An op-ed by House Democratic Caucus chair Brian Moran appeared* in this morning’s Virginian Pilot. In it, Del. Moran explains how the House Republican budget shortchanges education.
Embedded in its budget proposal is a formula change that alters the fundamental state commitment to provide public education to our children. This fine print has major impacts: dramatic cuts to public education, an inability to pay competitive teacher salaries and forced increases in local property taxes.
Among other things, Republicans simply ignore the efforts of local governments to raise teachers’ salaries.
You know, listening to comments made during the last election cycle by the various candidates, all of the candidates agreed that the Commonwealth needed to provide real estate tax relief and raise teachers’ salaries. Senate Republicans, with an assist from a couple of Democrats, killed any hope we had of this first this year. If implemented, the House GOP budget would put additional pressure on the localities to raise real estate taxes to cover increases in teachers’ salaries, already $6,100 behind the rest of the country, according to Moran.
According to JLARC, the Republicans’ proposal would reduce state support for education by $78.8 million in this budget and take away another $250 million in the following budget.
We can’t afford this. Yes, the revenues are decreasing and the budget is tight. But investing in education – our future – is one of the most, if not the most, important things that the Commonwealth can do.
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VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
Can we please stop with the myth of the overpaid teachers?
That should be underpaid teachers, of course.
What myth are you talking about Brian? Do you have any dollar figures to back up your claims?
Teachers make a decent salary right out of college. They also have good benefit plans – the VRS is especially generous. Not only that, but they work about 3/4 of the year. It’s a pretty good deal, especially given the questionable value an education degree.
“Teachers make a decent salary right out of college.”
Depends on where you live. In most counties, you start out at a decent rate but the increases over time negate that start.
“but they work about 3/4 of the year”
3/4 of the year? Yeah my contract says 5/6. But you (and most other people ignorant about education) don’t take into account that I actually work an additional 1-2 hours extra every day. Add that up over the course of a contract year and what do I get? Nothing…absolutely nothing. Oh I’m sorry…my summer “off”.
“especially given the questionable value an education degree.”
It’s not questionable at all. I HAVE to have one to teach. There’s no getting around one. Of course, people who are against education love qualified teachers. How would you measure the qualifications?
Brian, your are correct that teachers make a pretty good salary out of college and that retirement benefits are generous. However, why is it ok for salaries of other professionals to rise 50-100% during the first decade of employment while teacher salaries, after removing effects of inflation, do not increase that much over the teacher’s entire career. The problem is not starting pay. It is keeping good teachers in the classroom when there are much more attractive alternatives in the private sector. This is especially true for teachers with experience.
Theachers are the front line of future generations any support, given to them is not a gift iit should be welcomed with open arms, evertday they walk into the class room is a better day for us all.