School choice legislation is on the table in several states, and proponents argue that it could wind up benefiting public school teachers.
“If school choice passes during the 2023 legislative session, it could kick-start a reversal of teacher attrition and retirement,” Alexander William Salter, an Associate Professor of Economics in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, wrote in an editorial published by The Hill.
Salter argued that school choice could lead to increased teacher pay, as the competition could raise teachers' bargaining power and allow them to be in a better position to receive pay increases. There have been six studies done about the relationship between school choice and public teacher pay, five of which found that teacher salary would increase.
“Relatively low compensation for teachers compared to what they could earn elsewhere partly explains the state’s teacher shortage," Salter wrote. "Legislated pay raises can and should address this, but there’s no reason to stop there. A school choice bill would harness market forces, allowing competition to reward teachers based on the value they provide to our students. There are benefits further down the road, too. As salaries rise, more teachers will enter the labor pool. This will help public schools keep up with increased enrollments.”
In Texas, the per-student funding increased 17% from the 1990s to the 2010s, while teacher salaries rose only 1%. By and large, teacher salaries are not rising in concert with inflation or funding hikes, according to Salter.
Texas state legislators have filed several bills this legislative session that involve Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) and tuition vouchers. Opponents argue that those plans take needed funding away from public schools.
ESAs are one of many alternatives to public schools, allowing parents to use the state funds on any qualifying educational expense, not just private or charter schools, according to Texas Scorecard. Private schooling, homeschooling and charter schools don't offer parents the same benefits and funds allocated to students for public education.
Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX), meanwhile, has called on the state legislature to make ESAs available to all Texas students, making “education freedom an emergency item" during his State of the State address on Feb. 16.
