The school nurses of the Houston Federation of Teachers--after intensive lobbying, member communications, letter writing and other activities--have won their battle with the Texas Education Agency to get credit on their salary schedule for past related work experience.

After calling for and attending a TEA hearing on Jan. 26 (see the March/April 2000 issue of Healthwire) and with all-out support from the Texas Federation of Teachers and the Houston Federation of Teachers, the HFT school nurse task force was able to persuade the Texas commissioner of education to grant school nurses parity with other professionals regarding their entitlement to years of service credit on the state minimum salary schedule. The rules became effective in mid April.

HFT vice president of school nurses Starla Reichek, and chair of the TFT's state-level school nurses' task force Marilyn Lawson, appearing before a Houston Senate Education Committee hearing in April, are now calling for the establishment and enforcement of staffing ratios for school nurses, so that nurses are not asked to serve multiple campuses or more than 750 students.

Reichek and Lawson are co-chairs of the HFT school nurse task force.