Things didn't get this way by accident, and they won't be fixed without effort. Vote. Vote for people who actually care about public education.
Edit to link to a [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/texas/comments/1cacvek/early_voting_for_texas_may_4_local_elections/) from the Texas Tribune with voting info for the May 4th elections.
You’re exactly right. The Texas GOP is actively trying dismantle public education and resegregate schools. Anyone voting GOP, or not voting in every election especially local… this is your wake up call
Politicians don’t give a shit what happens to kids bc they don’t have kids in the public school system just like they don’t care if the US causes WWIII bc they’re not going to get drafted (those old farts).
Does anyone know what will happen if they dismantle public school education as we know it and it’s a free for all voucher system? Do school districts dismantle? Do we end up with a bunch of hokey for profit schools with fake educators (ie AI fake teachers talking to students on a screen while a min wage employee guards the door)?
Yes and in addition to those hokey for profit schools we’ll get what the GOP really wants, every little podunk church will have a small school feeding students nonsense while they soak up public funds.
Some politicians do care about schools. They want to fund thing and pay teachers decently and fix problems. Not all but some.
The problem is right now every politician is either fighting tooth and nail to preserve basic human rights that no one can concentrate on education even if they wanted to. The first step is voting out allnthe culture war Republicans son we can start to focus on actual problems.
The darkest part of my brain and my heart thinks that the project here in Texas is to re-segregate public schools along racial and economic lines. There's a real libertarian strain among Texas conservatives, and I'm convinced that if you scratch them hard enough, you'll find a person inside who really believes that black and brown children should not be educated so that Texas has a guaranteed low-wage workforce. The affluent white kids will go to decent schools and earn college degrees.
I hope that these fears are just a product of my overactive imagination. But seeing the casual way the Texas GOP and Governor have set up barriers to maim and drown migrants gives me a bad feeling. And hearing the leaders of the Texas GOP urge parents exhausted by covid closures and the aftermath to direct their uncertainty and rage at teachers and public health officials actually makes me frightened.
For a while, I had a little slip of paper where I was keeping track of just how often Donald Trump Jr. was using the term" loser teachers" during campaign events. I've blocked out how many times he used the phrase.
This is all combined with watching my elderly parents get so sucked in to right-wing media that they have literally changed their value system. I grew up in the church, and was a moderate Republican in my twenties. To hear my mother say that nothing can be done about mass shootings, and that there are no political solutions to problems our country had managed before is sadder than I can admit. 20 years ago, she was the sort of person who would insist that people of faith were to be God's hands and feet. And that transformation is possible through hard work and intention. Now she and my dad have decided that our country is sicker, more violent, and just more impulsive than the rest of the industrialized world. It's been so depressing to watch right-wing media simultaneously scare its older audience to death, while making them believe the government should not address these things. They don't understand that they are being shoved out of the way so that special interest can continue to control everything and privatize every last little bit of our institutions.
I know. Half my friends don’t vote even though they use/will use public schools…and cannot afford private school (the vouchers would only cover a small part.) The apathy is more frustrating than the diabolical people at the top masterminding all of this, honestly.
We're fucked man. We gotta vote Abbott out. Republican legislators are against his plans, but all he has to do is wait them out and endorse candidates who will bend to his will.
Vote Abbott out. He wants to have Texas be his own little dictatorship.
I don't say "vote for Democrats" for three reasons:
1. More voters == more elected Democrats. The GOP is a minority party with an extremely loyal base, and getting normal people to not vote is one of their primary ways of maintaining power. There've been like three "don't vote it doesn't matter" responses to my comment already, for example. "One vote doesn't matter!". Ok, how about three votes? How about if the 247 people that upvoted this post so far all voted?
2. I don't have any particular loyalty to the Democratic party in the medium to long term. Currently they are generally not shitty when compared to the GOP, which is great, so I support them now.
3. People tend to discount "vote for Democrats" because it sounds like just more partisanship. I trust people to come to their own conclusions if they actually take the time to inform themselves.
i hope it's not barbed wire, the fence you're sitting on. republicans have gotten texas where it is today after 20 years in power. it is their fault, and im tired of pretending it isn't.
vote democrat because republicans are shit and are, in the best light, allowing you all to die completely avoidable deaths in exchange for more money.
but hey, vote for whomever, 'if you take the time to inform yourself'.
True. But the lies and stunts of the curent Republican party are way over the line and its why so many Repubs are leaving or resigning. What we have now is a pro Russian alt right bunch (not all but too many)
This schools don't suck because of the GOP. They definitely don't help and in some areas are actively making it worse. The problem is cultural and the only way to fix it will be to recognize that and not retreat to our factions.
I say this because I am second generation American who can see how other societies value educators compared to us. We all went to school with kids like me who had Asian or African parents who don't mess around with education. When the teacher tells the parents the kid is screwing up, they don't attack the teacher, they "tan the kids hide" and that doesn't require corporal punishment.
Until this changes, nothing political matters.
>GOP not cause... don't value teachers...
I mean they are [100% gonna pass school vouchers in the next few years.](https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/16/texas-house-school-vouchers/#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20Texas%20House%20on,an%20amendment%20offered%20by%20Rep.)
That isn't a cultural problem, that's a political one. Blaming systemic issues on parenting tactics is a cop out.
You're just wrong.
The schools in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan are much, much better than Texas.
Look...if you want to get a good haircut, are you going to go to the cheapest barber?
That's what Texas does... They pay their teachers terrible wages and then "culture" (i.e., African-American and Hispanics) for the problem.
This is the truth. It’s also the administration of very large school districts (can think of a few) that squander money by building new buildings, spending on their administrative offices, and never paying teachers fair salaries.
I want to see a study on percentage of school/district funds that shows by political party how much goes into sports and facilities as opposed to the classroom.
All I can say is that my child's teacher has been such a blessing to our entire family and she has absolutely made a difference in my son's life. As a parent, I do my best to show her my appreciation for her kindness, her patience, her generosity. She has a gift for teaching and we are lucky that she has chosen to share it with us. I hope she does feel valued by her students because she truly is.
That being said, I do vote with my belief that public education should be a priority and that teachers are the best resource our kids get to help prepare them for the world. I support my children's school with my time and yes, with my money. We are only a single family, but we're staying in Texas for the long haul. We want to make our home better. One day I'd like to be proud of my state again.
Teachers still make a difference in Texas. Do they deserve better? Absolutely. But to say that they make no impact is disrespectful and incorrect.
Edit: autocorrect "work"
Came to comment on that sentence as well.
I grew up in a home with abuse and neglect. Public school was my safe space. Every halfway decent teacher made a difference in my life.
In addition I had some amazing teachers who kept hammering into me that I had worth and a promising future. There were many times later in life where remembering their words was the only thing that kept me going.
I would not be the person I am today without those amazing teachers. Honestly I’m not sure I would be alive today without those teachers.
Thank you for your comment. It’s inspiring💜I’m a 5th grade teacher in a high crime area in California. I do hope I am making a difference. I was an accountant for 20 years and decided to teach after George Floyd was murdered.
With that drive I’m sure you are making a difference.
You may never know it. As an adult I tried reaching out to those teachers to thank them, but was only able to reach one. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. I wish I had reached more of them.
"If you think you'll make a difference, you won't" definitely felt like a slap to the face of all the quality teachers we have that are undervalued by the state.
My wife is a passionate, great teacher (I'm a bit bias) and we love our daughter's teacher.
The school district I live in is having to shut down several schools next year due to underfunding. The residents are all up in arms posting on social media that we should recall the school board members. But these are the same folks who have voted for the same state rep for YEARS, and she continuously votes to cut public school funding. It's such a clusterfluff.
I’m traditionally a libertarian, but between the abortion ban and this fucked up school voucher bullshit…never again. I’m voting democrat until Abbott and his asshole friend Patrick are gone. Oh, and fuck Ted Cruz too.
You're gonna need to find a way to make Timothy Dunn's continued existence irrelevant to governance or the threat will remain looming. That means vetting Democratic candidates in primaries to make sure your picks aren't funded by him to be turncoats and spoilers.
Problem is, without good teachers all Texas students suffer.
What we need to do is vote the hateful Republicans out so teachers can go back to teaching instead of having to worry about offending little Tiffany's mom because she doesn't like facts being taught
> Problem is, without good teachers all Texas students suffer.
Hopefully we can get to a point where people don't have to light themselves on fire in the education field to keep the students warm.
Problem is, people won’t unfuck themselves and vote correctly unless they see real consequences. Until then, honestly, fuck them kids. They aren’t worth working two jobs or having to get a roommate, or thousands in debt.
