Agenda - 05-27-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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T�E NEWS & OBSE M WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17, Triangle AB eac in ers ou e ay, The Association of Classroom local supplement, on top of an aver - the `next two years. By the 2001 -2002 Teachers seeks to attain _ � 6.5 percent increase from the schoolyea�"wouidreach22percent state. < for the most experienced teachers national pay parity for Wake But among Wake teachers with with master's degrees. teachers within three years. graduate-le!vel degrees and the most Titus said that a more generous experience, the school system incentive is needed both to attract BY TODD Su.BEBMAN &ppce a notch in the ranidngs coin- teachers with higher degrees and to STAFF wRRER piled by the Wake ACT encourage Others to seek additional RALEIGH — Hoping to have Wake In-North Carolina, Ware continues education. 1 teachers' pay. raised closer to the to lag behind Cbgdotte- Mecklenburg "Flower than 31 percent of teach - national average, the county's teacher at all beams salary levels Charioibe- ers in Wake Count yhave master's organization today will present a Mecklenburg ranks first among the degrees," Titus jaid. '"There's no three -year salary proposal to the gtaWs urban systans, incentive for teachers to spend school board. ".", . Rake should notbe second, not as money to go back to school" The proposal puts special empha wealthy as this eormty is," Titus said. Diane Kent-Parker, the school sys- sis on improving pay for teachers The teachers group had no esti- tem's director of teacher recruit - with graduate degrees and more mate on the total cost of the increase ment, said that many factors influ- years in the classroom. . for the Wake public school system, ence a teacher's decision to staywith The teachers' leaders say their but it could amount to as much as the profession, but that pay is criti- plan would help achieve systemwide $4 million. The school system spent cal— especially among newly certi - goals of attracting and retaining hilt► about $2 million last year to raise fled teachers looking for a first job: quality staff— goals board members teacher pay 1 percentage point. "Pay is very important because have called critical to their efforts to Under the proposal, all teachers people without experience are think improve student achievement. The would receive an increase of at least ing about the dollar signs," said board wants 95 percent of third- and 1 percentage point in a local supple- Parker, who recently returned from eighth - graders to be passing year- ment that now ranges from 11 per- job fairs where Atlanta was promis- end tests in reading and mathemat cant of base salary for the least expe- ing first-year candidates $37,000 to ics by 2003. About 82 percent of Wake rienced teachers to nea* 14 percent Wake's $25,600• students in grades three through for teachers with 25 years or more in Wake is frequently in the market eight pass those tests now the classroom. The supplement, for new teachers. Just over 500 of More than on&AbirdofWalne's6,l00 which crnantyM"mues fund, is added Wake's teachers this year are in the teachers have been teaching fewer to base salaries that the state pays. classroom for thefirst time, and 71 than 10 years. Of those, 1,100 teach- ,_ "The plan calls for the supplement percent of the more than 800 teach - ers have less than three years' expe- for beginning teachers with Bache- ers the system hired this school year rience. ;lor's degrees to rise to 12 percent. have less than fiveyears' xp eerience. `As with any novice in any p That rate graduallywould rise -to 17 Kent Parker said research shows a Won, they're not going to be as good percent for teachers with the most link between teacher experiahce and as someone with experience under experience. student perfmMlance. their belt," said Peggy Titus, a con- Teachers with master's degrees "If you have someone with a high - sultant for the Wake Association of would be compensated more gener- er degree and more experience, stu- Classroom lleachers. e. ously. The current half -point differ- dent achievement should go up," she The teacher pay plan would be .: the ential for teachers with graduate- said. "You want stability." latest installment in a multiyear plan level teaching cetificates would jump Titus said the teacher organiza- to raise Wake salaries to the nation- by 2 to 3 percentage points, depend- tion's pay proposal would help al average. This year, that average is ing on length of service . achieve that. $40,576, while the average among A teacher with 15 years of expen- "If the school board is going to Wake teachers is $35,602. -ence and a master's degree, for reach their goal," she said, "they're Compared with other systems that example, would receive a 16.5 per- going to need a more stable work Wake school leaders have identified. cent supplement. force than they have now as comparable,_ Wake gained ground The plan also calls for the supple - this year. Teachers last year won an ment to be increased by 1 percent- Todd Silberman can be reached increase of 1 percentage point in their age point, for ail teachers, in each of of $294531 or todds @mndo.com