The Governor's Education Reform Commission (ERC) Funding Committee met Thursday at the state Capitol and discussed school funding reform, most notably the issue of educator compensation. The complete list of accompanying documents from the meeting can be found HERE
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ERC Committee on Teacher Pay Overhaul--Does Teacher Training & Experience Matter?
After a lively debate about Georgia's continued funding for educator training and experience (T & E) at a recent Funding Committee meeting, two distinct teacher pay proposals have emerged. One is put forth by the Governor's staff, who have maintained at ERC meetings that educators' advanced degrees and years of experience do not improve student performance.
In response, House Appropriations Committee Chair Terry England (R-Auburn), who has publicly expressed concern about discontinuing state funding of T & E, has proposed an alternative teacher pay scheme.
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Governor's Teacher Pay Proposal
Under the Governor's teacher pay plan, state funding for educator T & E would be eliminated. An identified state average teacher salary would flow to local school districts based on the number of teachers employed by each district. School districts currently spending less than the state average would receive more state dollars. Districts spending less than the state average would receive a supplement, bringing the districts up to current spending levels. According to the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget, (OPB) these supplemental dollars would flow from an $88 million state pool designated for teacher pay.
A review of research indicates that advanced degrees and years of experience do not positively affect student achievement, with the exception of the areas of advanced science and mathematics. Due to the results of this research, districts are encouraged to move to a compensation system for teachers which is based on performance. While districts are transitioning to new and more flexible salary schedules for teachers, it is critical to ensure that all current teachers are treated fairly. There is, however, equal importance of ensuring that districts have maximum flexibility to determine their own pay scales to reward, retain and recruit a high-caliber workforce aligned with their students' needs.
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England's Teacher Pay Proposal
Representative England's more conservative teacher pay proposal would continue state funding for T & E, and existing educators would be paid on the current scale. Local districts would create performance-based compensation systems for new Georgia educators.
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What Happens Next With Teacher Pay?
No vote was taken on the competing proposals, and Funding Committee members are expected to continue discussing the plans before final recommendations are published in December.
Educators and interested stakeholders are encouraged to provide input to the ERC on the plans as soon as possible.
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