Carol K.M.R. Strayhorn is already busy courting the Texas teacher vote:
On Wednesday, Dec. 15, TCTA was invited to attend a briefing by State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn as she laid out her teacher salary proposal. At the briefing and subsequent press conference, the comptroller discussed her plan to reduce teacher turnover rates and reward Texas teachers for responding to the increasing challenges of the state’s accountability system. The plan includes four primary features:
* $3,000 across-the-board pay raise for all teachers, counselors, nurses and librarians
* Automatic increases in the state salary schedule every two years, based on national average salary figures, to ensure that Texas remains competitive
* A fully funded teacher mentoring program
* A $2,500 bonus to all teachers at a campus that moves from an academically unacceptable rating to acceptable or better.
I'm not sure how she intends to pay for all this but these are commendable goals. A former teacher herself, Strayhorn is likely to give any Democratic candidate a run for their money on education issues.Posted by sarah at December 17, 2004 9:23 AM | TrackBack