He wanted the lion's share for tax cuts. The money left over, Bush said, should go to school boards to use as they saw fit. He didn't want it earmarked for teacher raises. The compromise left Texas teachers better off than before. But due to Bush's opposition, their salaries are still several thousand dollars below the national average.
Low salaries make it hard to attract and keep qualified teachers.
Texas has 500,000 certified teachers who have left the profession. It needs only 270,000 to staff every classroom, but districts can't fill vacancies. Last year, there were 12,000 teachers on emergency permits and 10,000 permanent subs.