CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Thousands of teachers across West Virginia will be ending their school years in a matter of days and they will be returning to work in August at about the same pay.
Teachers’ annual pay increases are based on years of experience, but it has been a few years since the state legislature approved an across-the-board raises. Many believe that will be a big issue in next year’s legislative session.
“We’ve been able over the years to get our salaries up somewhere close to the national average, but they continue to go back down,” Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin said. “It’s my hope that we can address those salaries and maintain the great teachers we have in this state.”
Both the West Virginia American Federation of Teachers and West Virginia Education Association agreed to the compromise education reform bill passed by state lawmakers earlier this year. The groups hope the support will give them momentum for raises next year. There’s also been talk of raising the starting salaries for teachers.
The new education reform law includes loan forgiveness for teachers in critical need areas. The governor believes that provision will pay off.
“This would be one way to attract our younger teachers into the areas that are underserved right now,” Tomblin said.