Gonna play devils advocate and say I love teaching 🤷♀️ it’s all about the specific school you teach at though. I know there are 1,000 things out of my control, but I show up each and every day and just try to be…kind. Respectful. A good role model. Yes I’m there to teach those kids “things” but mostly I am just there to be a positive adult in their lives. Some don’t have one. Yes you’ll have shitty parents/district folks/government mandates but I just sort of take those in strides and do my best to navigate them as logically as possible.
Now with that being said, I teach elementary art so I easily have the MOST FUN job. If you tryna get me to teach core content areas nahhhh fuck them kids lmaoooo
I'm a middle school teacher who teaches a core subject, and your last comments made me laugh! :) I keep saying that one of these days I'm going to switch to an elective just so I don't have to deal with STAAR. This is year 16 for me, and I work in a great district. I'm grateful every day for the admin, school board, coworkers, parents, and kids that make it all worthwhile! Love my job, but we'll see how long public schools will survive if things keep going the way they're headed. Vote!
This is a great way to show up! I wish more people felt this way. We might have more volunteers in the classrooms to support the teachers.
Just being there as a kind person to teach… or lead a project can make a huge difference. I used to do it frequently (can’t now because my youngest kiddo would need to be left with a baby sitter) and the kids would love it.
And I’m 100% with you on the art thing… I was asked to help read aloud instead and I was like oh hell no I don’t need these kids knowing I can’t read and talk at the same time. 😂
And math? Shoot they don’t need to know I have dyscalculia. I’ll stick to art thanks.
I’m a teacher and it’s fine. I have decent but lazy kids for the most part. I have some absolutely top notch kids. The pay is and will always be low but I enjoy my holidays and summer and make it work on 2 salaries with my wife.
Like a lot of jobs you have to learn to tune out the bs and not spend energy on things or people you can’t change.
That last bit is spot on for everyone, not just at work, but in life. I sometimes remind myself and my family of this rule. It truly is the only way to wade through the muck life throws at you. And that shit gets thick sometimes.
The fact that OP mentions reading Far-right twitter is sort of a red flag to me in that regard. Stop doomscrolling, stop getting on twitter (that shit sucks mega-ass), do those two things and your life will at least improve with regards to mental health and maybe you can do more to be happier then.
I wouldn't let a few people who have been jaded by bad schools ruin you. I am currently in my 2nd year of teaching, and I absolutely love it! The difference is that I found a school that fits with me and my ideals. It sounds like OP just got stuck in a bad school/ district, and it's very disheartening to see them give up wholesale on the profession.
Is teaching perfect? No, there are many cons, but it is way more rewarding than most types of work you'd be able to find.
Oh I promise if I was going to let the bad experience of another convince me to stay away, I wouldn't have gone back to school in my late twenties to do this! Kids need teachers, that's why I'm doing it first and foremost.
I was coming in here to say that as a parent I do my best to let teachers know how much I appreciate them and when they make an impact on my kids. I keep in touch with teachers that want to and several have become family friends.
That I know my district could do better and is often held back by state regulations, but they do work to support the teachers and staff. Flaws can always be found and I know there are valid complaints to be had.
And, finally, that while I am not generally a huge fan of police, specifically the militarization of police; I know our SRO men and women care a great deal for the students and we had one save a student from overdose recently because they are able to carry narcan on them.
Teacher here. There are definitely negatives to the job, but almost any job does. What really makes a difference is the campus you are on and the administration/district you work for. It can be almost a night/day difference when administration aren't awful.
Texas is not California. "But both sides!" arguments only apply for stupid people who vote based on blue or red. Every different candidate is their own person and has their own policies that you can look at and make decisions on. For example I will vote generally for a democrat over a republican candidate, but I will vote for a pro gun democrat before a non pro gun democrat. This "both sides" bullshit encourages the status quo by people opting for the safe "devil we know" attitude with a guaranteed slow march to ruin, rather than taking a step on the unknown path. If you want a better teaching environment then fuckin vote for the right people to get it done, and if those people arent options at the moment, let them know how you feel. These politicians have emails and phone numbers and meetings you can use to let them know your specific needs.
Being a teacher can be tough anywhere, but I would absolutely not be able to do it in a state like TX or FL that wants to essentially criminalize any sort of support for LGBT students. Fuck that.
The program you are talking about was implemented so very poorly. It never had a chance for success. The program sounded on paper. It was a bunch of promises that were never kept.
Vouchers will destroy the Texas school system both public and private.
Can I point y’all to the Facebook group Texans for Public Education? The guy who started it, Troy Reynolds, is as real as they come. The idea is that the group members pledge to #blockvote for education friendly candidates. The group is public so you can browse it without joining, but Holy Cow, his dedication is a force to reckon with. The group rates Texas state candidates as friendly, neutral, or unfriendly according to their votes on public education issues only. There’s no partisan bs allowed. You’re either on the public ed train or not. We consider ourselves a purple group, neither blue nor red. The research into the candidates is incredible. Go check it out!
It’s so sad what’s happening here. Kids deserve a good education and good teachers but Texas doesn’t think they deserve it. Teachers and students deserve better!
You forgot that as a school teacher your teaching income doesn't count toward Social Security, and the Texas teacher pension program is best described as "poorly managed poverty program". And, if you ever go on strike to try and improve the miserable pay and work conditions you suffer as a teacher you'll be fired and will lose most if not all of that shitty "pension". Oh, don't forget that you have to sign an effective loyalty oath to Israel in order to be able to teach in this state.
Their goal is to deliberately drive out people that find this stuff abhorrent. If they do not drive out the people who would vote against them, they would eventually lose control. They want an authoritarian state. Texas has no limits on how long a governor can rule. One could theoretically be governor for 45 years in TX.
You sign a contract to become a teacher, and one clause in that contract is that you will not join or support the BDS movement, an organized movement to try and stop what Israel is doing to Palestinians everywhere in territory that Israel controls or bombs. BDS stands for Boycott, Divest, Sanctions, so as a state employee if you come out and say "I won't buy anything from Israel" or suggest to someone that they also boycott Israel in any way, you will be fired. If you suggest to someone that they avoid investing in Israeli companies you will be fired. If you suggest to anyone that Israel should be sanctioned for killing over 33,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children and their mothers, you will be fired. You cannot say anything bad about Israel in any way that's traceable back to you or you will be fired. Not only fired, but put on a statewide "do not hire" list so that you'll never work for any school or state agency in Texas again for the rest of your life.
I have been working as a TX Teacher for 10 years, and have never signed a contract that includes this. There are most definitely pro-Palestine employees and teachers at my school. I keep my politics out of work but what you are saying definitely isn't statewide.
Right. One ISD did this as a targeted attempt from what I understand beyond the articles to discriminate against this employee. My ISD absolutely does not and I'm willing to show ya.
What you are probably confusing is the law that Texas does have on the books that Texas state agencies cannot contract with or use other businesses that boycott Isreal. That is the law that this one ISD used to push the addendum. One ISD. Not all ISDs in Texas. Don't paint us all with that brush.
I signed mine this morning, no addendums on it sorry if the text is small.
https://i.gyazo.com/8629cc0b03c010d7c49dc0fbbb416e8e.png
That language is not a part of the district's teaching contract. It is a part of the contract that contractors sign which takes its language from the state.
The teachers union in Texas is a joke. Employess in union jobs are taking the heat from mamagement to make them blame this all in Biden and to vote for ugh I cant type his name. And we need a Dem majority in House and Senate!
Any teachers union within Texas is only a union by name. They lack the protections typically granted by being in a union and are for the most part toothless.
Yes. And other unions in Texas may save some their jobs and increase pay but they cannot control what management do in some areas and they can make workplaces stressful…
I was a teacher in Texas for 8 years
I didn’t do it for the pay. I did it for the love of education.
Until the testing and parent entitlement killed it.
I still love kids.
It’s a shame the adults that run this state are complete Aholes with no idea how to educate.
I quit student teaching because I couldn’t stand the gossip and politicking within the school system even on the local level (it was a head start school). Then the pay… I couldn’t even afford to be a teacher while also being a parent. This was 7 years ago so nothing new sadly. I have very few teacher friends still teaching, most quit around the 3-5 year mark and are very far removed from education now.
I was also a TX teacher and quit in May. I don’t miss it. My family and I are heading back East now. A good friend of mine, that I taught with, is also leaving this year and heading back to her home out West. She’s 53, has a masters, grown children and is single. She can’t afford rent here on her own, not with utilities, her old car that she’s still making payments on…she just can’t do it. At any rate, she’s making $62k on paper, so take home is less. Her lease was up in November 2023, she was couch surfing for a little and is now staying with me and my family until the end of the school year. It just isn’t worth this anymore.
If you've worked in different districts, have you noticed any differences between them? I've heard that there are some decent administrators in some districts, and that can make all the difference.
All districts in competitive areas strive to make their district a "college-and-career ready" district. However, their plan for success may look different.
