Texas

National Council on Teacher Quality Report Card: Texas Teacher Policy

Legend

	Best practices.
	State meets goal.
	State nearly meets goal.
	State partially meets goal.
	State meets a small part of goal.
	State does not meet goal.
Full Report – National Council on Teacher Quality

Meeting NCLB Teacher Quality Objectives: C

	Goal A Equitable Distribution of Teachers
	Goal B Elementary Teacher Preparation
	Goal C Secondary Teacher Preparation
	Goal D Veteran Teachers Path to HQT
	Goal E Standardizing Credentials

Teacher Licensure: B

	Goal A Defining Professional Knowledge
	Goal B Meaningful Licenses
	Goal C Interstate Portability
	Goal D Teacher Prep in Reading Instruction
	Goal E Distinguishing Promising Teachers

Teacher Evaluation and Compensation: C

	Goal A Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness
	Goal B Using Value-Added
	Goal C Teacher Evaluation
	Goal D Compensation Reform
	Goal E Tenure

State Approval of Teacher Preparation Programs: D

	Goal A Entry Into Preparation Programs
	Goal B Program Accountability
	Goal C Program Approval and Accreditation
	Goal D Controlling Coursework Creep

Alternate Routes to Certification: C

	Goal A Genuine Alternatives
	Goal B Limiting Alternate Routes to Teachers with Strong Credentials
	Goal C Program Accountability
	Goal D Interstate Portability

Preparation of Special Education Teachers: C

	Goal A Special Education Teacher Preparation
	Goal B Elementary Special Education Teachers
	Goal C Secondary Special Education Teachers
	Goal D Special Education Teacher and HQT

Political contribution statistics from 2004 political cycle.

Statewide Unions

Texas State Teachers Association
Total Revenue: $ 9,579,941
Total Expenses: $ 9,092,815
Total Assets: $ 7,420,410

Texas Federation of Teachers
Total Revenue: $ 3,356,853
Total Expenses: $ 3,289,108
Total Assets: $ 1,470,389

Data obtained from the Internal Revenue Service's Master Data File 2005-2006.

For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts.

 From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country.

Lubbock Educators Association: Protecting Bad Teachers

The Lubbock Educators Association (LEA) counts as its members teachers from the Lubbock Independent School District. According to district records, however, policies defended by the LEA and its parent organization, the Texas State Teachers Association (the state affiliate of the National Education Association, the nation's largest teachers union), mean that practically no teachers are ever fired by the school system.

The Lubbock Independent School District has about 1,545 teachers with "term" contracts, with which they are entitled to the equivalent of criminal proceedings if the district attempts to terminate them. Original research by the Center for Union Facts into school district records indicates that between the 2002-03 and 2006-07 school years, not a single term-contract teacher was fired by the district. Those records further indicate that there was only one teacher slated for termination -- for allowing a student access to a district computer and grade book to record other students' grades -- but that she resigned in lieu of being fired.

It's easy to believe that the vast majority of Lubbock's public schoolteachers are doing a good job, but it's a near-impossibility that all 1,545 term-contract teachers deserve to be in front of kids; any group of people that size is bound to have at least a few bad apples. The best explanation, in our opinion, is that by protecting an outmoded employment system in the legislature and by turning tenured teacher termination cases into equivalents of a criminal trial, the Lubbock Educators Association and its affiliates have made it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers.

Source: Lubbock Independent School District
Data current as of January 23, 2008

For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts.

 From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country.

Laredo TSTA/NEA: Protecting Bad Teachers

The Laredo TSTA/NEA counts as its members teachers from the Laredo Independent School District. According to school district records, however, policies defended by the Laredo TSTA/NEA and its parent organizations (the Texas State Teachers Association and the National Education Association, America's largest teachers union) mean that practically no teachers are ever fired by the school system after they work for one to four years and acquire tenure (called "continuing contracts" in Texas).

In the Laredo Independent School District, there are approximately 1,136 teachers with tenure/continuing contracts. Original research by the Center for Union Facts into school district records indicates that, between the 2004-05 and the 2006-07 school years, apparently not a single continuing-contract teacher was fired.

The typical response to such abysmally low statistics is that tenured teachers are commonly "counseled out" of their jobs if they're not fit to teach. But a look at district records suggests that it's not very common at all: in that three-year period only one tenured/continuing-contract teacher has resigned in lieu of termination. Why? This letter from district lawyers spells out some of the reasons:

Your history of using inappropriate disciplinary techniques with the young students in your classroom … your failure to allow your kindergarten students in your classroom to go to the bathroom, resulting in at least two students soiling themselves in the classroom, followed by your failure to call the parents to bring clean clothes to the students.

Remember, this teacher was not fired -- the legal expenses needed to actually fire the teacher (thanks to an outmoded employment system that the Laredo TSTA/NEA and its affiliates defend) were likely so burdensome that the district found it cheaper to give the teacher a $10,000 settlement to resign instead. Counting this teacher who was "counseled out" of his job, the district has only been able to effectively terminate about 0.03 percent of its tenured teachers annually.

It's easy to believe that the vast majority of Laredo Independent's public schoolteachers are doing a good job, but it's a near-impossibility that fully 99.97 of its tenured teachers deserve to be in front of kids; any group of people that size is bound to have at least a few more bad apples than the ones noted above. The best explanation, in our opinion, is that by protecting an obsolete employment system in the legislature and by turning tenured teacher termination cases into equivalents of a criminal trial, the Laredo TSTA/NEA and its affiliates have made it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers.

