A positive first step for teachers

by Phil Kirk, former chair State Board of Education and NC SPIN panelist, February 16, 2014.

A historic event took place Feb. 10 at Ragsdale High School in Guilford County when the state’s political leadership – Gov. Pat McCrory, Lt. Gov. Dan Forest, Senate President Pro Tem Phil Berger and Speaker of the House Thom Tillis (all Republicans) – appeared together to endorse the largest raise for beginning public school teachers in memory.

Fourteen percent over the next two years is especially impressive because teachers have received only a miniscule raise in the past five years, also granted by the Republican legislature.

Yes, it is true that this announcement did not commit to raises for other teachers and state employees in the short session. Both groups have suffered long enough with increasing workloads and no raises. However, for those of us who were privileged to be at the announcement event, we heard the governor and other leaders say at least 10 times that this is only a first step. Money is available now to commit the $200 million necessary to fund the big increase for beginning teachers because of a growing economy, which produces more state revenue and because of budget reductions in current spending by the McCrory administration.

When the revenue picture becomes clearer in several months and when additional reductions in spending are identified, then the issue of additional pay for other teachers and state employees will be addressed. No one knows what the amount will be, but the governor’s commitment should not be questioned.

The governor’s Teacher Advisory Committee and other educators were adamant that increasing the starting pay was the top priority for the recruitment and retention of teachers new to the classroom. So the public officials have listened, and they have taken an important first step toward strengthening teacher compensation. Future raises will at least partially be tied to student achievement, which has been an unrealized goal for at least 30 years.

Some of the criticism of this historic action is strictly political in nature. In fact, had the governor proposed a $100,000 salary for all educators, his critics would have complained that it should have been $105,000!

The difference between the Republicans’ announcement is that they can deliver on their commitment. The opposition can only talk about what they haven’t been able to do for teachers in the past two Democratic administrations.