Representatives of the TCTA, Texas Federation of Teachers, Texas State Teachers Association and Association of Professional Educators have been cooperating in an unusually close way and meeting jointly with individual lawmakers to drum up support. We've been working very hard since the last session ended to push the learning curve along. Her 36,000-member organization is taking advantage of many school districts' spring break and inviting its members to rally at the Capitol on Tuesday. Some 1,000 teachers are expected from districts as diverse as Houston, Amarillo, Victoria and Goose Creek. The teachers plan to display a chalkboard comparing the state health insurance available to Gov. Rick Perry and his family with that of a Dallas Independent School District teacher.
Educators say health insurance has become unaffordable for many teachers and school employees.
There are a lot of very, very serious situations. If health insurance is provided in a small or rural district, its cost can skyrocket if one person from the pool of insured is diagnosed with a catastrophic illness, Evans said. Unlike state employees, public school workers do not get state-paid health insurance. State requires districts to offer comparable coverage to that of state employees, but doesn't specify that it must be at a comparable cost. Senate Democrats have united behind his proposal.