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1995 SESSION

LD5980148
HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 596
Offered January 23, 1995
Reaffirming the goal of national salary parity for teachers.
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Patrons--Christian, Barlow, Behm, Connally, Cooper, Copeland, Crittenden, Crouch, Cunningham, Darner, Diamonstein, Dillard, Grayson, Guest, Hamilton, Jones, J.C., Keating, Morgan, Plum, Purkey, Putney, Rhodes, Robinson, Van Landingham and Van Yahres; Senators: Andrews, Howell, Lucas, Maxwell and Miller, Y.B.
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Referred to Committee on Rules
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WHEREAS, the teaching profession has been called "the most public of all the professions," its ranks swelling nationwide to nearly 2.8 million; and

WHEREAS, although the teaching profession has been plagued by shortages, depressed salaries, and sometimes difficult working conditions, many agree that no other profession brings similar personal and professional rewards and satisfaction; and

WHEREAS, as increasingly complex technology and a fiercely competitive global workplace challenge our public education system to produce skilled, motivated graduates, teachers arguably remain one of the most important resources in the educational development of Virginia’s children; and

WHEREAS, the Governor's Commission on Excellence in Education recognized in 1986 that teacher compensation must be "competitive in the marketplace" and recommended the establishment of guidelines for teacher compensation and a biennial review by the Department of Personnel and Training (DPT); and

WHEREAS, the 1987 General Assembly acted on these recommendations, codifying the biennial review requirement and stating that "it is a goal of the Commonwealth that its public school teachers be compensated at a rate that is competitive in order to attract and keep competent teachers"; and

WHEREAS, in its 1990 report, DPT determined that while "substantial progress" had been made in raising teacher salaries since 1985, the average entry-level teaching salary was about six percent behind that of a comparable private-sector position; and

WHEREAS, the average actual salary for Virginia public school teachers in 1993-94 was $33,144, compared to a nationwide average of $35,958; and

WHEREAS, the actual average salary of Virginia classroom teachers declined in ranking from 18th in the nation in 1989-90 to 26th in the nation in 1993-94; and

WHEREAS, because the quality of public education is dependent in large part upon the quality of its teaching personnel, competitive salaries for Virginia’s teachers may enhance the recruitment and retention of the most qualified instructional personnel; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the Commonwealth reaffirm its commitment to achieve parity with the national average for public elementary and secondary school teachers.