Hughes Makes Teacher Pay Priority for Special Session

By Robin Y. Richardson, News Messenger

Wednesday, June 29, 2005

Giving Texas teachers a pay raise was a top priority for District 5 State Rep. Bryan Hughes when he returned to Austin last week for a special legislative session.

"I hope to give teachers the raise they need and put more money in the classroom in general," he said the day before he left. "A good teacher in the classroom is what educates children."

Tuesday, the sixth day of the session called to debate school finance reform, Hughes, R-Mineola, filed House Bill 61, that would increase all teachers' salaries by $2,400. The bill will also raise salaries for school counselors, nurses and librarians. However, Hughes said he would still support a larger increase.

"This bill is just a start," he said in a press release, "but it's something I hope we can get done."

He said it may end up as an amendment to the education bill.

Hughes said he will work to see that a meaningful pay raise is included in any school finance package the legislature approves.

"We know our teachers work hard. They don't do it for money, but we don't need to take advantage of that," he said in a phone interview Tuesday during a brief break from meetings. "Teachers in the classroom educate children.

"All these programs coming out of Austin and Washington don't educate children. It's good teachers in the classroom," he said.

Hughes said giving teachers a pay raise was included in his campaign in 2002 and 2004.

"We have a lot to focus on during the special session on school finance, but increased salary for our teachers is a priority for me," Hughes said. "We ask so much of our teachers, and the least we can do is give them this help."

In addition to filing a bill for teacher pay raises Tuesday, Hughes also co-authored HB 42 with Rep. Jose Menendez, D-San Antonio, to restore health insurance supplemental payments for all school personnel.

It's something Hughes, who voted against cutting these benefits, has been working on for the past two years.

"This is an important issue for me," he said, "and I'm hopeful we'll see this supplement restored."

He said $1,000 in health insurance supplements were cut in the 2003 session.

"We were $10,000 short," he said. "I voted not to cut it. Teachers relied on that and then it was cut back," he said. "We need to restore it."

He is optimistic about the bills being passed.