PFLUGERVILLE, Texas — Jessica Ramsour is a kindergarten teacher at Copperfield Elementary School who admits that being a teacher is far from easy.
"There's a lot that goes in the day-to-day whether you are a pre-K teacher or high school teacher," Ramsour said.
Pflugerville ISD is recognizing her work by awarding her a bonus, made possible through a bill passed four years ago. Through this system, the school district can give bonuses to teachers who show measurable growth in their student outcomes with English and math.
Eighty-eight teachers will get it, and Pflugerville ISD is the first school district in the Austin area to get approval for its system.
"Once we earn it, it's good for five years," said Dr. Laila Olivarez, Pflugerville ISD's chief academic and innovation officer.
The bonuses will range anywhere from $3,500 to upwards of $21,000 over five years.
"There's a whole lot of work that goes into it, and it's nice to be acknowledged for some of that work," Ramsour said.
But what Olivarez really wants is for the Legislature to increase their "basic allotment," which is the amount of money school districts receive per students.
"We are petitioning the state Legislature to $900, and that will cover our cost-of-living increases over the past few years," Olivarez said.
"I would love to see the Legislature fund education more across the board. There is a great lack of funding in education," Ramsour said.
They're doing their part to recruit and retain teachers when they are needed most.