Thousands of teachers in Arizona were on strike this week, demanding higher pay, and Virginia teachers may not be far behind. The Virginia Education Association says that by at least one measure their pay is worse than in any other state.
The private sector has seen strong economic growth since the Great Recession, with rising salaries in many fields, but that’s not the case in public education here. A recent survey showed the average teacher in Virginia earning just under $50,000 a year – only 79% of the average private sector salary – the lowest percentage in the nation. In North Carolina, teachers fare ten percent better, and in Maryland educators earn nearly $2,000 more than the average private sector wage.
That’s why the Commonwealth could be in for a strike.
“Teachers in Virginia have almost reached that point,” says Kathy Burcher is Director of Government Relations at the Virginia Education Association. “There is a churn just under the surface here in Virginia to take action exactly as we’ve seen in West Virginia, Arizona, Colorado.”
It’s true, she says, that by law Virginia teachers are not allowed to strike, but Burcher points out that it was also illegal for teachers in West Virginia to walk-out and they did, winning a promise of 5% more pay.
Burcher thinks everyone should be concerned about pay for teachers, since we’re already facing a serious shortage.
“Virginia started the school year with at least 1,000 unfilled positions, and it’s no longer what you used to hear – math, science and special education" she explains. "One of the critical shortage areas in Virginia is now kindergarten through 6th grade.”
Burcher recalls former Governor Terry McAuliffe urging young people to consider careers in cyber-security where he claimed entry-level jobs were paying $88,000 per year.
“When you are graduating from college and you have those kind of options available to you now that the economy has picked up, and these types of jobs are available, you really have to think hard about going into teaching and a career where ten years in, if you’re making $40,000 a year in some parts of our state, you’re doing pretty well for yourself.”
Lawmakers return to Richmond on May 14th to consider a budget that might include pay raises for educators. So far, the House of Delegates agrees on a 2% raise for teachers in the second-year of that spending plan, but the Senate is offering nothing.
*Editor's Note: The Virginia Education Association is a financial supporter of Radio IQ.
