Salvage job

State legislators should raise teachers' pay, fund textbooks and then go on vacation.
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle


Considering the paralysis that grips the second special session in Austin, lawmakers should embrace the latest efforts of state Sens. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, to craft a bipartisan, stripped-down public education bill.

With differences between the House and Senate over tax increases and cuts thwarting any reform of public school finance, the two senators are pushing Senate Bill 37, a $1.8 billion proposal that avoids the acrimonious tax issues and is funded by existing revenues.

It would provide $295 million for new textbooks, and $1.5 billion for school employees, including $1 billion for teacher pay raises. That would allow a raise of about $1,000 per teacher in the first year and an additional $1,000 per teacher in the second year. The legislation would also restore the teachers health insurance stipend the Legislature cut in 2003.

Gov. Rick Perry indicates he might be willing to sign on to the compromise, which would allow lawmakers to go home to face constituents with some semblance of accomplishment on the primary issue before them this year. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst sounded more pessimistic, saying a plan to fund textbooks and teacher pay raises does little to improve public education.

While the bill would leave Texas public schools inadequately funded, better-paid teachers and new textbooks would help.

"We understand," Ellis said, "that our bill does not accomplish all the goals of school finance reform It simply allows us to accomplish something for our schools as we keep working for a true fix of our school finance system."

After watching legislators struggle this year to resolve their differences and produce a workable school finance plan, it's time to take care of the basics and adjourn. Perhaps, in the next regular legislative session in 2007, wiser heads will prevail, and the long-sought effort to provide adequate and equitable public school financing will finally bear fruit.
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http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/3295433