Texas teachers have been advised to understand their contract status during the pandemic. | Pexels.com
As a precaution during uncertain times, Texas teachers are being reminded that under state law, school boards must notify them about contract renewals at least 10 days before the last instruction day of the school year.
“It is the responsibility of the district to follow the law,” Tera Collum, executive director for the Travis Institute of Educational Policy, told the Education Daily Wire. “If a teacher fears they will not be asked to continue their contract, it should not be a surprise.”
School districts should not use uncertainties about the COVID-19 pandemic and how classes will be conducted in the fall as an excuse to keep teachers in the dark about their status, Collum said in a recent blog post. Many of the state’s 1,100 school districts inform teachers about whether they will be rehired by the end of February or start of March of the current school year, she said.
It’s unlikely that budget cuts made this year will result in teacher layoffs, according to Collum, adding that some districts are top-heavy with administrators, and those positions should be the first ones on the chopping block.
“From everything I have read, it doesn’t look like they’re going to have any problems about reducing staff,” Collum said.
No teachers have yet approached the executive director about this contract notification issue, she said. Any teachers who faced the possibility of non-renewal should have already been placed on a growth plan or assigned a mentor to improve their teaching ability, according to Collum.
“If it is a surprise, then that itself is a grievance,” she said.
If teachers face any kind of delay over contract renewal notification, they should reach out to their teachers associations for help or seek advice from the district’s human relations department, according to Collum. But teachers must have documentation showing they were told of their employment status after the state-imposed deadline, she said.
A more pressing concern for Texas teachers are unknowns about how district classes will be set up in the fall and what the coronavirus threat will be like, according to Collum. She noted that some districts could decide to bring all students back to the classroom, while others might opt for some online sessions to reduce risks associated with the virus.
“There are so many unknowns that you don’t really know what’s going to happen,” Collum said.
In addition, it’s possible that older teachers, including those who previously decided to continue teaching beyond retirement age, could decide to end their careers due to the increased health risks for seniors who contract the coronavirus, she said.
The mission of the Travis Institute is to support the learning potential of all Texas students and to empower teachers through encouragement and guidance, according to the institute’s website.
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