Ambitious Senate teacher pay plan announced
Published May 26, 2016
by Bob Luebke, Civitas Institute, May 25, 2016.
Over the past few weeks Governor McCrory and the House both put forth plans to address North Carolina’s teacher pay problem. Today it was the Senate’s turn.
During a morning press conference Senate President, Sen. Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) laid out details of a proposal that – if it becomes law – would raise average teacher pay over two years to nearly $55,000. With the changes, North Carolina would climb 23 spots in teacher pay rankings to 24th.
The proposal would add $538 million to base teacher pay over two years.
Under the Senate proposal, the amount of time teachers need to reach the top of their pay scale is reduced from 30 years to just 15 years.
For additional details about the pay plan see: NCteacherraise.com
So what to make of the new proposal?
It’s a bold step to address a serious problem. As we don’t have details of the Senate Budget we don’t quite know exactly how the plan will be paid for. Sen. Berger had said state tax revenues had been running above expectations. The last estimate I heard was about $330 million above plan. Obviously some of those monies would be used. However a pay plan for state workers still needs to be developed and the new teacher plan is only likely to up the ante.
Key details still need to be filled in. Still, I like that the plan lessens the amount of time it takes a teacher to make peak pay – a needed change. However the raises still seemed tied to years of service and not merit pay – a significant problem with the current system.
Five-hundred-thirty-eight million is a lot of money. Republicans say they are addressing a serious problem. Cynics will say it’s an election year ploy. I haven’t seen any quotes from teacher groups. However, I don’t believe the proposal will change their general stance of opposing nearly the entire Repubilcan education budget.
Let the jockeying begin.
https://www.nccivitas.org/civitas-review/18224/
May 26, 2016 at 10:27 am
Richard L Bunce says:
As long as the conversation is focused on government school teacher pay the students will continue to lose... the majority of whom will not be proficient at basic skills per government school assessments over the decades. Paying existing teachers more will not improve the current school performance... and nobody is talking about significant replacement of the existing teacher base.
May 31, 2016 at 5:13 pm
Richard L Bunce says:
This article nails it..
http://reason.com/archives/2016/05/30/what-teachers-dont-want-you-to-learn
June 10, 2016 at 9:37 am
Curt Budd says:
So let's look at where these policies that our state is proposing has already been done. Florida. Almost policy for policy, the exact same suggestions. Extreme mismanagement, crooked test scores, and end result... the exact same level as proficient. I call your article and raise you with:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/06/15/heres-what-jeb-bush-really-did-to-public-education-in-florida/
June 10, 2016 at 3:59 pm
Richard L Bunce says:
Traditional government schools have the teaching to the test at best and cheating at worst nonsense award locked up... worst part about NCLB is they put the entity being assessed in charge of conducting the assessment... of course they failed.
June 13, 2016 at 6:08 pm
Curt Budd says:
Still missing the point. Even if you argue current public system isn't working, neither did voucher system. The issues with education are much deeper than fixing with vouchers. That system not only did not and does not "fix" anything, in the meantime, it promotes segregation, discrimination, and line the pockets of a few select individuals. So lets dig deeper, if the goal is to truly to the best job possible of educating the next generation.
June 14, 2016 at 9:56 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Poor parents having the resources to make the best education choice for their children as wealthy parents do is change that will open up the marketplace of education which will include a "public option" of government run school systems (although the 20th Century education factories have to go) but will no longer be effectively government education monopolies with no accountability for results as we have now.
May 31, 2016 at 2:22 pm
Penny Sandrock says:
Not to mention the systematic dismantling of the public school system, supporting religious schools and charters plus other unmanaged schools with public money. Little is being done to repair and improve the tried and true when well managed. The thought of letting parents pick whatever they think their children should have is an old idea, the difference being you had to pay for it yourself. Teachers pay is a small part of the big problem, bad planning and execution.
June 9, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Curt Budd says:
No matter how you feel about teacher salaries, explain to a math teacher this math. We are going to cap the max salary at $50,000 but the average salary in 2 years will be $55,000. Huh??
Even if you throw in all the extra degree pay and such, the median NC salary is $47,800. To get to $55,000 would be a 15% increase, did I miss where someone suggested a 15% increase???
June 10, 2016 at 9:36 am
Richard L Bunce says:
Current salary max is $61K... since the article did not mention a $50K max salary do not know what that is about however I doubt it was to lower existing salaries.
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/fbs/finance/salary/schedules/2015-16schedules.pdf
June 12, 2016 at 8:00 am
Curt Budd says:
Okay, max with National Board Certification and Masters is $61,000. Doesn't change the median of $47,800. To get to $55,000 would be a 15% increase. Let's say they give a 5% increase this year(rounding off of suggestions by House, Senate, Gov), in this ELECTION year. They are going to give another 10% increase next year(NON-ELECTION) year?
Can you say More Empty Campaign Promises to get me Re-elected??
June 13, 2016 at 11:23 am
Richard L Bunce says:
So the $50K max salary claim was empty campaign rhetoric...
