Some Austin Independent School District teachers may see a bonus this year, but a pay raise still seems unlikely. Last month, the AISD board of trustees balked at a tax election that would fund a 3% pay raise for all teachers, instead staking their hopes on using federal job stabilization cash for a 2% raise. However, that cash – worth $830 million for Texas – is still on hold due to Gov. Rick Perry’s refusal to comply with federal law by committing to no education funding cuts in the next three years. Rather than providing that guarantee, on Sept. 23 Attorney General Greg Abbott filed a petition claiming the U.S. Depart­ment of Education had misinterpreted the federal legislation and should release the money immediately. U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who authored the amendment requiring the Texas spending commitment, called Abbott’s filing “another act of political theatre, reflected in a press release longer than the accompanying legal petition.” Meanwhile, on Sept. 23, the U.S. Department of Education announced that AISD is one of 62 applicants to share in the new Teacher Incentive Fund and will receive $62.3 million for its Reach strategic compensation program.

This article appears in October 1 • 2010.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.