Raise Your Hand Texas hosted the SXSWEDU panel discussion on teacher pay and retention on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. The panel focused on the issues facing Texas educators, including significant underpayment, high turnover rates, and the increasing reliance on uncertified teachers. The discussion demonstrated the impact of these challenges on students and the overall quality of education in Texas.
Panelists shared research and personal experiences, emphasizing the critical need for competitive salaries, improved working conditions, and increased community support to retain qualified teachers and strengthen classrooms. The discussion underscored a harsh reality many educators face, as Nicholas Ferroni pointed out, “I’ve worked a second, even third and fourth job, and it was something that was so normalized.” This highlights how teacher salaries have not kept pace with inflation, effectively resulting in a pay cut over the past decade. Consequently, many teachers are forced to work multiple jobs to make ends meet, leading to burnout and impacting their ability to effectively serve their students.
Key Discussion Points:
- Impact of Inflation: The median Texas teacher earned roughly $5,000 less in 2023 than in 2020 when adjusted for inflation.
- Retention Challenges: Texas retains only about 58% of its teachers at the five-year mark. Retention rates are significantly lower for uncertified teachers compared to those with traditional undergraduate programs.
- Teacher Burnout and Second Jobs: One in five teachers work second jobs. 52% of teachers report feeling very often or always burnt out.
- Advocacy and Solutions: Panelists called for increased teacher salaries, including a national minimum salary starting salary of $60,000 as proposed by the American Teacher Act, improved working conditions, and greater community support. Teachers identified a significant salary increase as their top retention strategy (59%).
- Hope and Passion: Despite the challenges, panelists expressed hope and passion for the teaching profession and the potential for positive change.
Panelists Included (L-R):
Melissa Garza, Senior Research Associate, Charles Butt Foundation
JoLisa Hoover, Teacher Specialist, Raise Your Hand Texas
Taniece Thompson-Smith, Fifth-Grade Teacher, Abilene ISD, and Teacher of the Year
Nicholas Ferroni, Teacher and Advocate, Township of Union/Teacher Salary Project
LISTEN: EVENT RECORDING
Austin Convention Center (SXSW)
Austin
March 04, 2025
01:00 PM - 02:00 PM