RPH-2015-09

Round Rock | Pflugerville | Hutto Edition • September 2015
Round Rock | Pflugerville | Hutto Edition • September 2015
2015 Education TEACHER
Focus
RETENTION
Education sponsors
29
Area school districts raise teacher
pay, morale to increase retention
Austin-area salaries lower than in other Texas metros
By Emilie Shaughnessy
The percentage of Austin-area
educators who move to a different
school or leave the profession after a
year of teaching is on par with the state
average at about 16 percent, but some
school districts want to lower that
number.
In Round Rock, Pflugerville and
Hutto, districts are focusing on
competitive salaries and supportive
work environments as ways to reduce
teacher turnover.
Salary discrepancies
The average teacher salary in the
Greater Austin area is about $48,300—
the ninth highest in the state’s 20
education districts, according to the
Texas Education Agency. But August
Plock, president of the Pflugerville
Educators Association, said it is still
easy for Austin-area teachers to be
enticed by higher-paying school systems
throughout the state and transfer
out of Central Texas.
“[Other metropolitan areas] start
their teachers at $50,000, and here in
Central Texas it’s about $44,000 and
we’re losing teachers to these other
areas,” he said. “We call it the ‘CenTex
discount’ because school districts rely
on the fact that people want to live in
the Austin area.”
Being an educator is hard, said Jennifer
Canaday, governmental relations
manager for the Association of Texas
Professional Educators. Lack of support
and perceived deficiencies in training
or compensation can be stressors—
especially for new teachers—and lead
to low retention rates, she said.
“Turnover is definitely a problem,”
Canaday said. “There is a much higher
turnover in teaching than in other
professions.”
With the cost of living rising in the
Austin area, local salaries may not
stretch as far, and Canaday said higher
entry-level salaries in other industries
could pull college students away from
the education field.
“Most teachers will tell you they
didn’t enter the profession for the
money; however the money is important,”
she said.
Staying competitive
The Round Rock, Pflugerville and
Hutto ISDs all approved a 2 percent
salary increase this year in addition to
similar raises last year, according to
school district officials.
“We want to keep our talent, and we
want to grow our talent from within,”
Round Rock ISD spokesperson Corey
Ryan said. “Our board very seriously
evaluates salary schedules and looks at
things like cost of living. We’ve always
been very competitive against our peer
districts in the state.”
In a 2015 Texas Association of School
Boards survey, 66 percent of Hutto ISD
teachers who responded to the survey
said their pay was fair, and 78 percent
thought it was competitive with other
districts. The satisfaction in both areas
increased from 2013 by 39 percent and
42 percent, respectively, according to
survey results.
Lisa Patterson, HISD Assistant
Superintendent of Human Resources,
said the school system has been
Average Texas
teacher salaries
$52,000 and up
$49,000 - $51,999
$46,000 - $48,999
$43,000 - $45,999
Greater Austin-area teacher
salaries average $48,341—
slightly lower than the state
average of $50,715.
But some education advocates say compensation
discrepancies may be drawing teachers away
from Central Texas or from the education industry
entirely. This graphic reflects average salaries from
the 2014-15 school year.
increasing retention efforts and used
results from previous TASB surveys to
determine how best to support teaching
staff.
“I would attribute those positive
results to the fact that the district took
a hard look at what we were paying in
comparison to some of our competitors,”
she said. “We made some moves
and strides in some of those areas
based on market data.”
For the 2013-14 school year—the
most recent data available—HISD’s
turnover rate was 22.8 percent, PfISD’s
turnover rate was 17.6 percent and
RRISD’s rate was 12.6 percent, according
to the Texas Education Agency.
“[PfISD] has given teachers a 5 percent
raise over the past two years, and
has covered the increase in insurance
premiums for employee insurance,”
said Rhonda McWilliams, PfISD
human resources executive director, in
a statement. “The stipend for bilingualcertified
teachers has also increased for
2015-16.”
Retention not just about money
When it comes to teacher retention,
training and work environment are
crucial, Canaday said. Turnover rates
are particularly high among new teachers,
which may indicate inadequate
preparation and support, she said.
Patterson said the tight-knit community
in Hutto and HISD is a large
Austin Metro Area
$48,341
Round Rock ISD: $50,459
($44,503 starting salary as of 2013)
Pflugerville ISD: $48,472
($41,731 starting salary as of 2013)
Hutto ISD: $47,789
($42,387 starting salary as of 2013)
San Antonio
Metro Area
$52,066
Source: Texas Education Agency/Community Impact Newspaper
“Most teachers will
tell you they didn’t
enter the profession
for the money; however
the money is
important.”
—Jennifer Canaday, governmental
relations manager for the Association of
Texas Professional Educators
contributor to teacher satisfaction
there. In the TASB survey, nearly all
respondents said they were proud to
work for HISD, liked the work they did
and felt good about what they accomplished.
Ryan said Round Rock’s amenities
and the ISD’s reputation help attract
quality teachers.
“We really do feel strongly in the
brand and reputation Round Rock ISD
has as a leader and as an innovative
[district],” he said. “We feel this is a
destination for families and schools.”
In PfISD the educators association
and proactive school board both serve
as a draw for teachers, Plock said.
Good campus morale and a supportive
administration can help combat
turnover, but teachers can still burn
out, he said.
Canaday said it is more important
than ever for communities and officials
to support their local educators.
“We definitely have to do something
to elevate the prestige of the profession,”
she said. “[Being an educator] is
not an easy job. Overall, we just need to
do more to support them.”
Dallas-Fort
Worth Metro
area
$53,291
Houston
Metro Area
$54,157