Source: Laredo Independent School District; Kazen, Meurer & Perez L.L.P.
Data current as of February 15, 2008

For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts.

 From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country.

Corpus Christi AFT: Protecting Bad Teachers

The Corpus Christi AFT (CCAFT) is the exclusive bargaining agent for teachers in the Corpus Christi Independent School District. According to school district records, however, policies defended by CCAFT and its parent unions (the Texas AFT and the American Federation of Teachers) mean that practically no teachers are ever fired by the school system after they work for one to four years and acquire tenure (called "continuing contracts" in Texas).

At the Corpus Christi Independent School District, there are approximately 1,902 tenured teachers. Original research by the Center for Union Facts into school district records indicates that, between the 2003-04 and the 2006-07 school years, only six tenured teachers were fired. Put another way, the Corpus Christi Independent School District fires about 0.08 percent of its tenured teachers annually.

It's easy to believe that the vast majority of Corpus Christi's public schoolteachers are doing a good job, but it's a near-impossibility that fully 99.9 percent of its tenured teachers deserve to be in front of kids; any group of people that size is bound to have at least a few more bad apples than the ones noted above. The best explanation, in our opinion, is that by protecting an outmoded employment system in the legislature and by turning tenured teacher termination cases into equivalents of a criminal trial, the Corpus Christi AFT and its affiliates have made it nearly impossible to fire bad teachers.

Source: Corpus Christi Independent School District
Data current as of December 6, 2007

For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts.

 From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country.

San Antonio Alliance of Teachers: Protecting Bad Teachers

The San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel counts as its members teachers from the San Antonio Independent School District. According to school district records, however, policies defended by the teachers association and its affiliates mean that very few teachers are fired, especially those who stay in the system for three years and thus acquire tenure (called "continuing contracts" in Texas).

In San Antonio, there are about 2,700 tenured teachers. Records procured by the San Antonio Independent School District for the Center for Union Facts indicate that, between the 2002-03 and the 2006-07 school years, only three tenured teachers were fired. That's about 0.02 percent a year.

The typical response to such abysmally low statistics is that tenured teachers are commonly "counseled out" of their jobs if they're not fit to teach -- that is, they are persuaded to resign or retire in lieu of being fired. But the district's response to a Center for Union Facts research request produced evidence that, for the 2002-03 through the 2006-07 school years, only eight continuing-contract teachers resigned or retired in the face of termination. That's still only about 0.06 percent of tenured teachers a year.

It's easy to believe that the vast majority of public schoolteachers in San Antonio are doing a good job, but it's a near-impossibility that 99.9 percent of its tenured teachers deserve to be in front of kids; any group of people that size is bound to have at least a few more bad apples than the ones noted above.

The best explanation for these numbers, in our opinion, is that the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and its affiliates are protecting bad teachers with an outmoded employment system. At the state level, its affiliates (the Texas State Teachers Association and the Texas AFT) safeguard the law that turns tenured teacher termination cases into equivalents of a criminal trial, and at the local level the San Antonio Alliance of Teachers helps bad teachers use this system to protect themselves.

Source: San Antonio Independent School District
Data current as of August 2, 2007

For this massive new project, the Center for Union Facts filed freedom of information requests with dozens of America’s major school districts.

 From the stacks of paperwork that ensued, we have calculated a variety of statistics that document how teachers unions – and the laws and policies they defend – keep bad teachers in classrooms. Read on to discover just what all that dues money pays for in many cities around the country.

Houston Federation of Teachers: Protecting Bad Teachers

The Houston Federation of Teachers (HFT) counts as its members teachers from the Houston Independent School District. According to school district records, however, policies defended by the HFT and its parent organizations (the Texas AFT and the American Federation of Teachers) mean that very few teachers are fired, especially those with tenure (called "continuing contracts" in Texas).

In Houston there are approximately 2,193 tenured teachers. Records procured by the Houston Independent School District for the the Center for Union Facts indicate that, between the 2002-03 and the 2006-07 school years, only thirteen tenured teachers were fired. That's less than 0.12 percent a year.

The typical response to such abysmally low statistics is that tenured teachers are commonly "counseled out" of their jobs if they're not fit to teach -- that is, they are persuaded to resign or retire in lieu of being fired. But the district's response to a Center for Union Facts research request produced evidence that, for the 2002-03 through the 2006-07 school years, only 41 continuing-contract teachers resigned or retired in lieu of termination. In a district of Houston's size, that's not very many.

It's easy to believe that the vast majority of public schoolteachers in Houston are doing a good job, but it's a near-impossibility that such a high percentage of its tenured teachers deserve to be in front of kids; any group of people that size is bound to have at least a few more bad apples than the ones noted above.

The best explanation for these numbers, in our opinion, is that the Houston Federation of Teachers, the Texas AFT, and other organizations are protecting bad teachers with an outmoded employment system. At the state level, the Texas AFT safeguards the law that turns continuing-contract teacher termination cases into equivalents of a criminal trial, and at the local level the Houston Federation of Teachers helps bad teachers use this system to protect themselves.

Source: Houston Independent School District
Data current as of July 27, 2007