Tag: Teacher Pay

Democratic Attempt to Raise Teacher Pay Fails in Senate

After approving a bill to give nationally certified teachers in low performing schools a pay raise Wednesday, Democratic Senators attempted to get an across the board raise for all teachers in the state by amending a governor’s bill. 

House Bill 2478 would reduce state funds dedicated to replacing county school buses one time, in the upcoming fiscal year. The bill was presented on behalf of Gov. Tomblin as a way to balance the 2016 budget.

Senate Minority Leader Jeff Kessler attempted to amend the bill by adding an across the board $2,000 pay raise for teachers across the state.

Kessler estimated the pay raise would cost the state between $55 and $58 million annually.

Republicans opposed the amendment because of budget implications. Senate Finance Chair Mike Hall said the Senate’s current budget was written without any teacher raise and it’s too late in the process to add one. 

Kessler’s amendment to provide a salary increase ultimately failed on a party line vote.

Hall said an increase in pay for teachers is an issue lawmakers plan to address next year.

The bill to reduce $4 million from the state fund to replace school buses to balance the upcoming budget, House Bill 2478, was approved 28 to 5.

W.Va. BOE Approves Calhoun Co. Teacher, Personnel Pay Cut

Cuts to salaries for teachers and school service personnel were approved by the state Board of Education Wednesday for one county whose bottom line is…

Cuts to salaries for teachers and school service personnel were approved by the state Board of Education Wednesday for one county whose bottom line is stuck in the red.

State board members approved the salary cut for Calhoun County teachers and school service personnel at their monthly meeting in Charleston. Beginning July 1, staff at four schools will see $600 less per year on their paycheck.

Terry Harless, chief financial officer for the department, said the salary supplements that were previously included in county paychecks came from a levy, but an attempt to renew that levy failed in May.

Harless added the county has been operating with more than $1 million deficit for the past three years. Without the added levy funds, the county can’t continue to afford the salary supplements.

The Calhoun County Board of Education has already approved the cuts.
 

Senators Compromise on Teacher Pay, Union Wants More

In a last minute compromise, the Senate Education and Finance Committee Chairs agreed to an across the board pay raise for teachers that differs from what…

In a last minute compromise, the Senate Education and Finance Committee Chairs agreed to an across the board pay raise for teachers that differs from what was promised by Governor Tomblin during his State of the State Address.

The amended version of Senate Bill 391 passed by the upper chamber today calls for an $837 across the board increase.

The bill was originally presented by the governor and authorized a two percent across the board pay increase for teachers and school service personnel.

Education Chair Senator Bob Plymale tried to up that to a $1,000 raise, but Finance Chair Senator Roman Prezioso said the state couldn’t find the additional $5 million that would have been added to the bill’s bottom line.

On the floor Wednesday, Plymale said the compromise keeps the fiscal note neutral, at its original $32 million total, but also raises the starting salary for teachers to more then $32,500, helping to attract young professionals to the field.

His amendment was accepted and the bill passed with two voting against it, Senators Mitch Carmichael and Senator Brooks McCabe.

West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee said after the vote was a good first step, but he will push for the $1,000 teacher pay raise as the bill moves over to the House.  

McCabe stood at the end of the session to warn his fellow Senators about the vote. McCabe had spoken against the pay raise in a Finance Committee meeting and reiterated his concerns.

 “I’m not challenging the need for salary increases, particularly for teachers,” he said. “We are grossly out of line with teacher salaries and we know we need to address that.”

“What I would hope the Senate would do is in the future when we’re posed with a salary increase, we look at it from the perspective of where is the money coming from? Do we have the money to spend? Most importantly, are we also addressing at the same time improvements in efficiency and effectiveness.”

Lee said McCabe is known for being a proponent of efficiency and he would be willing to sit down and look for better ways to distribute money if asked by lawmakers.

“But there’s not nearly as much waste as people think,” he added.
 

WVEA wants higher salaries from lawmakers

The state’s largest teacher’s union announced a new initiative pushing for a competitive salary for teachers and school personnel. Union leaders call the…

The state’s largest teacher’s union announced a new initiative pushing for a competitive salary for teachers and school personnel. Union leaders call the pay increase the next step in improving public education and student achievement across West Virginia.
The West Virginia Education Association kicked off the “Competitive Pay Campaign” at their Charleston headquarters.

West Virginia currently ranks 48th in the nation in teacher pay at an annual salary of $45,000.

While WVEA President Dale Lee declined to put a dollar amount on what the union considers a competitive salary, he said it should be a major priority for lawmakers despite a struggling state economy.

“It’s not our job to find the resources for them, but it is their job to place a priority,” Lee said during a press conference. “This has to become a priority and anything up at the Capitol that they make a priority they are able to find the funding for it.”

Lee said every $1,000 raise for teachers would cost the state more than $26 million.

He said implementing a multi-year program would allow the state more time to find some of that amount while catching West Virginia teacher up with the national average of $55,000 a year.
 

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