Zeph Capo, President of the Texas American Federation of Teachers joined the America’s Workforce Union Podcast and discussed the Strive to Thrive Project, which found poor working conditions in the Texas public school systems. He also recapped the year that was for the Texas AFT in 2023 and looked ahead to 2024.
More than 600 Texas public school employees participated in the Strive to Thrive Project, which for one month, tracked several aspects of the lives of public school employees. This information included hours worked (days, nights and weekends), out-of-pocket expenses and work duties.
As a result of the survey, the union found that one out of five project participants reported working a second or third job, which could be school-related, during the time period they tracked. This is on top of the 50 hours per week most employees work, with the highest weekly total reported at 80 hours for one employee. From a teacher's standpoint, he noted that more hours are spent on paperwork than planning classroom curriculum.
Capo said that according to the survey, employees spend on average $68 per week of their own paycheck for supplies and other necessities the schools refuse to provide or the student’s parents cannot provide. He also touched on work duties, as employees are asked to do more than what is required of them in their job description.
Looking back on 2023, Capo noted that despite a nearly $33 billion surplus, the Texas legislature did not pass any increases to state funding for public schools. In the year ahead, he hopes the Texas AFT will hold the state’s elected officials accountable for failing the public school system.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more: