TSTA urges TEA, Abbott to fully fund schools

In December, the Texas State Teachers Association (TSTA) called out the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and Gov. Greg Abbott to keep school districts in the state fully funded at 2019 levels, without the requirement to keep buildings open during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The deadly pandemic continues to hammer Texas and is resurging. But districts are still forcing teachers and other employees, many with serious underlying health conditions, to return to campuses for risky in-person instruction because if the districts don’t, they will lose state funding,” said TSTA President Ovidia Molina. “This is political bullying, and it must stop. The governor and TEA must quit holding the safety of our students, educators and families hostage.”

The “hold harmless” period was expected to expire at the end of the fall semester, and districts have very little control over attendance during the pandemic.

“Districts should be allowed to offer only virtual learning for the remainder of the school year, without a financial penalty, if local school officials and health experts – the people who know their communities best – believe that it is the best way to protect them,” Molina said.