next hot topic, education funding.

"We've heard conflicting information about the level of funding per student," said Sen. Judith Zaffirini.

Zaffirini asked Morath for his perspective on the Texas expenditure per student compared to the nationwide average.

"We're below the average mark. But what I also say is that the funding comparisons are a bit complex," said Morath.

Morath suggested a $20,000 discrepancy on where Texas ranks on the list is because Texas pays for Pre-K while some other states don’t even pay for kindergarten. 

During the hearing, it was estimated school districts in Texas get about $15,000 per student, with $9,000 coming from the state. The remainder comes from local and federal funds. 

Morath agreed with a financial breakdown offered by Houston Republican Sen. Paul Bettencourt.

"Clearly, what your math shows here, non-disputable, is that you've had a 48% increase in total annual funding per student since 2011, up to about $15,503," said Sen. Bettencourt.

Teacher pay debate

What they're saying:

As for the ongoing teacher pay debate, Morath offered this assessment.

"The standard compensation system in school districts around the state is tremendously flat. You start at $61,000. 20 years later, you're making $71,000. And so, it's not so much raising that starting pay. That's a real problem, is that nobody ever gets a pay raise. And so, everybody quits eventually. That's the thing that we have to think about in terms of structured increases in compensation," said Morath. 

The teacher retention crisis has also created a staffing problem within TEA. School districts are hiring more uncertified teachers to fill positions. That, according to Morath, has caused a $4 million reduction in certification fees, which provides salaries for TEA's educator misconduct investigators.

"So, I will have to lay them all off unless we can find another funding source to support that," said Morath.

To save those jobs and to address a growing case load, Morath is requesting lawmakers to allocate TEA an additional $18 million.

What's next:

The discussion on the investigative unit revealed a security gap in the school choice proposal. The committee was told the state does not track non-certified teachers who are charged with misconduct, and the state has no way of knowing if a bad teacher is hired by a private school. 

Committee Chair Joan Huffman (R), Houston, said legislation to address that security gap needs to be filed this session.