AUSTIN – Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued this statement Thursday following the Texas Senate’s bipartisan passage of Senate Bill 9, Teacher Pay Raises – Empowering Teacher Rights, by Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe:
“As the husband of a long-time school teacher, the son-in-law of a teacher and father-in-law of a teacher, I know the impact that a great teacher makes on the development of a child. We all remember the teachers who made a significant impact on our lives.
“Beginning in 2019, under my leadership, we shifted the way we pay teachers in Texas. We are now driving more dollars to teacher salaries and we are rewarding teachers that stay in the classroom. Those teachers can make more than $70,000 per year. SB 9 builds upon the legislation we passed in 2019.
“SB 9 also creates a program to incentivize bringing experienced retired teachers back to the classroom. In addition, SB 9 allows teachers to enroll their children in their school’s prekindergarten program, if offered, for free.
“SB 9 is a biproduct of listening to those in the profession to elevate the teaching profession in Texas. I thank Sen. Creighton for his tireless work on this legislation and the Senate for sharing my commitment to supporting Texas teachers, who give so much for the future of our state.”
SB 9, by Sen. Creighton, increases teacher pay by $2,000 for every Texas teacher. If a teacher teaches in a district with 20,000 students or less, they will receive an additional $4,000, to help close the salary gap between urban and suburban teachers and rural teachers.