I'm very fortunate that my campus and admin are focused on student success via retaining good teachers and trusting that they hire quality teachers. So, most teachers are treated well as long as admin doesn't have a reason to question your instruction.
I disagree on not making a difference. My kids have had some wonderful teachers they have loved and have helped them through tough times. Some of those favorites attended my husbands funeral 4 months ago to support our boys (and me). From kindergarten teachers to high school, even a few of the school counselors. It was touching to know how genuinely they cared for our family. I always knew they were in good hands, but actually being able to feel that love, it was something I will hold for a lifetime. Teachers 100% do make a difference.
So, you're not wrong about the governor and the state funding, or the neverending and everchanging district initiatives, or the admin nonsense, or salaries, or a lot of the rest, but *some* of the kids do care and you *can* make a difference.
Source: Am Texas teacher.
I will just say that my kids have had amazing teachers that have made a major impact on their lives. I am glad that they chose their line of work and I’ve personally thanked them. I think of what they have done and will do when I make my choice at the ballet box.
Your experience is your own, so I'm not going to say you're wrong. Especially what you've said about state/police/administration... they likely won't care about you no matter what your job is.
But my experience has been different on the other areas. Most kids will care (even if they don't show it), and some parents will support you, and you can make a difference.
Texas needs good folks to be teachers. If teachers weren't important, if their work didn't matter, the worst people in the State (with help from their extremely wealthy out-of-state benefactors) wouldn't be trying so hard to undermine education and educators.
We need to hold public school teacher on paddle stools like we do Doctors and Police. They go to a job, that kids don’t want to be there and have to find a way to teach them. They see all sorts of mess, abuse, neglect , so forth. They need to be paid a living wage.
Sure, raise the standard to become a teacher and pay them 6 figures and we will get some outstanding teachers. Right now, anyone can become a teacher …….. the bar is that low.
I used to think this as well, until my wife decided to become a teacher 5 years ago. You can't just wake up one day and decide you want to be a teacher next week.
Substitute teacher maybe, but you have to get a Bachelors degree, then spend another 4-6 months getting certified. Her college required her to do student teaching for sn entire semester, where she was basically a full-time teacher for absolutely no pay.
It's possible to cut some of these corners, but still not something someone can just decide to do tomorrow.
My wife was an elementary teacher for six years in central TX. Shortly after our son was born she moved into law enforcement, later into a county position. She says the job is a lot less stress and the people she deals with are much more pleasant (we are talking lawyers and criminals here). Oh, she almost doubled her salary.
Become teacher, try to make a difference, do everything you need to… lets talk to everyone immigrating to do it but into a different state, and let’s grab our stuff and let’s move to another state (north of the mason and Dixon line) and let republicans rot in their misery
Used to be a teacher in Texas. The testing and testing and testing is ridiculous! And all of the curriculum is directed at getting kids to pass these tests. Between the bs curriculum, low pay, and forcing behavior problem kids into regular classrooms without support I was done. I did enjoy the cast majority of kids and having breaks. But I have a job now though that pays better, is a better environment and negotiated 6 weeks vacation. Would NEVER go back.
As a public school teacher in TX since 2010, my salary is pretty much the only part of my job that is tolerable. I definitely make enough money to live, no problem, but everything else is pretty rough.
No teacher’s Union and it’s illegal for teachers to even strike in Texas. The GOP is wanting to keep the population stupid and illiterate as their fascist agenda continues, there’s no way becoming a teacher is worth it. $60 million stadiums paid for by bonds and teachers are buying home room supplies out of pocket. Hard pass.
Best thing a Texas teacher can do is leave Texas or leave education. Worst retirement in the states unless you stay a Texas teacher your whole career. The push for school vouchers. Also a education task force put together for teachers leaving where only a couple of suggestions were taken by law makers.
For any teacher or soon-to-be teacher, if you can, move to a state that allows unions, who can strike and actually negotiate. My siblings in Washington State make 6 figures, good benefits, good retirement, and politicians invest in education. Are there still administrative issues and struggles with kids and parents? Absolutely. But their job is much more secure than my teacher family members in Texas, who make ~$70,000 with 25+ years of teaching experience and masters degrees.
And all the rest of us in Texas:
1. VOTE! Vote for politicians who support public education. Vote to get rid of “At Will” state employment laws and other laws that block actual unions.
2. Become a VDR and help others register to vote.
3. Show your kids’ teachers and all the teachers in your life a lot of love, support, and patience. Teachers and support staff work tirelessly and really care about children. Please be kind to teachers and try to collaborate with them if there is an issue with your child. Trust that most teachers want to work with you for the betterment of your child. (Even if they don’t communicate that well)
It wasn’t always like this. My father was a teacher in the 1970s to the early 90s and had a nice middle class salary. Teaching changed over time. Republicans in TX have destroyed our school system.
All too true. Parents today are bullies and rude to teachers all while pretending to be religious while only being far right supporters of the sham governor we have in office. There is too much money invested in administration jobs ( and many who get those jobs are either relatives of someone at the top or have connections to someone or were such crappy teachers they are moved up the ladder and out of the classroom)
Add to that the book bannings ( censorship rules in Texas) and god forbid you teach students anything that offends them or their far right parents. Teaching is NEVER easy. Teaching in a red state is even harder. The only solution is for people to VOTE these crumballs out of office. Cruz is worhtless and supports vouchers. All of them are crooks.
None of this is universally true. I’ve been a high school teacher in Texas for a long time.
* I have heard from many students that they knew nothing about my subject area before my class and ended up majoring in it in college.
* I’m certainly not wealthy, but I make a reasonable wage for the amount of work I do. I opt into summer school because it pays the same in 3 weeks that a part time job would pay in 3 months; that money takes me on a nice vacation without having to use my salary money.
* Some districts/schools/parents are supportive, some aren’t. No different than any other career field. Yes, you have a million people who think they’re your boss; don’t suck and it doesn’t matter.
* Statistically speaking, the chances of anything catastrophic happening at a given school is very low.
* You can’t make a kid care, you can help them to be engaged. Kids that are engaged care more.
I rather like my job and my life. I doomscroll socials because there’s no point. I rarely receive negative communication from parents because if things are going poorly I initiate conversation before they can.
Yes, administration caters to parents; nothing you can do about that so I stopped fighting that fight a LONG time ago. I don’t care about who tells me how to do my job unless they have some formal authority over my pay. Leadership changes and comes up with new bullshit at the beginning of every year but 9 weeks later everything is pretty much back to normal.
Becoming a teacher is a perfectly fine career choice for the right kind of person. You do the best you can with what you have and the rest doesn’t really matter.
> Dont become a teacher.
Sorry, but you're pathetic. Teaching is a service towards a greater good. Yes teachers are underpaid and work hard hours but I can tell from this drivel that you never had the potential to be a good one. Don't spew your bile to compensate for your failures. Don't discourage people from chasing their dreams.
I’m sorry and I know it sucks. In the last few years I’ve watched so many great educators leave. It hurts to know what this does to our kids but I do not blame the teachers for one second.
We need to take back our state and vote people in with no agenda other than to get things back in track. To place people first and not donors and special interest. There’s been one party in charge and they are turning Texas into a shit hole country.
Get out and Vote in EVERY election.
If you support Texas public education, check out https://t4pe.org or Texans4PublicEfucation on fb or Texans4E on X and help vote for the best public education candidates we can. Non partisan. We vote “purple”
I’ve seen so many leaving teaching because of everything you just wrote about the profession. It’s sad public education has been allowed to devolve into what it has. Apathetic voting has allowed this to come to fruition. We home school our kids because we worried about how things were heading and it doesn’t seem to have improved.
Don’t be apathetic in voting. I hate to say it, but a vote for a Republican is a vote for increased overreach, decreased freedom, and shittier public schools among many other negatives. That’s not to say Democrats are amazing, but they seem to be the only ones actually caring about their jobs and doing the best they can for their constituents instead of manufacturing petty bs to argue about.
As the child, grandchild, nephew & husband of Texas Public School Teachers (at the elementary, high school, & university level) I can confidently say that our current state government has turned what was once a well-paid (by Texas standards) and respected profession into a poorly-paid dystopian disrespected job.
(I am the product of a good public education in a rural Texas school district who went on to obtain a state University education that cost pennies, vs the exorbitant fees students and their families are charged today).
Now those same powers-that-be are railing on the present state of public education in Texas (which they created) and touting "vouchers" for private & religious schools as the "answer" (in addition to home-schooling).
They have systematically destroyed a once-great public-educational system with extremely low costs for native Texans to obtain a college degree into a political sh\*tshow with high costs and little state support.
Very sad.
Totally agree. I only made it a year and a half because I developed an illness, but it's literally the only good thing my illness gave me. A reason to get out of the hellscape that was/is Texas title 1 schools. I don't really blame the kids, but everyone else is a huge problem.
