

The 86th regular legislative session begins on Jan. "We're not allowed to go on strike but until we do something they are not going to raise our pay." Teachers are "paying attention to people who are running for office who are pro-teacher," McFarland said. Texas is home to more than 358,000 teachers.Īnd moonlighters like McFarland, Camacho and Flores-Cano are watching legislators closely. It keeps me from quitting now." A TEACHER'S VOTE “I started crying. That’s the first time I was disappointed in myself for quitting. "I’m not really sure what else I would do if I wasn’t a teacher, to be honest." WHY THEY STAYĪll of the teachers interviewed for this story can think of a student who made it all worth it. "The only thing I’ve ever wanted to do was teach," she said. But teaching is all she knows and what she loves. "Even though it says $52,000, after insurance and taxes I only see about $33,000," Camacho said.Įight years into teaching she's thought about quitting several times. She's also an Uber driver.Ĭamacho picked apart her salary one day to figure out exactly how much she brings home to her two kids, ages 14 and 17. Like McFarland, Camacho is a single mother.Īfter school, Camacho mans a hospital gift shop five days a week in the Southside of Corpus Christi. "For the pay, I wouldn't want her to go through the things I've gone through and have felt as a teacher," she said of her daughter Ariana Josephine Laurel. Although it can be a rewarding career - she loves her kids - she's seen first-hand the emotional and physical toll it can take, Camacho said. It's a life of being undervalued and underappreciated, she said. She never thought a college grad with a steady career would need a second job. THE HUSTLEĪs a teacher, Angel Flores-Cano, 40, has mowed lawns, delivered phone books and worked at Old Navy. In Texas, a sampling of 974 teachers shows 4 in 10 expect to take extra jobs outside the classroom to meet family expenses. teachers had a job outside the school system, according to a representative sample survey of about 50,000 teachers. They are among a growing number of public educators who moonlight to make ends meet. So, McFarland and Corpus Christi ISD kindergarten teachers, Angel Flores-Cano and Estella Camacho, have taken matters into their own hands in a different way. Unlike other states, it's against the law for public employees to strike in Texas. Three of the six states in which teachers led strikes ranked among the 10 lowest teacher salaries in the country - Arizona, West Virginia and Oklahoma. Texas teachers made an average of $53,167 - roughly $7,316 below the national average.īut teacher salaries' real dollar value - when adjusted for inflation - has actually decreased, according to the NEA.

were estimated to have made an average of $60,483, according to data published by the National Education Association. In the spring, teachers led protests in four of the five states with the largest teacher wage penalties. teachers now earn a record 18.7 percent less than comparable professionals. Research on teacher wage penalties shows that in no state is teacher pay equal to or better than that of other college graduates.
Kindergarten teacher salary in texas full#
If McFarland took the promotion at H-E-B, she’d use the extra income to buy the groceries she wants, as opposed to the cheapest option, keep a tank full of gas in her 2013 Ford Explorer, and save money for a home and her future - a lifestyle she once thought possible with a bachelor’s degree and a career.

Two Corpus Christi ISD teachers also were interviewed for this story but the district declined to allow the Caller-Times to spend time inside their classrooms. (Copyright 2023 Salary.Watch Video: Texas ranked 28th for teacher pay in nation teacher works second job Working as a Kindergarten Classroom Teacher typically requires 2 -4 years of related experience. Gaining exposure to some of the complex tasks within the job function. Being a Kindergarten Classroom Teacher occasionally directed in several aspects of the work. Typically requires Basic Life Support (BLS) certification. May require state-specific teaching license. May participate in implementing special programs for students. Participates in development and implementation of Individual Education Plans for specific students. In addition, Kindergarten Classroom Teacher assesses and documents students' progress. Being a Kindergarten Classroom Teacher resolves classroom issues and conflicts. Prepares lessons and instructs students in an assigned elementary school's kindergarten. The Kindergarten Classroom Teacher develops and implements activities to meet the academic, developmental, and social needs of children in kindergarten classroom setting.
