2003 TFT Legislative Agenda
|
TFT in 2003 will keep up the fight for quality in every classroom. Our winning record includes passage of the 1995 Safe Schools Act; our early-reading and anti-social promotion initiatives; our 1997 bill to help classroom paraprofessionals become certified teachers; the $3,000 state pay raise for teachers in 1999; the 15 percent increase in TRS pensions since 1999; and first-ever state funding for health care for all school employees in 2001.
For 2003, our task is clear: keep up the drive for excellence in our public schools. Texas teachers and school support staff want what Texas schoolchildren need!
|
Read more about TFT's legislative priorities in the January 2003 Texas Teacher.
Sign up to be a TFT Legislative Liaison.
TFT members make their voices heard at TFT Lobby Days.
TFT members send almost 17,000 letters to legislators on TFT's Virtual Lobby Day.
|
PROVIDE T0P-QUALITY
EDUCATION
Texans believe every child deserves a good education in a safe and orderly public school. To fulfill that commitment, TFT calls on lawmakers to invest in these priorities.
Ensure Quality In Every Classroom
-
Increase public school funding to give every child equal access to a quality education
-
Extend class-size limits to higher grades
-
Enforce existing class-size limits
-
Assure universal access to preschool
-
Guarantee an appropriately certified teacher in every classroom
-
Block vouchers and other gimmicks that drain resources from public schools
-
Give financial aid to school personnel who gain certification, advanced education, or higher skills to benefit students
Demand High Performance
-
Continue supporting initiatives to raise academic standards
-
Guarantee individual attention and extra help for students to meet higher performance standards
-
Hold school districts accountable for efficient use of state funding to serve our students (e.g., restore paperwork-reduction law)
Keep Our Schools Safe
-
Maintain teachers’ authority to remove disruptive students
-
Strengthen state rules on student discipline (e.g., ban adverse appraisal based on exercise of teacher removal authority)
PROVIDE FOR TOP-QUALITY EMPLOYEES
Teachers and school support staff deserve pay, benefits, and working conditions that decently reward them for performing a vital role. The long-term prosperity and quality of life of all Texans depend on the education our students receive in Texas public schools.
Raise Pay
Health Coverage as Good as the Governor’s
- Provide state-paid health insurance for all school employees, active and retired
Better Retirement Benefits
- Raise pensions for all school employees and provide automatic cost-of-living adjustments
Due Respect and Due Process
-
Extend basic due-process rights and benefits to all education employees, K-16
-
Respect current rights and benefits of all education employees
Respect Freedom of Contract
Read more about TFT's legislative priorities in the January 2003 Texas Teacher.
CALL TO ACTION!
Legislators listen best to messages from folks in their home district. You can help pass TFT’s legislative agenda by informing yourself about the issues and asking your senator and representative for their support. Here’s how:
TFT Toll-Free Legislative Hotline
Call 1-800-764-1177 for daily legislative information updates year-round.
TFT Web Site
Send letters by e-mail or fax through the TFT Web site at www.capwiz.com/amft/officials/state/?lvl=C&state=tx.
TFT "Call Direct" to Legislators
Dial 1-888-836-8368 to call your state senator or representative on TFT’s toll-free line. When the capitol operator answers, give your legislator’s name and ask to be connected.
Prefer writing a letter?
Senators: P.O. Box 12068, Austin 78711
Representatives: P.O. Box 2910, Austin 78768
Governor: P.O. Box 12428, Austin 78711, or 1-800-843-5789