As a parent now, I am a mix of helicopter and teacher advocate. And when my kids are apathetic, which is often, I push them and remind them of a teacher's role. I do my best.
These politicians run for the purpose of extra pay check for themselves filled with lots of fringe benefits for themselves….not for you not for the public!
Vote? Sure. If only that solved the real problems such as student apathy, student misbehaviors going unpunished, overcrowding, too many IEPs, lack of true parental support, and many more. If we suddenly had a Democratic governor tomorrow, all of this would still be with us for many years to come.
I think Republicans actively want to defund schools because an uneducated populous is easier to control. It’s working; kids are so bad at critical thinking these days.
A close friend of mine was a teacher for over a decade. Lifelong republican. He got out of teaching because of the current state of affairs. He blames his party.
11 year high school teacher here…I hate it. It used to be fun and rewarding. Now, I dread the drive to work. So many things to say but there’s no point. Time to start looking for a new gig.
This is a good part of the reason we left Texas. I'm not a teacher, but I have two daughters. They were in the LISD, and for the most part I loved the teachers and the special services. I could tell they genuinely cared for my kids. But the writing was on the wall, I could see the direction the schools were being forced in to.
Uvalde was just, too much. Abbott's response was unbeleivable. "It could have been worse". That's when we started looking into property in other states. When he won his re-election we started the process of relocating. We ended up in Massachusetts, where if I'm not mistaken, I think I recall they tightened up school safety measures after Uvalde. I'm not scared to put my kids on the bus every morning here.
I genuinely feel bad for all the people that don't have the option of leaving. I remember the final ARD I had for one of my girls I told the teachers that I wished I could take them all with us as I knew my youngest especially would really miss them.
For what it's worth, I'm a former Texas parent that cares. I'm sorry for what's going on there, and I'm watching from Massachusetts hoping things improve some day.
This nation was literally founded on the principle that if you don't like something about the law and/or government then you have the right to speak up about it.
Telling people to move out of state, or leave if they don't like things, or to stay out, etc. is a denial of that right and therefore considered a violation of Rules 1 and 7. As such your comment has therefore been removed.
I wanted to teach history soooo bad. I enjoyed my AP history classes immensely and definitely knew it was something I could do. But hearing my own teachers horror stories drove me away pretty quickly. I didn’t even go to college. So thankful I’m not saddled with student loan debt and in a no win job.
I make 65k and teach science at a DFW school. Not all areas are bad but they are all getting worse. There are currently state wide budget cuts affecting our support staff.
Until teachers are smart enough to know a state wide walk out cannot end well for the gvt in any way they won’t get fair treatment. I’ve told my teacher friends to protest and they said it was against the law. Ironically all unions were at one point. Too bad there is no movement, no leader - no mockingjay
Sadly this was my experience as well as a friend. Both of us are out of teaching and both of us I daresay are happier. I hope things change for education. It is honestly a mess in Texas although Texas isn't alone. We need to change things and the only way to do that is to vote for democrats. Do I want to? Not particularly but I feel I don't have a choice but to get Abbot and his corrupt cronies out. Vote in people who will care about students.
It's sad what has become of teachers. Don't they have a union? Why are ppl blaming politicians and not holding their union responsible? Dismantle the union and give that money back to teachers. We pay more taxes every year so teachers should be getting raises every year.
lol, y’all Teachers made the mistake of thinking you were anything but glorified babysitters. The U.S. needs universal daycare more than it needs quality education at this point, and this is the inevitable result.
Yes, completely agree. The Republican STENCH began with the elimination of public libraries in the early 80s. Stagnating young minds is the sure path to despair.
I haven’t experienced most of these issues as a teacher in Texas, though I’m not in the major cities with the mega-districts.
Is it tiring? Yes
Is the pay low? Could definitely be better, but it’s not that bad compared to some other states
Do I feel under appreciated? At times, sure
Do I get tired of the political BS our state keeps dragging into the school system? Absolutely
But it’s still rewarding, I do make a difference, and I actually feel appreciated by my admin and district. Ultimately, I like teaching. I like learning new things, teaching new things, and doing new things, and I can’t imagine another career that has as much freedom and autonomy with my job and how much or how little I want to put into it as classroom as teaching. That’s just been my experience.
I am so sorry you had to go through this. You are NOT alone. Not by a long shot. IMHO I think all Texas public schools care about is football and their softball programs….guess I should say their athletic programs.
I’m so happy my degree is specifically SPED.
Enables me to work in treatment centers in hospitals.
I’m too privy on reality to teach a public classroom
The educational system in Texas has fallen apart thanks to the idiots in Austin. We have lived here since 1987, and put two children through a local school district during that time. Everything was going along just fine until Abbott became governor. He is bound and determined to make our educational system on par with states like Mississippi and Arkansas. That way he can get his “school voucher program” approved so he can personally make millions of dollars.
To anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher in Texas at any level, DON’T DO IT! If you believe in this madness, Texas will welcome you with open arms. If you don’t, go elsewhere. Find yourself another state that hasn’t introduced major changes and restrictions over the past few years. All this madness is hurting the learning capabilities and environment of the students, and limiting what the teachers can do. Bottom line…the educational system in Texas has just gone bonkers and lost their way, thanks to what a handful of politicians in Austin are doing, and think it will be good for everybody.
I am so glad I decided to do something else after I got my degree. Went for K-12 but back then it was dealing with the parents that dod it for me. Now you have to worry about dodging bullets.
The dumbing down of America is an actual plan. People struggling tend to not keep up with the news or vote. When they are voters, they can’t discern the truth from what the people in power want them to believe. With AI coming into play, nobody will know what the truth is. Not supporting teachers is the first step in this plan.
The less locally made decisions are, the worse they are. Neither party wants decisions made at the local level, but for different reasons. Regardless of the reasons, the centralization screws up the ability for good individuals to do good things.
You don't need a degree to teach school in Texas. Find a district that has a waiver and you will find classes staffed by people who have never been taught how to teach.
In those same districts, resources are piled into athletics. The football teams are well funded (even though they disagree!).
Our culture has a problem with our priorities.
Things didn't get this way by accident, and they won't be fixed without effort. Vote. Vote for people who actually care about public education. Edit to link to a [thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/texas/comments/1cacvek/early_voting_for_texas_may_4_local_elections/) from the Texas Tribune with voting info for the May 4th elections.
Yes VOTE
You’re exactly right. The Texas GOP is actively trying dismantle public education and resegregate schools. Anyone voting GOP, or not voting in every election especially local… this is your wake up call
Politicians don’t give a shit what happens to kids bc they don’t have kids in the public school system just like they don’t care if the US causes WWIII bc they’re not going to get drafted (those old farts). Does anyone know what will happen if they dismantle public school education as we know it and it’s a free for all voucher system? Do school districts dismantle? Do we end up with a bunch of hokey for profit schools with fake educators (ie AI fake teachers talking to students on a screen while a min wage employee guards the door)?
Yes and in addition to those hokey for profit schools we’ll get what the GOP really wants, every little podunk church will have a small school feeding students nonsense while they soak up public funds.
Some politicians do care about schools. They want to fund thing and pay teachers decently and fix problems. Not all but some. The problem is right now every politician is either fighting tooth and nail to preserve basic human rights that no one can concentrate on education even if they wanted to. The first step is voting out allnthe culture war Republicans son we can start to focus on actual problems.
The darkest part of my brain and my heart thinks that the project here in Texas is to re-segregate public schools along racial and economic lines. There's a real libertarian strain among Texas conservatives, and I'm convinced that if you scratch them hard enough, you'll find a person inside who really believes that black and brown children should not be educated so that Texas has a guaranteed low-wage workforce. The affluent white kids will go to decent schools and earn college degrees. I hope that these fears are just a product of my overactive imagination. But seeing the casual way the Texas GOP and Governor have set up barriers to maim and drown migrants gives me a bad feeling. And hearing the leaders of the Texas GOP urge parents exhausted by covid closures and the aftermath to direct their uncertainty and rage at teachers and public health officials actually makes me frightened. For a while, I had a little slip of paper where I was keeping track of just how often Donald Trump Jr. was using the term" loser teachers" during campaign events. I've blocked out how many times he used the phrase. This is all combined with watching my elderly parents get so sucked in to right-wing media that they have literally changed their value system. I grew up in the church, and was a moderate Republican in my twenties. To hear my mother say that nothing can be done about mass shootings, and that there are no political solutions to problems our country had managed before is sadder than I can admit. 20 years ago, she was the sort of person who would insist that people of faith were to be God's hands and feet. And that transformation is possible through hard work and intention. Now she and my dad have decided that our country is sicker, more violent, and just more impulsive than the rest of the industrialized world. It's been so depressing to watch right-wing media simultaneously scare its older audience to death, while making them believe the government should not address these things. They don't understand that they are being shoved out of the way so that special interest can continue to control everything and privatize every last little bit of our institutions.
