Bredesen will give millions to increase teacher pay
The governor told the Tennessee School Board Association that he couldn’t discuss specifics until other parties reviewed the plan, but he vowed to keep teacher pay equity a priority in the budget he will present to the Legislature on March 10.
“There’s a specific number in the budget that I believe is acceptable to everybody but I’m not ready to talk about it,” he said, adding the amount was in the “tens of millions.”
“We’re going to find a way of getting some money into the lowest-paying districts this year to begin to address some of the worst disparities, and we’re going to do it in a way that doesn’t rob Peter to pay Paul,” Bredesen said. That means he won’t take money from cities and give it to the rural districts.
“Then we can work on the issue of how you raise the whole boat up,” Bredesen said.
The state Supreme Court ruled last fall that the pay gap between rural and urban school teachers renders the state’s funding formula for salaries unconstitutional because it does not provide equal educational opportunities for all children. The gap between the highest- and lowest-paying districts is more than $16,000.
Bredesen has repeatedly said that resolving the pay problem will come in two steps — meeting the requirements of the court mandate to equalize pay, then raising salaries to the Southeastern average to help attract and keep good teachers. The average Tennessee teacher’s salary is $39,000; the Southeastern average is $42,000.
Bredesen said he will not propose cuts to education when he presents his budget because it’s too important to the state’s future to “slide backward.”
Most state departments and agencies face cuts of 7.5 percent or more as Bredesen tries to resolve an anticipated $780 million budget deficit next year.
Teacher pay
Average salaries for Tennessee teachers:
• Avg. state salary $38,515
• Lowest avg. salary
Bledsoe County $31,102
• Highest avg. salary
Oak Ridge city $47,536
Area average salaries:
• Tullahoma $40,291
• Coffee County $36,041
• Warren County $35,210
• Putnam County $35,193
• White County $33,272
• DeKalb County $32,356