NORFOLK, Va. — A bill making its way through the General Assembly would require teachers in Virginia to be paid at or above the national average.
Currently, the average salary for a teacher is about $61,000 compared to the national average of around $66,000, according to the National Education Association.
"The struggles of being an educator—it's become even worse since COVID," said Dr. James Fedderman, the president of the Virginia Education Association and a teacher in Accomack County.
News
Virginia lawmakers take up public safety bills, including gun control proposals
Hampton Roads lawmakers Sen. Louise Lucas (D-Portsmouth) and Del. Nadarius Clark (D-Suffolk) are sponsoring the legislation.
So far, it's gotten support from both sides of the aisle and passed in a House sub-committee on Tuesday morning.
Starting in 2025, teachers would get a 3% raise with a 7% raise the next year.
"Educators who dedicate their lives to students often struggle to support their own families," said Fedderman. "They often take on second and sometimes third jobs just to make ends meet. This is not right."
Other bills being considered this year include increasing the number of counselors in schools, and another would let local governments raise sales taxes in order to pay for school construction.
Watch related story: Virginia lawmakers take up public safety bills, including gun control proposals
Del. Shelly Simonds (D-Newport News) says she'll be working to find ways to bring in more dollars for schools.
"Overall, we need to be putting more money into public schools across Virginia," Simonds told News 3 in an interview last week. "We've got crumbling schools across the state."
While teachers have gotten raises through the state budget in recent years, Fedderman says their salaries aren't keeping pace with the rate of inflation.
"The cry for paying teachers and school staff as the professionals they are has been a concern for a very long time," said Fedderman. "It's an important sign to respect to pay them the compensation they deserve."