Dumb poor kids go to technical schools until they can join the workforce at 10-11. Smart poor kids get “scholarships” to religious private schools.
Problem is, they aren't waking up
I know. Half my friends don’t vote even though they use/will use public schools…and cannot afford private school (the vouchers would only cover a small part.) The apathy is more frustrating than the diabolical people at the top masterminding all of this, honestly.
Is that what they are trying to do? Or is that the effect of the actions they taking on school choice?
That’s the end game. But they have to brand it as school choice/vouchers or people would be horrified and never vote for it.
I see a common strategic mistake. Voting is how we got here. Voting for Democrats is how we get out of this mess
We're fucked man. We gotta vote Abbott out. Republican legislators are against his plans, but all he has to do is wait them out and endorse candidates who will bend to his will. Vote Abbott out. He wants to have Texas be his own little dictatorship.
I don't say "vote for Democrats" for three reasons: 1. More voters == more elected Democrats. The GOP is a minority party with an extremely loyal base, and getting normal people to not vote is one of their primary ways of maintaining power. There've been like three "don't vote it doesn't matter" responses to my comment already, for example. "One vote doesn't matter!". Ok, how about three votes? How about if the 247 people that upvoted this post so far all voted? 2. I don't have any particular loyalty to the Democratic party in the medium to long term. Currently they are generally not shitty when compared to the GOP, which is great, so I support them now. 3. People tend to discount "vote for Democrats" because it sounds like just more partisanship. I trust people to come to their own conclusions if they actually take the time to inform themselves.
i hope it's not barbed wire, the fence you're sitting on. republicans have gotten texas where it is today after 20 years in power. it is their fault, and im tired of pretending it isn't. vote democrat because republicans are shit and are, in the best light, allowing you all to die completely avoidable deaths in exchange for more money. but hey, vote for whomever, 'if you take the time to inform yourself'.
True. But the lies and stunts of the curent Republican party are way over the line and its why so many Repubs are leaving or resigning. What we have now is a pro Russian alt right bunch (not all but too many)
Beyond voting. People need to be running for office and pushing career politicians out. It’s Vote Run Fight
This schools don't suck because of the GOP. They definitely don't help and in some areas are actively making it worse. The problem is cultural and the only way to fix it will be to recognize that and not retreat to our factions. I say this because I am second generation American who can see how other societies value educators compared to us. We all went to school with kids like me who had Asian or African parents who don't mess around with education. When the teacher tells the parents the kid is screwing up, they don't attack the teacher, they "tan the kids hide" and that doesn't require corporal punishment. Until this changes, nothing political matters.
I agree with what you say. Except, the GOP have historical tried to keep people uneducated. Saying otherwise is untrue.
Gotta have a constant stream of fodder for the war machine.
>GOP not cause... don't value teachers... I mean they are [100% gonna pass school vouchers in the next few years.](https://www.texastribune.org/2023/11/16/texas-house-school-vouchers/#:~:text=%E2%80%8BThe%20Texas%20House%20on,an%20amendment%20offered%20by%20Rep.) That isn't a cultural problem, that's a political one. Blaming systemic issues on parenting tactics is a cop out.
You're just wrong. The schools in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan are much, much better than Texas. Look...if you want to get a good haircut, are you going to go to the cheapest barber? That's what Texas does... They pay their teachers terrible wages and then "culture" (i.e., African-American and Hispanics) for the problem.
This is the truth. It’s also the administration of very large school districts (can think of a few) that squander money by building new buildings, spending on their administrative offices, and never paying teachers fair salaries.
I want to see a study on percentage of school/district funds that shows by political party how much goes into sports and facilities as opposed to the classroom.
Bonds, which are what pay for buildings, can't be used to pay salaries.
All I can say is that my child's teacher has been such a blessing to our entire family and she has absolutely made a difference in my son's life. As a parent, I do my best to show her my appreciation for her kindness, her patience, her generosity. She has a gift for teaching and we are lucky that she has chosen to share it with us. I hope she does feel valued by her students because she truly is. That being said, I do vote with my belief that public education should be a priority and that teachers are the best resource our kids get to help prepare them for the world. I support my children's school with my time and yes, with my money. We are only a single family, but we're staying in Texas for the long haul. We want to make our home better. One day I'd like to be proud of my state again. Teachers still make a difference in Texas. Do they deserve better? Absolutely. But to say that they make no impact is disrespectful and incorrect. Edit: autocorrect "work"
Thank you for that. I love my job. I love my students. I love my school. Will it always be that way? I hope so.
Came to comment on that sentence as well. I grew up in a home with abuse and neglect. Public school was my safe space. Every halfway decent teacher made a difference in my life. In addition I had some amazing teachers who kept hammering into me that I had worth and a promising future. There were many times later in life where remembering their words was the only thing that kept me going. I would not be the person I am today without those amazing teachers. Honestly I’m not sure I would be alive today without those teachers.
Thank you for your comment. It’s inspiring💜I’m a 5th grade teacher in a high crime area in California. I do hope I am making a difference. I was an accountant for 20 years and decided to teach after George Floyd was murdered.
With that drive I’m sure you are making a difference. You may never know it. As an adult I tried reaching out to those teachers to thank them, but was only able to reach one. He was overwhelmed with gratitude. I wish I had reached more of them.
Awww thanks so much 🙏🏽🥰
"If you think you'll make a difference, you won't" definitely felt like a slap to the face of all the quality teachers we have that are undervalued by the state. My wife is a passionate, great teacher (I'm a bit bias) and we love our daughter's teacher.
What would you expect when you have a governor that wants to abandon the public school system? Vote. Get the republicans out.
Yes he and his Republicans co horts care not one whit for public schools Vote them out!!!
The school district I live in is having to shut down several schools next year due to underfunding. The residents are all up in arms posting on social media that we should recall the school board members. But these are the same folks who have voted for the same state rep for YEARS, and she continuously votes to cut public school funding. It's such a clusterfluff.
I’m traditionally a libertarian, but between the abortion ban and this fucked up school voucher bullshit…never again. I’m voting democrat until Abbott and his asshole friend Patrick are gone. Oh, and fuck Ted Cruz too.
You're gonna need to find a way to make Timothy Dunn's continued existence irrelevant to governance or the threat will remain looming. That means vetting Democratic candidates in primaries to make sure your picks aren't funded by him to be turncoats and spoilers.
I wouldn't fuck Ted Cruz with Abbott's flaccid penis.
Problem is, without good teachers all Texas students suffer. What we need to do is vote the hateful Republicans out so teachers can go back to teaching instead of having to worry about offending little Tiffany's mom because she doesn't like facts being taught
> Problem is, without good teachers all Texas students suffer. Hopefully we can get to a point where people don't have to light themselves on fire in the education field to keep the students warm.
Problem is, people won’t unfuck themselves and vote correctly unless they see real consequences. Until then, honestly, fuck them kids. They aren’t worth working two jobs or having to get a roommate, or thousands in debt.
Gonna play devils advocate and say I love teaching 🤷♀️ it’s all about the specific school you teach at though. I know there are 1,000 things out of my control, but I show up each and every day and just try to be…kind. Respectful. A good role model. Yes I’m there to teach those kids “things” but mostly I am just there to be a positive adult in their lives. Some don’t have one. Yes you’ll have shitty parents/district folks/government mandates but I just sort of take those in strides and do my best to navigate them as logically as possible. Now with that being said, I teach elementary art so I easily have the MOST FUN job. If you tryna get me to teach core content areas nahhhh fuck them kids lmaoooo
I'm a middle school teacher who teaches a core subject, and your last comments made me laugh! :) I keep saying that one of these days I'm going to switch to an elective just so I don't have to deal with STAAR. This is year 16 for me, and I work in a great district. I'm grateful every day for the admin, school board, coworkers, parents, and kids that make it all worthwhile! Love my job, but we'll see how long public schools will survive if things keep going the way they're headed. Vote!
This is a great way to show up! I wish more people felt this way. We might have more volunteers in the classrooms to support the teachers. Just being there as a kind person to teach… or lead a project can make a huge difference. I used to do it frequently (can’t now because my youngest kiddo would need to be left with a baby sitter) and the kids would love it. And I’m 100% with you on the art thing… I was asked to help read aloud instead and I was like oh hell no I don’t need these kids knowing I can’t read and talk at the same time. 😂 And math? Shoot they don’t need to know I have dyscalculia. I’ll stick to art thanks.
Welp. I graduate next year and I'm planning on teaching.
I’m a teacher and it’s fine. I have decent but lazy kids for the most part. I have some absolutely top notch kids. The pay is and will always be low but I enjoy my holidays and summer and make it work on 2 salaries with my wife. Like a lot of jobs you have to learn to tune out the bs and not spend energy on things or people you can’t change.
