JACKSON, MS –
There’s only one bill left in play this session that could lead to a pay raise for Mississippi teachers, but teachers say when you do the math–it won’t even be noticeable in their bank account.
These Valentine’s Day messages may look festive.
But they were delivered with a serious message from educators on what they think of the $1,000 over two years raise.
“We think the one in the Senate is a real slap in the face, and we are not happy with that suggestion of that pay raise,” said Mississippi Association of Educators President Joyce Helmick. “We don’t consider that actually a pay raise.”
The Senate passed the teacher pay raise bill yesterday. And if you ask the education chairman, its a step in the right direction.
“It’s $50 million and that’s better than nothing,” said Senator Gray Tollison. “And it is $1,000, raising the starting salary of a teacher with a bachelor’s degree to $35,390. Again, we have the local supplement. I know the legislature will continue to work towards raising that salary so we’re competitive. But we’re moving in the right direction.”
But what exactly does it mean for teachers’ pocket books?
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