Teacher pay ranks higher, but it may not last

Iowa teachers now average a little over 38-thousand dollars a year, rising two notches on a salary survey from the National Education Association. Iowa teachers rank 33rd in the U-S for pay, up from 35th last year. Ted Stillwell, director of the Iowa Department of Education, says he’s pleased to see to upward movement, but is concerned it’ll be a very temporary phenomenon since the action taken by the legislature last night would quickly reverse that growth. Stillwell says there -had- been a plan to boost state education spending, but that proposal appears to be in jeopardy.Last year, lawmakers and the governor agreed to a 40-million dollar program to improve teacher quality, including salaries, evaluations and professional development. Because of the state’s financial condition, Governor Vilsack suggested funding to that program not be raised, but to keep it at the current level. Stillwell says, that may not happen now.Last night’s action in the Senate reduced the 40-million to seven-point-75 million. Iowa State Education Association president Jolene Franken released the following statement: “The reality is that school districts will have only two choices if the Republican budget plan is adopted. They can either cut salaries or they can lay off more teachers and other education employees. And neither option is good for Iowa’s kids. Quality education requires quality funding.”