Huntsman Wants To Raise Teacher Salaries.... Again
None by Eric Ray
(KCPW News) Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Junior says the state is still facing a teacher shortage and he intends to use a larger than expected state surplus to help remedy the situation. According to Huntsman, Utah's public schools are 400 teachers short of where they should be and the reason is low teacher compensation. The Utah Revenue Estimating Committee said today the state will once again have a large surplus and addressing teacher pay will be Huntsman's number one priority.Huntsman says the state's booming economy and rising cost of living give credence to the argument that teachers should be paid more. He believes teacher salaries are still about five thousand dollars shy of where they should be and that until Utah reaches the regional average on salaries, those studying to become teachers will continue to leave the state.
Huntsman says it's still too early to tell exactly how much of a budget surplus the state will have. He says closing the gap on the state's uninsured and addressing Utah's air quality are also priorities.
Email to a friendPosted in KCPW Newsroom. Copyright 2008 KCPW
1. Hilda Derres said:
I would invite any one opposed to a increase in pay for teachers to visit a classroom. Better, volunteer to be a guest teacher (substitute) for $60 a day. I have taught for 14 years and in that time I witnessed change in students for the worst. I talk to a lot of teachers who are ready to quit because of difficult classroom conditions. A lot of teachers would pass up a pay raise for a class size of less than 25 students and the ability to put the chronic distrupters out of their class.
2. mike ballard said:
In a few days my daughter will graduate from BYU Idaho as a history major with a secondary school teaching certificate. She will become a high school civics teacher, but NOT in Utah! I can see by your pay scale what you value. The time, money and effort that her mother and I invested in her will NOT become a windfall for Utah.I noticed a proposed pay raise for the UT. teachers. Even with the new pay scale your compensation package makes me PUKE.