Bill to Improve Teacher Pay Advances in General Assembly
HB 187 and companion bill passed committees in both the House of Delegates and Senate this week.
by Adele Uphaus
MANAGING EDITOR AND CORRESPONDENT
A bill that would bring pay for Virginia’s public-school teachers in line with or above the national average is advancing through the General Assembly.
House Bill 187 and its companion, Senate Bill 104, were both reported out of committees this week and will be heard in the full chambers.
The bills state that, “Public school teachers shall be compensated at a rate that is competitive in order to attract and keep highly qualified teachers. As used in this section, ‘competitive’ means, at a minimum, at or above the national average teacher salary.”
Current law states that it is only “the goal” of the Commonwealth to pay teachers at a competitive rate.
The legislation would require biennial review of teacher compensation by the Department of Education, with results reported to the General Assembly, the Governor and the State Board of Education in odd-numbered years.
Teachers, instructional support positions and non-instructional support positions are included in the legislation and would receive annual increases until they are compensated at a rate that is at or above the respective national average by the 2028-29 school year.
The Senate’s education committee voted unanimously on January 11 to recommend the legislation.
The bill passed the House committee by a 16-to-5 vote on Wednesday. Among those voting against recommending the bill were Del. Phil Scott, who represents House District 63 which includes the western half of Spotsylvania County.
Scott told the Advance that he couldn’t support the bill because it did not specify what standard would be used against which to measure Virginia’s educator compensation.
“There are a bunch of different reports out there, some more current than others, with some organizations using outdated numbers,” Scott said. “It seems like this was just done haphazardly without any hard and fast data.”
“I’m not against helping get teachers what they deserve,” he continued. “But if we’re going to say ‘national average,’ what data point we’re talking about needs to be clearly defined.”
Local Obituaries
To view local obituaries or to send a note to family and loved ones, please visit our website at the link that follows.
Support Award-winning, Locally Focused Journalism
In less than a year, FXBG Advance has become the news leader in Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Stafford through its innovative mix of:
Twice-daily newsletter - At 6 AM and 5 PM every Monday through Friday, the Advance brings the most important news directly to your inbox.
Education Reporting - Adele Uphaus has won multiple awards for her coverage of education issues locally and across the state. Now, she brings her experience, insights, and expertise to the Advance, providing our citizens some of the finest education writing and reporting in the commonwealth.
Political Reporting - From council meetings to campaigns, and fundraising to finance, the Advance is returning the Fourth Estate to its rightful place as a government watch dog.
Breaking News - From court cases to high-profile government moves, the Advance is the first to inform residents.
Investigative Journalism - Last year, the Advance broke major stories around improperly filed election documents, misleading sample ballots, disenfranchising Spotsylvania Count School parents, and book bans.
Election Coverage - The Advance offered the most complete coverage of the 2023 election, with in-depth candidate profiles, daily tracking of events, leading debates, and pre-dawn to post-midnight Election Day coverage. And 2024 brings even greater coverage.
Spotlights - From local businesses to nonprofit organizations and regional leaders, the Advance brings the people who make things happen to your attention.
Multi-partisan Commentary - Martin Davis is a 20-plus-year journalist recognized for superior commentary and political writing; Shaun Kenney has his hands on the pulse of political leaders across the Commonwealth. Together, they bring an unparalleled level of analysis and insight into the issues that drive debate in our region.
Political Cartoons - Clay Jones is a nationally recognized talent who draws weekly for CNN. He has returned to Fredericksburg to level his critical eye and razor-sharp drawing at the topics which make us both laugh, and look closer at ourselves.
New Dominion Podcast - Each week, Martin Davis and Shaun Kenney interview guests from across the region and the state. Growing to over 1,000 listeners in just six months, NDP has become a leading force in political, cultural, and social discussion.
We thank each and every one of you who have made the Advance a part of your day, and we’re excited to say that more-exciting announcements are just around the corner as we continue to innovate and expand our coverage of the region.
The donations of individual readers have made this year possible. Please join the hundreds who are supporting excellence in journalism by subscribing for just $8 a month.
Where does your money go?
It goes to support the great journalists we have - like Adele Uphaus - and the ones we look to hire in the year ahead.
If you can spare $8 a month, we’ll be both grateful, and reward your trust in us with more journalism, more stories, and more connections to organizations and people who make our region a great place to live.
If you can’t, thank you for reading the FXBG Advance!, and consider sharing us with your friends.
In 2024, let’s build an even better Advance - together!
Thank you for reading and supporting FXBG Advance.
-Martin Davis, Editor-in-Chief
Although I like the sentiment of meeting or exceeding national standards, I share Delegate Scott's thoughts about the need for a hard and clearly defined standard if it's going to be a law.
It's a legitimate concern and should be addressed.