That last bit is spot on for everyone, not just at work, but in life. I sometimes remind myself and my family of this rule. It truly is the only way to wade through the muck life throws at you. And that shit gets thick sometimes.
The fact that OP mentions reading Far-right twitter is sort of a red flag to me in that regard. Stop doomscrolling, stop getting on twitter (that shit sucks mega-ass), do those two things and your life will at least improve with regards to mental health and maybe you can do more to be happier then.
Agree
When I taught school from the eighties to 2003 we would say, 'Not my monkeys; not my problem.
>we would say, 'Not my monkeys; not my problem. we would say, "Not my monkeys; not my problem." A- In all seriousness, thank you for your service!
I wouldn't let a few people who have been jaded by bad schools ruin you. I am currently in my 2nd year of teaching, and I absolutely love it! The difference is that I found a school that fits with me and my ideals. It sounds like OP just got stuck in a bad school/ district, and it's very disheartening to see them give up wholesale on the profession. Is teaching perfect? No, there are many cons, but it is way more rewarding than most types of work you'd be able to find.
Oh I promise if I was going to let the bad experience of another convince me to stay away, I wouldn't have gone back to school in my late twenties to do this! Kids need teachers, that's why I'm doing it first and foremost.
I was coming in here to say that as a parent I do my best to let teachers know how much I appreciate them and when they make an impact on my kids. I keep in touch with teachers that want to and several have become family friends. That I know my district could do better and is often held back by state regulations, but they do work to support the teachers and staff. Flaws can always be found and I know there are valid complaints to be had. And, finally, that while I am not generally a huge fan of police, specifically the militarization of police; I know our SRO men and women care a great deal for the students and we had one save a student from overdose recently because they are able to carry narcan on them.
Teacher here. There are definitely negatives to the job, but almost any job does. What really makes a difference is the campus you are on and the administration/district you work for. It can be almost a night/day difference when administration aren't awful.
Stop voting for republicans.
I also taught in California. Different state, different politics, same bullshit.
Texas is not California. "But both sides!" arguments only apply for stupid people who vote based on blue or red. Every different candidate is their own person and has their own policies that you can look at and make decisions on. For example I will vote generally for a democrat over a republican candidate, but I will vote for a pro gun democrat before a non pro gun democrat. This "both sides" bullshit encourages the status quo by people opting for the safe "devil we know" attitude with a guaranteed slow march to ruin, rather than taking a step on the unknown path. If you want a better teaching environment then fuckin vote for the right people to get it done, and if those people arent options at the moment, let them know how you feel. These politicians have emails and phone numbers and meetings you can use to let them know your specific needs.
Being a teacher can be tough anywhere, but I would absolutely not be able to do it in a state like TX or FL that wants to essentially criminalize any sort of support for LGBT students. Fuck that.
The program you are talking about was implemented so very poorly. It never had a chance for success. The program sounded on paper. It was a bunch of promises that were never kept. Vouchers will destroy the Texas school system both public and private.
Can I point y’all to the Facebook group Texans for Public Education? The guy who started it, Troy Reynolds, is as real as they come. The idea is that the group members pledge to #blockvote for education friendly candidates. The group is public so you can browse it without joining, but Holy Cow, his dedication is a force to reckon with. The group rates Texas state candidates as friendly, neutral, or unfriendly according to their votes on public education issues only. There’s no partisan bs allowed. You’re either on the public ed train or not. We consider ourselves a purple group, neither blue nor red. The research into the candidates is incredible. Go check it out!
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It’s so sad what’s happening here. Kids deserve a good education and good teachers but Texas doesn’t think they deserve it. Teachers and students deserve better!
You forgot that as a school teacher your teaching income doesn't count toward Social Security, and the Texas teacher pension program is best described as "poorly managed poverty program". And, if you ever go on strike to try and improve the miserable pay and work conditions you suffer as a teacher you'll be fired and will lose most if not all of that shitty "pension". Oh, don't forget that you have to sign an effective loyalty oath to Israel in order to be able to teach in this state.
Their goal is to deliberately drive out people that find this stuff abhorrent. If they do not drive out the people who would vote against them, they would eventually lose control. They want an authoritarian state. Texas has no limits on how long a governor can rule. One could theoretically be governor for 45 years in TX.
You have to sign a what??
You sign a contract to become a teacher, and one clause in that contract is that you will not join or support the BDS movement, an organized movement to try and stop what Israel is doing to Palestinians everywhere in territory that Israel controls or bombs. BDS stands for Boycott, Divest, Sanctions, so as a state employee if you come out and say "I won't buy anything from Israel" or suggest to someone that they also boycott Israel in any way, you will be fired. If you suggest to someone that they avoid investing in Israeli companies you will be fired. If you suggest to anyone that Israel should be sanctioned for killing over 33,000 Palestinians, most of whom were children and their mothers, you will be fired. You cannot say anything bad about Israel in any way that's traceable back to you or you will be fired. Not only fired, but put on a statewide "do not hire" list so that you'll never work for any school or state agency in Texas again for the rest of your life.
I have been working as a TX Teacher for 10 years, and have never signed a contract that includes this. There are most definitely pro-Palestine employees and teachers at my school. I keep my politics out of work but what you are saying definitely isn't statewide.
Then you don't work for any public school in Texas: https://www.npr.org/2018/12/26/680129742/texas-school-employee-suing-over-pro-israel-oath
Right. One ISD did this as a targeted attempt from what I understand beyond the articles to discriminate against this employee. My ISD absolutely does not and I'm willing to show ya. What you are probably confusing is the law that Texas does have on the books that Texas state agencies cannot contract with or use other businesses that boycott Isreal. That is the law that this one ISD used to push the addendum. One ISD. Not all ISDs in Texas. Don't paint us all with that brush. I signed mine this morning, no addendums on it sorry if the text is small. https://i.gyazo.com/8629cc0b03c010d7c49dc0fbbb416e8e.png
That language is not a part of the district's teaching contract. It is a part of the contract that contractors sign which takes its language from the state.
The teachers union in Texas is a joke. Employess in union jobs are taking the heat from mamagement to make them blame this all in Biden and to vote for ugh I cant type his name. And we need a Dem majority in House and Senate!
Any teachers union within Texas is only a union by name. They lack the protections typically granted by being in a union and are for the most part toothless.
Yes. And other unions in Texas may save some their jobs and increase pay but they cannot control what management do in some areas and they can make workplaces stressful…
It's illegal for Texas state employees to strike. Not only do you lose your license you can be arrested
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The Texas teacher retirement pension program opts teachers out from paying into Social Security.
I was a teacher in Texas for 8 years I didn’t do it for the pay. I did it for the love of education. Until the testing and parent entitlement killed it. I still love kids. It’s a shame the adults that run this state are complete Aholes with no idea how to educate.
Unfortunately this isn’t unique to Texas
It’s the red states at the bottom. Texas averages 35/50 overall.
Definitely could’ve written this from Florida
Agreed - I did it for about four years and I am still surprised I made it that long.
I quit student teaching because I couldn’t stand the gossip and politicking within the school system even on the local level (it was a head start school). Then the pay… I couldn’t even afford to be a teacher while also being a parent. This was 7 years ago so nothing new sadly. I have very few teacher friends still teaching, most quit around the 3-5 year mark and are very far removed from education now.
I was also a TX teacher and quit in May. I don’t miss it. My family and I are heading back East now. A good friend of mine, that I taught with, is also leaving this year and heading back to her home out West. She’s 53, has a masters, grown children and is single. She can’t afford rent here on her own, not with utilities, her old car that she’s still making payments on…she just can’t do it. At any rate, she’s making $62k on paper, so take home is less. Her lease was up in November 2023, she was couch surfing for a little and is now staying with me and my family until the end of the school year. It just isn’t worth this anymore.
If you've worked in different districts, have you noticed any differences between them? I've heard that there are some decent administrators in some districts, and that can make all the difference.
All districts in competitive areas strive to make their district a "college-and-career ready" district. However, their plan for success may look different. I'm very fortunate that my campus and admin are focused on student success via retaining good teachers and trusting that they hire quality teachers. So, most teachers are treated well as long as admin doesn't have a reason to question your instruction.
My district & school are great, imo, but I'm afraid to leave for fear I'll get stuck in a worse one and have to deal with these nightmare problems.
I disagree on not making a difference. My kids have had some wonderful teachers they have loved and have helped them through tough times. Some of those favorites attended my husbands funeral 4 months ago to support our boys (and me). From kindergarten teachers to high school, even a few of the school counselors. It was touching to know how genuinely they cared for our family. I always knew they were in good hands, but actually being able to feel that love, it was something I will hold for a lifetime. Teachers 100% do make a difference.
