teachers

Recent changes, voted on by our elected officials, have escalated the price of health insurance for educators in Texas.  Retired teachers presently average $24,000 a year, and as of January 2018, in-network fees will increase 130% and the out-of-network will increase by 361%.  With these rising costs, the average retired teacher will have the bulk of his/her pension sucked away by heightened insurance premiums.  Retired teacher deductibles will also increase to $3,000 which is TEN times what it is now.  As it stands for current educators, in the upcoming 2017-2018 school year, ActiveCare 2 will increase to $2,004 for employees and their families.  Couple that with dental and vision insurance, and it totals a whopping $2,201.46.  Each district tries to help by contributing around $300; however, that still ends up being $1,816 a month for health, vision, and dental insurance.  On average, a teacher who has taught for 10 years makes about $50,000 a year ($4,166 a month).  Deduct withholding tax and medicare tax ($408), deduct TRS contribution ($329), deduct ins ($1,816), and the amount to be lived off of is $1,613 a month if they choose ActiveCare 2.  Let me put this into perspective for you...TRS insurance will cost MORE than what you are left with.  Even if deciding to go with another plan, the premiums and/or deductibles are still high.  There is no other profession in Texas that employs more than that of public education, yet we are not taken care of by the state of Texas.  Currently 700,000 active public educators and 270,000 retired teachers are looking to our elected officials to make moral and ethical decisions on the welfare of educators.    Why more teachers don't protest:  Teachers are some of the most loyal employees you will ever find.  For many, professional development is back in full force beginning next week.  Their loyalty to their district and students supersede that of fixing their own dire situation, hence how they managed to stay quiet this long.  Educators care for others and put themselves on the back burner.  Last year alone, Texas teachers spent around $200,000,000 of their OWN money to put back into their classrooms.  I have never seen any other profession give of themselves as teachers do.  It is time that the state of Texas bands together with and for them to show your support.   In signing this petition, you are pleading to Governor Greg Abbott and our elected officials to revisit the TRS healthcare for retired and current educators and make it affordable in comparison to average monthly incomes and cost of living in Texas.  This is not the responsibility of the school districts.  It is the duty of the state to manage teachers' healthcare premiums and deductibles, and as it stands, Governor Abbott, our senators, and our representatives have failed in doing so.   School Administrators, teachers, and other school employees, please copy and paste the link and send this out to your campuses/districts!!  We MUST finally come together and be heard!! #dontmesswithtexasteachers #changetrs  

Amazon offers a Prime membership discount of half price fo students. While that is fabulous, I also think they should offer this incredible deal to teachers.  Students must verify eligibility with their school email so it would not be hard for teachers to do the same.  Teachers use Amazon in many different ways. It’s great to create wish lists to get out to parents, to order supplies and other things you need quickly without having to go out, and even on those days you watch a movie for whatever special reason, Prime Video is awesome.  Amazon is a great company and since they offer students (who are usually on a budget) a great discount, why not offer it to teachers who are also usually on a budget as well. Especially since the membership price comes out of our pockets and not the schools.  Of course not every item a teacher buys off of Amazon is for their class. Some teachers with Amazon Prime may not order anything for their students or classroom. I still think it would be great for Amazon to offer, as appreciation, a teacher discount equivalent to the discount they offer students.  I think all businesses should offer a teacher discount, but I am starting with a company that could set a great example for others to follow.  While this isn’t a pressing life or death matter, it’s important all the same.  Please help me get Amazon’s Jeff Bezos attention. Back me up in trying to get Amazon to offer a teacher Prime Membership discount.   

Prospective teachers who seek to earn a California credential to teach elementary students must pass an exam called the RICA (Reading Instruction Competency Assessment), in addition to successful completion of an approved credential program and a teaching performance assessment.  All educators understand and support the need to be well-prepared for strong literacy instruction. However, in its current form, the RICA is flawed, but it is the only obstacle standing between many well-prepared teachers and the classroom. The RICA does not accurately test literacy content, is biased against examinees whose first language is not English, and does not predict instructional effectiveness. We strongly advise the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to suspend the RICA requirement for teacher candidates until these issues are resolved.    Further Explanation Content: The current RICA exam, as written, tests students on 1997 English Language Arts Standards; as teacher educators, we teach our candidates to implement 2012 California Common Core Standards and the ELA/ELD framework. The RICA test does not reflect current research and instructional best practices in literacy. Bias:  The RICA pass rates show evidence of bias against individuals in certain subgroups. For example, English-only examinees have an average first-attempt pass rate of 71%, while the pass rate is 56% for examinees who speak one or more languages other than English (CTC agenda item 2018-02-4e). Predictive Validity: There is no evidence that successful completion of the RICA is predictive of the examinee’s ability to effectively deliver literacy instruction that leads to student learning.  

**Edit: Even if you are not a student or educator yourself, but you are opposed to the GOP Tax Bill and the implications on education, please sign!**  The newly introduced GOP tax bill, if passed, will have a devastating effect on education in the US.  Public school teachers spend, on average, $500 out-of-pocket for school supplies for their classrooms. Under the new tax plan, they will no longer be able to get tax deductions for this money spent. It penalizes teachers and students alike. You can see Rep. Susan DelBene's line of questioning on how corporations will be prioritized over teachers.  College students will start paying taxes on the interest accrued for student loans. The change will affect an about 12.4 million people, and is estimated to increase the cost of student loans by $24 billion over the next 10 years. Not only will this negatively impact current college students and recent graduates, but it risks making a college education out of reach for thousands of students. Graduate students will be forced to pay taxes on their tuition waivers, which often surpass the stipend they received. For example, most graduate students receive an annual stipend in the $20K - $30K range, while tuition and fees can range from $12K-$50K depending on your year in a program, and the program itself. The bump into a different tax bracket means students will end up paying an additional $4K-$13K in taxes -- when their income is less than $30K! Some having likened this to "taxing a coupon", and believe the bill will negatively impact American research via brain drain.  The GOP tax bill is an assault on American education on all fronts, negatively impacting public school students and teachers, college aged students, recent college grads, PhD students, and researchers housed at colleges and universities. Please sign this petition to signal to Congress: we will not stand for it!  Additionally, please consider calling your senator or representative, and asking them to vote no on this bill. Thank you for your time!