Teachers across Virginia may be getting a raise soon. But lawmakers are disagreeing about how to calculate it.
Members of the General Assembly are hoping that teachers in Virginia will be paid the national average. But, Senate Republican Leader Ryan McDougle says it's a mistake to peg teacher salaries to information obtained from a national teachers union.
"If we're going to a goal, it should be data that Virginia makes the determination is the right goal, not a union that has self interest in producing a number," McDougle says. "Could be the right number, could be the wrong number; I don't know. And seeing the bill on the floor with no advance warning also gives me some concern those numbers are not 100% what people say they are."
Senate Finance Chairwoman Louise Lucas says she's not worried about it.
"It's not something that I didn't expect, and quite honestly, I'm not all that disappointed about it because they worked so well with me on a lot of other things," says Lucas. "To have just one or two items for the budget to move along as smoothly as it did, oh I am extremely happy."
Republicans are urging the governor to remove any language that uses data or information from the National Education Association.
This report, provided by Virginia Public Radio, was made possible with support from the Virginia Education Association.
