CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin is proposing pay for state workers in a tight budget year. The governor unveiled the plan during his State of the State Address Wednesday night.
Tomblin wants to increase teacher and school service personnel pay by 2 percent and give all other state workers a $504 increase. It will be the first pay raise for the workers in two years.
While encouraged a proposed raise made it into what’s expected to be a difficult budget year, West Virginia Education Association President Dale Lee doesn’t want the discussion to stop at 2 percent.
“We have to come up with a long-term solution,” said Lee, who contends the state can attract qualified teachers with a multi-year pay raise proposal. “That will ensure that teachers want to come into the profession in West Virginia and stay in West Virginia, and it all revolves around the salaries.”
West Virginia American Federation of Teachers President Christine Campbell said it was good to hear the governor recognize the need.
“Given the fact that we have a really tight budget this year, it’s great that commitment is there,” Campbell said.
The teachers federation also supports including job-embedded professional development for teachers.