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Which high schools in the state have the best teacher pay? Curious Texas investigates

Find out which specialty campuses in Texas tend to have the highest teacher salaries.

Football coaches seem to get all the attention — and sometimes criticism — for big paychecks. But retired journalist Roger Summers has long wondered about the salaries of the teachers whose job it is to get children through school.

The Arlington resident says he's overwhelmed by all that educators are asked to do for kids: be a social worker, be a parent, be a peacekeeper, be a friend, be a counselor, be a protector.

Summers himself earned a teacher's certification but never used it; he instead spent 40 years as a reporter and editor for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where his career included covering the days surrounding the Kennedy assassination.

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Teaching appears to be tough gig, he said, one he obviously doesn't think gets enough respect as debates rage on over school finance, academic accountability and even campus security.

"I really want to know why they do this. What makes them want to get up each morning when everyone is beating up on them?" Summers said.

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His question was a winner in an education voting round from Curious Texas, a project from The Dallas Morning News that invites you to join in our reporting process. The idea is simple: You have questions, and our journalists are trained to track down answers.

So which high schools pay teachers best? Well, the short answer to his question is rather surprising: alternative schools.

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These are the campuses or programs that work with the kids most in need of help: children trying to learn through long-term illnesses; young parents juggling newborns and homework; hurricane evacuees trying to rebuild their lives; and, yes, those who misbehave.

"This job is not for the faint of heart," said Homer Webb, a principal who oversees two of DeSoto's alternative schools — one for adults returning to school and one for kids who have the most severe discipline troubles.

Now teacher pay isn't generally set by a school type. Many factors go into it.

Salary can vary widely across the state, with school districts in the greater Dallas and Houston areas usually topping the lists for the best pay because such a large concentration of districts drives up competition for teachers.

More affluent areas tend to pay more than poorer, rural areas. And some districts offer teacher bonuses or stipends for jobs that are hard to fill. Dallas ISD, for example, has a teacher pay-for-performance plan that can significantly boost a paycheck.

Some of the higher salary averages are also present in high schools with unique programs — such as Dallas' School for the Talented and Gifted or Mansfield's Frontier High School, a career tech campus for juniors and seniors.

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Overall, teacher pay is largely based on years of experience. When you look at which Texas high schools have the highest teacher pay averages, nine of those in the top 10 are alternative campuses or programs. Most of those in the top 40 are as well.

Such schools tend to have the most experienced teachers, and that's usually by design.

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Some consider the post a "career killer" because little glory comes from working at such schools, Webb said. But principals like him need educators who have the training and heart to work with kids in the toughest situations. Such know-how, flexibility and dedication usually comes after several years in the field.

Take DeSoto's Where I Now Gain Success campus, which is for young adults ages 17 to 25 who are trying to earn their diplomas. WINGS had the fourth highest average teacher salary for the state's high schools at $71,092 in 2016-17, according to the Texas Education Agency. The average teacher experience there was 17.5 years.

The campus "momma" is Gloria Davis, who retired from DeSoto ISD after spending 41 years teaching home economics. Then she spent the last eight working for WINGS part time to help young adults with enrichment programs, such as improving computer skills. She's the all around go-to person students and staff turn to for help because they know she'll always have the answer.

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"I could travel or something, but I know how much they need us here," Davis said. "When you have a student who struggles and struggles to finish and then they realize they're going to make it and earn that diploma, that's everything."

Trina Richard spent about 15 years teaching special education and another seven in administration. But none of that has been as challenging or rewarding as the past three years at WINGS, where she helps students with various learning disabilities as well as plans college visits and career explorations.

Every day, Richard asks each of the WINGS students what their interests are. She nags them on purpose with rapid fire questions: Do you want to learn a trade? Go to college? Stay in the Dallas area? Join the military?

"I want to know what you want to do because life is coming at you now," said Richard, mimicking running motions as she spoke. "So I'm here having to constantly beat that drum. These are the kids that have had big issues in life that got in the way. You have to be more hands on and push them to keep trying. Show them that they can still reach."

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Every time a student earns that diploma, Richard rejoices. But it's heartbreaking when she sees someone give up.

"You can have a kid so close, making so much progress, and then they just disappear and you don't know why," Richard said. "You can call and try to reach out. I want to go to their houses and drag them back to school myself, but you ... you just can't do that."

WINGS shares a building with DeSoto's disciplinary alternative education program, or DAEP, which public school districts are mandated to offer for students who have gotten into trouble.

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Nikki Chamblee is in her first year at the campus having just moved to Texas from New York. She's been a teacher for 17 years, including previous jobs at alternative schools.

She's seen up close how discipline problems can have a permanent impact. Missing classes means falling behind. If a student can't catch up, that can lead to frustration and more problems in the classroom that put them on the path toward dropping out and potentially having run-ins with the law.

So her job is not only to teach English but to get kids back on track so they don't give up on school. She uses restorative discipline method aimed at changing how kids approach conflict, such as talking out problems in a group rather than punishing kids for bad behavior right away.

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During a recent class, she sat in a circle with six sophomore students as they discussed subjects ranging from the color of the ocean to Black History Month. One overly excited student joked about stabbing another because he wasn't being heard.

Chamblee stopped the lesson immediately. The No. 1 classroom rule is that no one can talk bad about another student. The teen knew he did wrong and looked down, shaking his head apologetically for his outburst before she continued with the class discussion.

When children know someone sees them with potential and expects more from them despite the problems they've had, that can make all the difference, she said.

"I've seen kids get that 'aha' moment when they know they have to change," Chamblee said. "Yes, they've been difficult and shown bad behavior. But you can't give up on them and just write off their life."

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