MS teacher pay raise proposed

JACKSON, Miss. - Mississippi’s Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Senate Education Committee Chairman Dennis DeBar unveiled a proposed plan Jan. 10 to increase teachers' pay an average of $4,700 over two years. The proposed pay plan will “make us more competitive with our neighbors,” DeBar, a Republican from Leakesville, was quoted by The AP. The average teacher salary in the 2019-20 academic year was $46,843, according to the Southern Regional Education Board. The 16-state regional organization’s pays an average of $55,205 for teachers. The national average was $64,133. The starting salary for first year state teachers, with a bachelor’s degree, is $37,000, according to the state Department of Education. DeBar  says the current Mississippi teacher pay schedule has a problem in that it does not include annual increases for the first three years. He says the proposal corrects the salary schedule by providing $500 annual increases for newer teachers. Gov. Tate Reeves has proposed giving teachers a $1,300 pay raise beginning July 1, then $1,000 raises for each of the next two years. House members support the teacher pay raise, but have not released a specific proposal. (Source: The AP 01/10/22) Mississippi Senate Leaders Propose Teacher Pay Increase | Jackson Free Press | Jackson, MS