GOP Governors Lead the Way on Teacher Pay

Across the country, thousands of teachers are returning to their classrooms and receiving larger paychecks than they did a year ago.

The RGA reports:

Across the country, thousands of teachers are returning to their classrooms and receiving larger paychecks than they did a year ago. Republican governors are leading the way on enacting bold initiatives to ensure that teachers are better compensated for their hard work.  

According to Education Week, Republicans made up a clear majority of the more than 20 governors who proposed teacher pay raises this year – and they delivered on their promises. Over a dozen Republican governors kept their word and worked with their legislatures to get the job done.

Republican governors are focused on increasing opportunity for the people of their state, and these actions make certain that states are retaining and recruiting the best and brightest teachers to educate the next generation.

ALABAMA:

ARIZONA:

  • The Republic: Ducey Proposes 20 Percent Pay Increase For Teachers By 2020
    • In 2018, Governor Doug Ducey announced a plan to increase teacher salaries by 20 percent by 2020. The governor’s plan increased teacher salaries by 10% for the beginning of the 2018 school year, and an additional 5% increase was provided for the 2019 school year in this year’s budget

ARKANSAS:

  • Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Arkansas Governor Signs Measure To Raise Teacher Salaries
    • Increasing teacher salaries was an important pillar of Governor Asa Hutchinson’s reelection campaign. The governor delivered by enacting legislation to provide teachers earning the minimum salary in Arkansas to receive $1,000 raises for four years in a row.

FLORIDA:

IDAHO:

MISSISSIPPI:

NORTH DAKOTA:

OHIO:

OKLAHOMA:

SOUTH CAROLINA:

TENNESSEE:

  • Chalkbeat: Tennessee Bumps Base Teacher Pay Up To $36,000
    • This past legislative session, Tennessee legislators heeded Governor Bill Lee’s call to increase teacher pay, by providing an additional $71 million for increases, this was in addition to increasing the salary for new teachers by $1,000.

TEXAS:

  • Associated Press: Texas Governor Greg Abbott Announces $1.6B In Teacher Raises
    • Action taken by Governor Greg Abbott will ensure that teachers with at least five years of experience will receive a salary increase of $4,000. In addition to salary increases, exceptional teachers will have the opportunity to receive merit bonuses, which could lead to some teachers receiving six figures for their work.

WEST VIRGINIA:

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