What’s the fate of teacher raises?
Roanoke Times I File photo
What will local school systems do when it comes to teacher raises? We’ll see this week.
From this weekend’s paper, in case you missed it, local schools leaders are discussing whether they can afford to up salaries this year. The state budget includes funds for the state’s portion of a two percent raise for some educators, but localities would have to chip in their share.
This week we’ll likely see school boards hammer out their budgets with or without raises. The Roanoke School Board is scheduled to approve a categorical budget Tuesday and so far raises are on the table for discussion. Salem will also discuss its budget Tuesday.
In Roanoke County, the board’s proposed budget does not have raises. Officials there are expected to vote on it Thursday.
Bedford county and schools officials will meet tonight to talk about their budget. The superintendent there has proposed raises for staffers.
Stay tuned.
March 11, 2013 - 9:35 AM
Annie,
Again, I enjoyed this piece in the paper. But I feel that the story is rather one-sided.
I want you to know that I have a vested interest in all matters related to public school educators in the area. I am the local VEA district president representing Roanoke County, Allegheny, and Covington. I also work closely with our District 5, which represents educators in Roanoke City, Botetourt, Craig, Salem, and Franklin County.
I was disappointed at the tack Roanoke County school officials took regarding the state support for a 2% COLA for all education employees. They are correct in their arguments that they gave all employees a 3% COLA last year after four years of nary an increase. That 3% came nowhere close to closing the gap in what was lost to inflation over the past five years, although it was welcomed. It should also be noted that the 3% wasn’t a true salary increase. Such an increase would suggest something above and beyond what it takes to live in the world. Our increase last year barely caught up to what it took to live in 2008.
The county schools argue that since they gave us the “salary increase” last year, then they already did what the Governor suggested they do this year. That’s flat out not true. This year and last year are two different entities, as has been pointed out to them by the legislators in Richmond. A 2% COLA for next year would bring us perhaps to 2009 levels in buying power. (Teachers have lost buying power almost every year since the early 1980′s with a few of exceptions-1984,1985, 1992, 2003.)
What I take exception to the most, however, is that the Governor and the VEA actually sat down together informally this past December and hashed out compromises that would appease both the Governor’s reform-minded ambitions and educator’s need for a state-supported COLA. Here’s the agreement that was hashed out.
http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1613
Note that the agreement says that public school teachers give up their current continuing contract structure and grievance procedures for a revamped policy. In return, educators will receive the state support for a 2% COLA. As Roanoke County School officials rightly point out, the state share of such a COLA is only 49% of the total cost. Thus, they’d be on the hook for the other 51% next year and the entire cost in the following years. I do understand their position. They are between a rock and the county board of supervisors.
This is a sweet deal for the reformers. New teachers must now work 5 years on an annual contract. They can be dismissed without cause at any time. After the five year point, if a teacher is dismissed, their grievance options are altered so that the school board essentially controls two of the three grievance members. Plus, the decision by the panel is non-binding. What this means is that a new teacher who goes through a standard master’s program in college to get a teaching degree, incurring the thousands of dollars in debt associated with such an extended course of study, can be dismissed without any reason each year for five years. Then, any teacher who is dismissed while on continuing contract status after that has a right to a hearing before a board that is already potentially predisposed against his/her side. Of course, any education employee, who is charged with a crime, can immediately be suspended and dismissed if found guilty of the crime.
So, now Roanoke County is refusing the state support for the 2% COLA. Does that mean that THE REST OF THE DEAL IS VOIDED as well?
Thom Ryder
3rd grade Teacher-Oak Grove Elementary
RCEA Elementary Representative