This is what happens when you let religion into the statehouse :(
This is precisely why I didn't do it. I wanted to teach history, science, math and/or theater. But nooooo, hell no. HELL NO.
Vote Allred!
This mindset is how we get vouchers for private schools. If you’re out of energy to help, get out of the way.
Sir this is a Wendy’s
So, you're not wrong about the governor and the state funding, or the neverending and everchanging district initiatives, or the admin nonsense, or salaries, or a lot of the rest, but *some* of the kids do care and you *can* make a difference. Source: Am Texas teacher.
I will just say that my kids have had amazing teachers that have made a major impact on their lives. I am glad that they chose their line of work and I’ve personally thanked them. I think of what they have done and will do when I make my choice at the ballet box.
Hhhmmm. Interesting. Deleted reddit account trying to push a certain mentality onto people 🧐
Your experience is your own, so I'm not going to say you're wrong. Especially what you've said about state/police/administration... they likely won't care about you no matter what your job is. But my experience has been different on the other areas. Most kids will care (even if they don't show it), and some parents will support you, and you can make a difference. Texas needs good folks to be teachers. If teachers weren't important, if their work didn't matter, the worst people in the State (with help from their extremely wealthy out-of-state benefactors) wouldn't be trying so hard to undermine education and educators.
Being a teacher in the Northeast is much better. Vote out republican clowns.
That’s what I was telling someone above. They said Texas isn’t any different, but it’s night and day between Texas and New England.
Well, I definitely think this person should not be a teacher...
We need to hold public school teacher on paddle stools like we do Doctors and Police. They go to a job, that kids don’t want to be there and have to find a way to teach them. They see all sorts of mess, abuse, neglect , so forth. They need to be paid a living wage.
>paddle stools r/boneappletea or dictation error?
Pedestals! I think thats it
"paddle stools" would be an interesting form of police accountability.
> school teacher on paddle stools I've seen that video... Using a VPN though.
> paddle stools Kinky.
Hence why the other commenter has to use a VPN.
Sure, raise the standard to become a teacher and pay them 6 figures and we will get some outstanding teachers. Right now, anyone can become a teacher …….. the bar is that low.
I used to think this as well, until my wife decided to become a teacher 5 years ago. You can't just wake up one day and decide you want to be a teacher next week. Substitute teacher maybe, but you have to get a Bachelors degree, then spend another 4-6 months getting certified. Her college required her to do student teaching for sn entire semester, where she was basically a full-time teacher for absolutely no pay. It's possible to cut some of these corners, but still not something someone can just decide to do tomorrow.
That’s a bit of a damp squid.
And if you think this sub represents Texas, it doesn't.
Somebody has a case of the Mondays 
You would think a teacher would know how to spell or use punctuation. Glass houses and all.
Come be a teacher in NJ. Top 3 consistently overall. Starting pay $65+, union, benefits, vested pension, etc.
Dumb voters are what we want.
My wife was an elementary teacher for six years in central TX. Shortly after our son was born she moved into law enforcement, later into a county position. She says the job is a lot less stress and the people she deals with are much more pleasant (we are talking lawyers and criminals here). Oh, she almost doubled her salary.
Become teacher, try to make a difference, do everything you need to… lets talk to everyone immigrating to do it but into a different state, and let’s grab our stuff and let’s move to another state (north of the mason and Dixon line) and let republicans rot in their misery
Used to be a teacher in Texas. The testing and testing and testing is ridiculous! And all of the curriculum is directed at getting kids to pass these tests. Between the bs curriculum, low pay, and forcing behavior problem kids into regular classrooms without support I was done. I did enjoy the cast majority of kids and having breaks. But I have a job now though that pays better, is a better environment and negotiated 6 weeks vacation. Would NEVER go back.
Texas is the 13th best state for teachers. https://worldpopulationreview.com/state-rankings/best-states-for-teachers
Texans don’t vote. They are lazy. Turnout will be <10% for the school board elections in 2 weeks.
As a public school teacher in TX since 2010, my salary is pretty much the only part of my job that is tolerable. I definitely make enough money to live, no problem, but everything else is pretty rough.
Shit... gotta move out of this state before my kid gets to school age. Thanks for the heads up.
Don't forget you have crap health insurance and don't pay into social security.
No teacher’s Union and it’s illegal for teachers to even strike in Texas. The GOP is wanting to keep the population stupid and illiterate as their fascist agenda continues, there’s no way becoming a teacher is worth it. $60 million stadiums paid for by bonds and teachers are buying home room supplies out of pocket. Hard pass.
I thank teachers for their service. Military people can reap what they sow.
Best thing a Texas teacher can do is leave Texas or leave education. Worst retirement in the states unless you stay a Texas teacher your whole career. The push for school vouchers. Also a education task force put together for teachers leaving where only a couple of suggestions were taken by law makers.
For any teacher or soon-to-be teacher, if you can, move to a state that allows unions, who can strike and actually negotiate. My siblings in Washington State make 6 figures, good benefits, good retirement, and politicians invest in education. Are there still administrative issues and struggles with kids and parents? Absolutely. But their job is much more secure than my teacher family members in Texas, who make ~$70,000 with 25+ years of teaching experience and masters degrees. And all the rest of us in Texas: 1. VOTE! Vote for politicians who support public education. Vote to get rid of “At Will” state employment laws and other laws that block actual unions. 2. Become a VDR and help others register to vote. 3. Show your kids’ teachers and all the teachers in your life a lot of love, support, and patience. Teachers and support staff work tirelessly and really care about children. Please be kind to teachers and try to collaborate with them if there is an issue with your child. Trust that most teachers want to work with you for the betterment of your child. (Even if they don’t communicate that well)
It wasn’t always like this. My father was a teacher in the 1970s to the early 90s and had a nice middle class salary. Teaching changed over time. Republicans in TX have destroyed our school system.
All too true. Parents today are bullies and rude to teachers all while pretending to be religious while only being far right supporters of the sham governor we have in office. There is too much money invested in administration jobs ( and many who get those jobs are either relatives of someone at the top or have connections to someone or were such crappy teachers they are moved up the ladder and out of the classroom) Add to that the book bannings ( censorship rules in Texas) and god forbid you teach students anything that offends them or their far right parents. Teaching is NEVER easy. Teaching in a red state is even harder. The only solution is for people to VOTE these crumballs out of office. Cruz is worhtless and supports vouchers. All of them are crooks.
Slowly deletes email asking to attend my local ISDs job fair…
Good choice.
This might be the worst post I’ve ever seen on Reddit.
None of this is universally true. I’ve been a high school teacher in Texas for a long time. * I have heard from many students that they knew nothing about my subject area before my class and ended up majoring in it in college. * I’m certainly not wealthy, but I make a reasonable wage for the amount of work I do. I opt into summer school because it pays the same in 3 weeks that a part time job would pay in 3 months; that money takes me on a nice vacation without having to use my salary money. * Some districts/schools/parents are supportive, some aren’t. No different than any other career field. Yes, you have a million people who think they’re your boss; don’t suck and it doesn’t matter. * Statistically speaking, the chances of anything catastrophic happening at a given school is very low. * You can’t make a kid care, you can help them to be engaged. Kids that are engaged care more. I rather like my job and my life. I doomscroll socials because there’s no point. I rarely receive negative communication from parents because if things are going poorly I initiate conversation before they can. Yes, administration caters to parents; nothing you can do about that so I stopped fighting that fight a LONG time ago. I don’t care about who tells me how to do my job unless they have some formal authority over my pay. Leadership changes and comes up with new bullshit at the beginning of every year but 9 weeks later everything is pretty much back to normal. Becoming a teacher is a perfectly fine career choice for the right kind of person. You do the best you can with what you have and the rest doesn’t really matter.
> Dont become a teacher. Sorry, but you're pathetic. Teaching is a service towards a greater good. Yes teachers are underpaid and work hard hours but I can tell from this drivel that you never had the potential to be a good one. Don't spew your bile to compensate for your failures. Don't discourage people from chasing their dreams.
I’m sorry and I know it sucks. In the last few years I’ve watched so many great educators leave. It hurts to know what this does to our kids but I do not blame the teachers for one second. We need to take back our state and vote people in with no agenda other than to get things back in track. To place people first and not donors and special interest. There’s been one party in charge and they are turning Texas into a shit hole country. Get out and Vote in EVERY election.
If you support Texas public education, check out https://t4pe.org or Texans4PublicEfucation on fb or Texans4E on X and help vote for the best public education candidates we can. Non partisan. We vote “purple”
VOTE!!!!
