Texas AFT members fight to bring benefits of HB 2 to their districts

House Bill 2, the Legislature's school finance bill, went into full effect on Monday, Sept. 1. Even before enactment day, though, Texas AFT members and organizers have been hard at work in districts across the state to make sure the funding increases from the Teacher Retention Allotment (TRA) and the new Support Staff Allotment (SSA) went toward significant, equitable raises.

Member activists in Dallas, Judson, Hidalgo, and Cy-Fair ISDs won significant victories over the summer, and their examples are a reminder that through collective action, anything is possible - even with an uncooperative state Legislature.

In Dallas ISD, Alliance/AFT members waged a pressure campaign to push their district to do better for teachers under the Teacher Excellence Initiative (TEI), the pay-for-performance system that was the inspiration for the Teacher Incentive Allotment. As a result of member advocacy, our local union won a $5,000+ raise for Proficient 1 and higher teachers with 5 years of experience, a change from the district's initial June plan to give raises of $4,000 to this group.

Texas AFT members in the Rio Grande Valley, meanwhile, landed a huge wage win in Hidalgo ISD in August. Classroom teachers won raises between $5,000 and $12,000 depending on experience, with non-classroom employees, including paras and auxiliary staff, receiving 6% raises. The district's initial plan for raises was much more modest, with veteran teachers receiving no raise at all beyond the state-provided raises from HB 2. This win came after repeated visits and advocacy at the school board from RGV AFT members.

Cy-Fair AFT members fought hard to win a pay increase for non-teaching staff. Paras testified at CFISD board meetings and in June, the board approved 4% raises for non-teaching staff and a $15 minimum wage for staff previously making under that amount. While not enough to meet our members' needs, this pay increase would not have happened without the consistent pressure of our members in the district.

And in central Texas, Associate Membership Program members in Judson ISD met with board members in person to advocate for the inclusion of dyslexia therapists in the TRA increases mandated by HB 2, when they otherwise would have been left out. This win is noteworthy as it came through emails to the district and action meetings with board members, and not through the conventional route of speaking at board meetings. There's more than one way to organize!

Most Texas school districts are generally cooperative when it comes to allocating the state-mandated raises outlined in HB 2. However, the state-occupied Houston ISD is defying the law's language and intent by tying raises to performance, as opposed to experience, prompting the Houston Federation of Teachers to sue the district, its appointed board of managers, and state-installed Superintendent Mike Miles.

After judge denied a request for a temporary restraining order against the performance plan in July, HFT asked for an injunction last Thursday to allow the lawsuit to play out in court and prevent money from being released before a legal outcome is determined. We await whether this injunction will be granted.

Not every fight will end with a clear win, but what we have achieved across the state proves that real change happens when we fight. Many districts would have approved their initial plans for modest raises had organizers and members not kicked up a fuss. As we wait another two years for state legislative action, we will continue to push districts to give school employees the respect they deserve.