Teachers with fewer than 5 years of teaching experience automatically get increases as follows:
- $1,000 increase January 1, 2015
- $500 increase July 1, 2015
- $1,350 increase July 1, 2016, contingent upon 3% growth in the economy (economists project 4.4% growth)
- $1,400 increase July 1, 2017, contingent upon 3% growth in the economy (economists project 4.1% growth)
The four-year increase totals $4,250. These increases are in addition to the $495 annual STEP increase and any other supplement that teachers earn. With the STEP increases factored in, including the current year’s increase, teachers will have seen their pay raised by $2,490 as of July 2015 and by $6,230 by July of 2017.
Teachers with five or more years of experience will have to meet three of the following 22 benchmarks to be eligible for the same raise outlined above:
- Attaining a AA certificate or enrolling in the process
- Attaining a AAA certificate or enrolling in the process
- Attaining a AAAA certificate or enrolling in the process
- Attaining a World Class Teacher designation or enrolling in the process
- Attaining national board certification as verified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards or enrolling in the process or attaining such certification
- Receiving a principal recommendation, which such recommendation may account for one benchmark
- Consistently demonstrating student growth and student achievement as measured by the statewide testing programs developed by the State Board of Education
- Serving on any committee or being a featured speaker at the request of an officially recognized state or national educational organization whose purpose is to improve student achievement
- Involvement in an education committee of a community group, such as Rotary, Kiwanis, Chamber of Commerce, etc.
- Having membership with a professional teacher organization which focuses on student improvement or professional development (membership in an organization which collects dues from its members for political purposes shall be deemed ineligible for receipt of this benchmark credit)
- Participating in or having previously participated in recognized development seminars or studies outside the normal required
- Serving as an official mentor teacher
- Teaching as an adjunct professor at a university or community college or teaching a bridge program
- Volunteering for school-sponsored extracurricular activities or testing activities
- Supervising student teachers
- Teaching dual enrollment courses
- Teaching advanced placement courses
- Obtaining multiple additional endorsements
- Serving in a leadership position such as Grade Chair or Team Leader of a Professional Learning Community
- Being absent no more than five days per contract year, other than being absent for school-related activities
- Being certified in a critical shortage subject area (Special Education, Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, German, Spanish)
- Teaching courses that align with end-of-course subject area tests
House Speaker Philip Gunn said of the raise, “…if we are going to improve our educational system, we have to invest in good teachers. Our plan does that… This plan ensures that our teachers receive the first fruits of any economic growth.”