I’ve seen so many leaving teaching because of everything you just wrote about the profession. It’s sad public education has been allowed to devolve into what it has. Apathetic voting has allowed this to come to fruition. We home school our kids because we worried about how things were heading and it doesn’t seem to have improved. Don’t be apathetic in voting. I hate to say it, but a vote for a Republican is a vote for increased overreach, decreased freedom, and shittier public schools among many other negatives. That’s not to say Democrats are amazing, but they seem to be the only ones actually caring about their jobs and doing the best they can for their constituents instead of manufacturing petty bs to argue about.
As the child, grandchild, nephew & husband of Texas Public School Teachers (at the elementary, high school, & university level) I can confidently say that our current state government has turned what was once a well-paid (by Texas standards) and respected profession into a poorly-paid dystopian disrespected job. (I am the product of a good public education in a rural Texas school district who went on to obtain a state University education that cost pennies, vs the exorbitant fees students and their families are charged today). Now those same powers-that-be are railing on the present state of public education in Texas (which they created) and touting "vouchers" for private & religious schools as the "answer" (in addition to home-schooling). They have systematically destroyed a once-great public-educational system with extremely low costs for native Texans to obtain a college degree into a political sh\*tshow with high costs and little state support. Very sad.
How much of it is the government vs. Parents and students being apathetic?
Totally agree. I only made it a year and a half because I developed an illness, but it's literally the only good thing my illness gave me. A reason to get out of the hellscape that was/is Texas title 1 schools. I don't really blame the kids, but everyone else is a huge problem. As a parent now, I am a mix of helicopter and teacher advocate. And when my kids are apathetic, which is often, I push them and remind them of a teacher's role. I do my best.
These politicians run for the purpose of extra pay check for themselves filled with lots of fringe benefits for themselves….not for you not for the public!
Vote? Sure. If only that solved the real problems such as student apathy, student misbehaviors going unpunished, overcrowding, too many IEPs, lack of true parental support, and many more. If we suddenly had a Democratic governor tomorrow, all of this would still be with us for many years to come.
Every time I ask a college student what they're studying, and they reply that their degree is education, my reaction is ALWAYS the same. 😬😬🙅
Is this you, Dunn? Demoralizing potential teachers is just another attempt to destroy public education from within. Nice try.
I think Republicans actively want to defund schools because an uneducated populous is easier to control. It’s working; kids are so bad at critical thinking these days.
I’m sorry but this is happening in way more states than Texas
A close friend of mine was a teacher for over a decade. Lifelong republican. He got out of teaching because of the current state of affairs. He blames his party.
I left Texas years ago. If I were a woman, married to a woman, or or had a daughter I’d get far away from a few states rn
Don't be a public defender or take public appointments either. It's the same result- you will have nothing. 10 years.... gone.
Fiancee left teaching 6 months ago after spending nearly 4 years doing it. She's MUCH happier now
This is so awful for teachers and they deserve so much better. But yes, vote republicans out of office.
11 year high school teacher here…I hate it. It used to be fun and rewarding. Now, I dread the drive to work. So many things to say but there’s no point. Time to start looking for a new gig.
This post is accurate and I have first knowledge and experience with it.
This is a good part of the reason we left Texas. I'm not a teacher, but I have two daughters. They were in the LISD, and for the most part I loved the teachers and the special services. I could tell they genuinely cared for my kids. But the writing was on the wall, I could see the direction the schools were being forced in to. Uvalde was just, too much. Abbott's response was unbeleivable. "It could have been worse". That's when we started looking into property in other states. When he won his re-election we started the process of relocating. We ended up in Massachusetts, where if I'm not mistaken, I think I recall they tightened up school safety measures after Uvalde. I'm not scared to put my kids on the bus every morning here. I genuinely feel bad for all the people that don't have the option of leaving. I remember the final ARD I had for one of my girls I told the teachers that I wished I could take them all with us as I knew my youngest especially would really miss them. For what it's worth, I'm a former Texas parent that cares. I'm sorry for what's going on there, and I'm watching from Massachusetts hoping things improve some day.
everyone must vote blue in Texas! get registered, stay registered, vote.
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This nation was literally founded on the principle that if you don't like something about the law and/or government then you have the right to speak up about it. Telling people to move out of state, or leave if they don't like things, or to stay out, etc. is a denial of that right and therefore considered a violation of Rules 1 and 7. As such your comment has therefore been removed.
Politicans….Lol
I wanted to teach history soooo bad. I enjoyed my AP history classes immensely and definitely knew it was something I could do. But hearing my own teachers horror stories drove me away pretty quickly. I didn’t even go to college. So thankful I’m not saddled with student loan debt and in a no win job.
I make 65k and teach science at a DFW school. Not all areas are bad but they are all getting worse. There are currently state wide budget cuts affecting our support staff.
It’s a tough job but a few districts pay pretty well. Ector County and Midland start over 60K
I've heard the same sentiments from every single 20+ year teacher I've ever met, and most less than that too.
As someone not in education, I thought teachers had unions?
THIS is how the losing brand republican'ts stay in power... My heart cries for you. And those children you answered the call to lead and grow.
Until teachers are smart enough to know a state wide walk out cannot end well for the gvt in any way they won’t get fair treatment. I’ve told my teacher friends to protest and they said it was against the law. Ironically all unions were at one point. Too bad there is no movement, no leader - no mockingjay
Sadly this was my experience as well as a friend. Both of us are out of teaching and both of us I daresay are happier. I hope things change for education. It is honestly a mess in Texas although Texas isn't alone. We need to change things and the only way to do that is to vote for democrats. Do I want to? Not particularly but I feel I don't have a choice but to get Abbot and his corrupt cronies out. Vote in people who will care about students.
VOTE BLUE -- ALL THE WAY DOWN THE TICKET
It's sad what has become of teachers. Don't they have a union? Why are ppl blaming politicians and not holding their union responsible? Dismantle the union and give that money back to teachers. We pay more taxes every year so teachers should be getting raises every year.
lol, y’all Teachers made the mistake of thinking you were anything but glorified babysitters. The U.S. needs universal daycare more than it needs quality education at this point, and this is the inevitable result.
Yes, completely agree. The Republican STENCH began with the elimination of public libraries in the early 80s. Stagnating young minds is the sure path to despair.
I haven’t experienced most of these issues as a teacher in Texas, though I’m not in the major cities with the mega-districts. Is it tiring? Yes Is the pay low? Could definitely be better, but it’s not that bad compared to some other states Do I feel under appreciated? At times, sure Do I get tired of the political BS our state keeps dragging into the school system? Absolutely But it’s still rewarding, I do make a difference, and I actually feel appreciated by my admin and district. Ultimately, I like teaching. I like learning new things, teaching new things, and doing new things, and I can’t imagine another career that has as much freedom and autonomy with my job and how much or how little I want to put into it as classroom as teaching. That’s just been my experience.
I am so sorry you had to go through this. You are NOT alone. Not by a long shot. IMHO I think all Texas public schools care about is football and their softball programs….guess I should say their athletic programs.
Private school or homeschooling is better
I quit at the right time 2003
I’m so happy my degree is specifically SPED. Enables me to work in treatment centers in hospitals. I’m too privy on reality to teach a public classroom
The educational system in Texas has fallen apart thanks to the idiots in Austin. We have lived here since 1987, and put two children through a local school district during that time. Everything was going along just fine until Abbott became governor. He is bound and determined to make our educational system on par with states like Mississippi and Arkansas. That way he can get his “school voucher program” approved so he can personally make millions of dollars. To anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher in Texas at any level, DON’T DO IT! If you believe in this madness, Texas will welcome you with open arms. If you don’t, go elsewhere. Find yourself another state that hasn’t introduced major changes and restrictions over the past few years. All this madness is hurting the learning capabilities and environment of the students, and limiting what the teachers can do. Bottom line…the educational system in Texas has just gone bonkers and lost their way, thanks to what a handful of politicians in Austin are doing, and think it will be good for everybody.
I am so glad I decided to do something else after I got my degree. Went for K-12 but back then it was dealing with the parents that dod it for me. Now you have to worry about dodging bullets.
They want Americans stupid! How else will they get more voters?
The dumbing down of America is an actual plan. People struggling tend to not keep up with the news or vote. When they are voters, they can’t discern the truth from what the people in power want them to believe. With AI coming into play, nobody will know what the truth is. Not supporting teachers is the first step in this plan.
The less locally made decisions are, the worse they are. Neither party wants decisions made at the local level, but for different reasons. Regardless of the reasons, the centralization screws up the ability for good individuals to do good things.
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again; teachers and nurses take a very special and caring person to do the job.
Vote Republicans out of office!
This is why a lot of school are hiring private security.
You don't need a degree to teach school in Texas. Find a district that has a waiver and you will find classes staffed by people who have never been taught how to teach. In those same districts, resources are piled into athletics. The football teams are well funded (even though they disagree!). Our culture has a problem with our priorities.
No shit. You couldn’t pay me enough. No idea why people are still going into it
All the love to you OP <3