Austin teachers are not being adequately paid for the important work they do. AISD teachers make anywhere between $5,000-$15,000 less than teachers in other major Texas metropolitan areas. Austin’s primary and secondary educators have lost their retention bonuses, only to see them replaced with signing bonuses for new teachers who stay only a few years before moving to a better-paying school district. I cannot ignore the constant feedback from our educators, telling us how they must work two or three jobs to make ends meet, while also paying for classroom supplies out of their own pockets and being unable to afford a basic single-family home within the city they serve. Austin must make public education a priority in order to produce an informed community and promote economic development. We must attract and retain qualified teachers, decrease turnover rates in educator employment, ensure that schools and teachers are receiving the resources they need, and pay educators a competitive salary. I intend to propose a property tax break for educators, to help alleviate the financial burden of serving our children, as well as work towards receiving more from our state government for our city’s education budget. We should explore tax swap alternatives to ensure we’re getting the funding to our school district regardless of how much the state wants to take it away. A vote for me is a vote to help our children receive what they need to grow into our strong leaders of tomorrow.